Generate a Webhook URL Instantly — No Server Required

You need to test a webhook. You don't have time to spin up ngrok, configure a tunnel, copy a URL that expires in 20 minutes, and then do it all again next session. You need a URL that works right now and keeps working.

HookTunnel gives you a cryptographically random, persistent webhook endpoint in one click — no signup, no server, no configuration.

The developer's webhook URL problem

Every developer who works with Stripe, Twilio, GitHub, or any webhook-based API has hit the same wall: how do I get a real URL to test against without exposing my local machine?

The options most teams use:

ngrok: Install a CLI, authenticate, run the tunnel, copy the URL. URL changes every session on the free tier. Paste it into your Stripe dashboard. Session ends, URL breaks, you repeat the whole process tomorrow.

Webhook.site: No signup, instant URL. But it's session-scoped — close the tab and your events are gone. No persistence, no history, no way to replay.

RequestBin: Similar story. Expires after 20 minutes or when the session ends.

Push to staging: The nuclear option. Deploy to a publicly accessible environment just to see a webhook payload. Now your staging environment is a development tool.

None of these are the right answer. A webhook URL for testing should be:

• Instant — no setup, no install
• Persistent — same URL works tomorrow, next week, next month
• Real — not a session-scoped demo but a production-grade endpoint

How HookTunnel works

Click "Generate Hook URL." Copy. Done.

The URL looks like: https://hooks.hooktunnel.com/h/a7x9kp3m

That URL is yours immediately. Paste it into Stripe as your webhook endpoint. Paste it into Twilio. Use it anywhere. It starts receiving HTTP requests the moment it's created.

Every inbound request — any method, any body, any headers — is captured and stored. You see them in real time in the HookTunnel dashboard.

What makes this different from competitors

Persistent URLs: Your HookTunnel webhook URL doesn't change between sessions. The Stripe configuration you set up today works indefinitely. ngrok's free tier URL changes on every restart. You set it up once with HookTunnel.

No signup to start: Click generate, get a URL. Sign up later to save your work. All events captured before signup transfer automatically to your account — you don't lose your history.

Provider-aware from the start: HookTunnel isn't just a raw logger. When a Stripe event arrives, it verifies the signature. When a Twilio webhook arrives, it detects the provider. Your URL is the entry point to a full outcome verification system, not a dead-end log viewer.

Leads somewhere useful: The URL you generate today can evolve into a full outcome tracking endpoint — outcome receipts, reconciliation, replay — without changing the URL or reconfiguring your provider.

From test URL to production trust

Most webhook URL generators are dead ends. You get a URL, you see the payload, that's all.

HookTunnel's URL is the foundation of a system:

• Inspect: see every header, every field, the exact payload your provider sends
• Search: find any event in your history by meaning, not just text
• Replay: re-send any captured event to your handler after a fix
• Receipts: prove your app actually committed the side-effect
• Reconciliation: compare every Stripe payment to a confirmed outcome

You start with a URL. You end with proof that your webhooks work.

Related features

• Webhook Inspector — see the full payload of every captured event
• Send Test Events — fire test events without a real provider
• Local Forwarding — forward captured events to localhost
• Guest Hook Claiming — save your work after signup

Frequently asked questions

Is HookTunnel's webhook URL really free? Yes. One webhook URL is free, no signup required. Free accounts get 1 permanent hook, 100 requests per day, and 24 hours of history. Paid plans unlock more hooks, unlimited requests, and longer retention.

Does the URL expire? No. Your webhook URL is persistent until you delete it. Guest URLs (created without signup) survive for 7 days; they become permanent once you claim them to an account.

Can I use this with Stripe? Yes. Paste the URL into your Stripe webhook settings (Dashboard → Developers → Webhooks → Add endpoint). HookTunnel automatically verifies Stripe-Signature headers and shows verification status in the event detail.

Can I use it with Twilio? Yes. Any HTTP provider works. For Twilio, HookTunnel detects the X-Twilio-Signature header and groups events by CallSid for call trace analysis.

What's the difference between HookTunnel and Webhook.site? Webhook.site is a session-scoped log viewer. HookTunnel is a persistent outcome verification system. Your URL doesn't expire. Your events don't disappear. And beyond inspection, you get replay, receipts, and reconciliation.

Can I generate multiple webhook URLs? Free: 1 hook. Pro: 10. Team: 50. Enterprise: 1000. Each hook gets its own URL, history, and outcome tracking.

What payload formats are supported? Any. JSON, XML, form-encoded, raw body, multipart — if it's an HTTP POST, HookTunnel captures it.