> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.webhooktrap.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Webhooktrap Inboxes: Your Webhook Capture Endpoints

> An inbox is a unique HTTPS endpoint that receives webhook events from any provider. Learn how inboxes work and when to use anonymous vs saved.

An inbox is a unique HTTPS endpoint that accepts webhook requests from any provider. Every inbox gets a URL in the form `https://webhooktrap.dev/i/:inboxId` — drop that URL into Stripe, GitHub, Shopify, or any other service, and Webhooktrap starts capturing every request it receives immediately.

## Anonymous vs saved inboxes

Webhooktrap gives you two inbox types depending on how much staying power you need.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Anonymous inbox">
    An anonymous inbox requires no account and is ready the moment you create it. Use it when you need a quick capture endpoint for a one-off test or a short debugging session.

    * **No sign-up required** — create one with a single API call or from the dashboard
    * **48-hour TTL** — the inbox and all its events are automatically deleted after 48 hours
    * **No replay history** — once the inbox expires, captured events are gone
    * **Best for**: quick smoke tests, sharing a reproduction case, or exploring a new provider's payload shape
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Saved inbox">
    A saved inbox is tied to a free Webhooktrap account and persists until you choose to delete it. Use it for ongoing integrations where you need a stable capture endpoint and a full event history.

    * **Free account required** — sign up at [webhooktrap.dev](https://webhooktrap.dev)
    * **No expiry** — the inbox stays alive until you delete it
    * **Named and organized** — give each inbox a descriptive name inside your dashboard workspace
    * **Full replay history** — every captured event is available for replay at any time
    * **Best for**: development workflows, staging environments, and long-running integrations
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Create an inbox

Creating an inbox takes a single POST request. No request body or authentication is required for an anonymous inbox.

```bash theme={null}
curl -X POST https://api.webhooktrap.dev/api/v1/inboxes
```

Webhooktrap responds with an inbox ID and its ingest URL:

```json theme={null}
{
  "data": {
    "inbox": {
      "id": "xK9m2pQ7nR4a",
      "ingestUrl": "https://webhooktrap.dev/i/xK9m2pQ7nR4a"
    }
  }
}
```

Your ingest URL is ready to use immediately:

```text theme={null}
https://webhooktrap.dev/i/xK9m2pQ7nR4a
```

## Use the ingest URL with any provider

Paste the ingest URL wherever a webhook destination is required. Webhooktrap responds with `200 OK` to every inbound request so the provider registers the endpoint as healthy.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Copy your ingest URL">
    Copy the full URL from the API response or from the inbox detail page in your dashboard.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Paste it into your provider">
    Navigate to your provider's webhook settings — for example, **Stripe → Developers → Webhooks → Add endpoint** — and paste the URL as the destination.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Trigger an event">
    Send a test event from the provider's dashboard, or perform the action that triggers the webhook in your application.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Inspect the capture">
    Open Webhooktrap's dashboard or call `GET /api/v1/inboxes/:id/events` to see the full request — method, headers, body, and query string — exactly as the provider sent it.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Anonymous inboxes expire **48 hours** after creation. All events captured in that inbox are permanently deleted when the inbox expires. If you need to keep events longer, create a saved inbox with a free account.
</Note>