> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.terminal.africa/tship/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.terminal.africa/tship/miscallaneous/webhook-events/handling-webhook-events.md).

# Handling Webhook Events

Verify webhook signatures and process pickup event versions safely.

### Receive Pickup Events in Node.js

Terminal signs the exact request body with HMAC-SHA512 using your `SECRET_KEY`. Verify `X-Terminal-Signature` before accepting the event. Preserve the raw body before any JSON middleware changes it.

```javascript
const express = require("express");
const crypto = require("crypto");
const app = express();
const SECRET_KEY = process.env.TERMINAL_SECRET_KEY;

function verifySignature(rawBody, signature) {
    if (!Buffer.isBuffer(rawBody) || typeof signature !== "string" ||
        !/^[a-f0-9]{128}$/i.test(signature)) return false;
    const expected = crypto.createHmac("sha512", SECRET_KEY)
        .update(rawBody).digest();
    return crypto.timingSafeEqual(expected, Buffer.from(signature, "hex"));
}

// Register this route before app-wide express.json() middleware.
app.post("/webhooks/terminal", express.raw({ type: "application/json" }),
    async (req, res) => {
        if (!verifySignature(req.body, req.get("X-Terminal-Signature"))) {
            return res.sendStatus(401);
        }
        let payload;
        try { payload = JSON.parse(req.body.toString("utf8")); }
        catch (_) { return res.sendStatus(400); }

        if (!payload.event?.startsWith("pickup.")) {
            // Route other subscribed resource events to their own handler.
            return res.sendStatus(200);
        }
        if (!payload.event_id || !payload.data?.pickup_id ||
            !Number.isSafeInteger(payload.data.version)) {
            return res.sendStatus(400);
        }
        try {
            // Your durable inbox: a unique event_id makes duplicate acceptance safe.
            // Process this inbox asynchronously after it is committed.
            await inbox.storeUnique(payload.event_id, payload);
            return res.sendStatus(200);
        } catch (_) {
            return res.sendStatus(503);
        }
    });
```

`inbox.storeUnique` represents your application's persistent storage; implement it in your database. Duplicate event IDs should count as accepted rather than causing an error. A webhook receiver should acknowledge only after durable acceptance; customer notifications are processed asynchronously.

### Pickup Identity, Ordering and Recovery

Pickup webhooks include `event_id`, `occurred_at`, `event` and `data`. Deduplicate deliveries and replays on `event_id`. Store the highest `data.version` applied for each `data.pickup_id`, and ignore equal or smaller versions. Perform the version check, state update and notification scheduling atomically, including when multiple workers process your inbox.

Use `data.next_action` to choose the customer's next step. `pickup.failed` with `next_action: "wait"` is being recovered by Terminal; a later `pickup.booked` confirms the replacement. Terminal cancellation with `next_action: "dropoff"` requires hub handover. Refund outcome is separate from collection outcome.

Replays retain the original event ID, version and snapshot. Reconcile uncertain or missing notifications with `GET /v1/pickups/:pickup_id`; it returns the latest version and recovery instructions. See [Pickup Workflow](/tship/guides/pickup-workflow.md) for the retry and drop-off flow.

Other resource events retain the envelope documented in [Sample Webhook Event Payloads](/tship/miscallaneous/sample-webhook-event-payloads.md). The same raw-body signature check applies to every event.


---

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