Introduction to Event Notifications and Subscriptions

What are events, notifications and subscriptions?

• Events - events are synonymous with notifications, and refer to a message that is sent after it is triggered by an action, or state-change on the platform.

• Subscription - a subscription refers to how an event notification is delivered to an application. A subscription contains the following metadata:

• How the event is delivered, e.g. via webhook, pubnub, APNS, etc.
• Address - where the notification is delivered
• Expiry - when the subscription will end
• The set of events being listened for/subscribed to

How do I create a subscription, or a webhook?

Webhooks and subscriptions in general are created exclusively via the Subscription API. There is no web interface or developer console for creating/registering webhooks.

• See how to create a webhook using the Subscription API

When should I use a webhook vs PubNub?

RingCentral supports two primary means for delivering events/notifications: via a webhook and via PubNub. Here are considerations to make when deciding which to support in your application:

• With assistance from RingCentral code samples, PubNub notifications are the quickest and simplest to implement, especially when you don't already have a webserver setup and running.
• Webhooks are great if your service is "always on" and needs to receive notifications even if clients are offline.
• PubNub is ideal for delivering low-latency notifications that must be sent directly to clients, e.g. push notifications for mobile applications.

• Webhooks can be implemented at no additional cost, as PubNub is a service independent from RingCentral.

• Learn about webhooks

• Learn about PubNub notifications

What events/notifications does RingCentral support?

RingCentral offers a comprehensive set of events that developers can subscribe to. Such events include:

• SMS received
• Voicemail received
• Fax received
• Call started and call ended
• Missed call
• Presence/availability changed

For a comprehensive list of events, please consult our API Reference.