Elevenlabs Webhooks

---
name: elevenlabs-webhooks
description: >
  Receive and verify ElevenLabs webhooks. Use when setting up ElevenLabs webhook
  handlers, debugging signature verification, or handling call transcription events.
license: MIT
metadata:
  author: hookdeck
  version: "0.1.0"
  repository: https://github.com/hookdeck/webhook-skills
---

# ElevenLabs Webhooks

## When to Use This Skill

- Setting up ElevenLabs webhook handlers
- Debugging signature verification failures
- Understanding ElevenLabs event types and payloads
- Processing call transcription events
- Handling voice removal notifications

## Essential Code

### Signature Verification (SDK — Recommended)

ElevenLabs recommends using the official `@elevenlabs/elevenlabs-js` SDK for webhook verification and event construction. See [Verify the webhook secret and construct the webhook payload](https://elevenlabs.io/docs/agents-platform/guides/integrations/upstash-redis#verify-the-webhook-secret-and-consrtuct-the-webhook-payload).

```javascript
// Express.js / Node example
const { ElevenLabsClient } = require('@elevenlabs/elevenlabs-js');

const elevenlabs = new ElevenLabsClient({
  apiKey: process.env.ELEVENLABS_API_KEY || 'webhook-only'
});

// In your webhook handler: get raw body and signature header, then:
const event = await elevenlabs.webhooks.constructEvent(rawBody, signatureHeader, process.env.ELEVENLABS_WEBHOOK_SECRET);
// event is the parsed payload; SDK throws on invalid signature
```

```typescript
// Next.js example
import { ElevenLabsClient } from '@elevenlabs/elevenlabs-js';

const elevenlabs = new ElevenLabsClient({
  apiKey: process.env.ELEVENLABS_API_KEY || 'webhook-only'
});

export async function POST(request: NextRequest) {
  const rawBody = await request.text();
  const signatureHeader = request.headers.get('ElevenLabs-Signature');
  try {
    const event = await elevenlabs.webhooks.constructEvent(
      rawBody,
      signatureHeader,
      process.env.ELEVENLABS_WEBHOOK_SECRET
    );
    // Handle event.type, event.data...
    return new NextResponse('OK', { status: 200 });
  } catch (error) {
    return NextResponse.json({ error: (error as Error).message }, { status: 401 });
  }
}
```

### Python SDK Verification (FastAPI)

```python
import os
from fastapi import FastAPI, Request, HTTPException
from elevenlabs import ElevenLabs
from elevenlabs.errors import BadRequestError

app = FastAPI()
elevenlabs = ElevenLabs(api_key=os.environ.get("ELEVENLABS_API_KEY") or "webhook-only")

@app.post("/webhooks/elevenlabs")
async def elevenlabs_webhook(request: Request):
    raw_body = await request.body()
    sig = request.headers.get("ElevenLabs-Signature") or request.headers.get("elevenlabs-signature")
    
    if not sig:
        raise HTTPException(status_code=400, detail="Missing signature header")
    
    try:
        event = elevenlabs.webhooks.construct_event(
            raw_body.decode("utf-8"),
            sig,
            os.environ["ELEVENLABS_WEBHOOK_SECRET"]
        )
        # Handle event["type"], event["data"]...
        return {"status": "ok"}
    except BadRequestError as e:
        raise HTTPException(status_code=401, detail="Invalid signature")
```

The SDK (Node/TypeScript and Python) verifies the signature, validates the timestamp (30-minute tolerance), and returns the parsed event. On failure it throws; return 401 and the error message.

## Common Event Types

| Event | Triggered When | Common Use Cases |
|-------|----------------|------------------|
| `post_call_transcription` | Call analysis completed | Process call insights, save transcripts |
| `voice_removal_notice` | Notice that voice will be removed | Notify users, backup voice data |
| `voice_removal_notice_withdrawn` | Voice removal notice cancelled | Update user notifications |
| `voice_removed` | Voice has been removed | Clean up voice data, update UI |

## Environment Variables

```bash
ELEVENLABS_WEBHOOK_SECRET=your_webhook_secret_here
```

## Local Development

For local webhook testing, install Hookdeck CLI:

```bash
# Install via npm (recommended)
npm install -g hookdeck-cli

# Or via Homebrew
brew install hookdeck/hookdeck/hookdeck
```

Then start the tunnel:

```bash
hookdeck listen 3000 --path /webhooks/elevenlabs
```

No account required. Provides local tunnel + web UI for inspecting requests.

## Resources

- [Overview](references/overview.md) - What ElevenLabs webhooks are, common event types
- [Setup](references/setup.md) - Configure webhooks in ElevenLabs dashboard, get signing secret
- [Verification](references/verification.md) - Signature verification details and gotchas
- [Express Example](examples/express/) - Complete Express.js implementation
- [Next.js Example](examples/nextjs/) - Next.js App Router implementation
- [FastAPI Example](examples/fastapi/) - Python FastAPI implementation

## Recommended: webhook-handler-patterns

We recommend installing the [webhook-handler-patterns](https://github.com/hookdeck/webhook-skills/tree/main/skills/webhook-handler-patterns) skill alongside this one for handler sequence, idempotency, error handling, and retry logic. Key references (open on GitHub):

- [Handler sequence](https://github.com/hookdeck/webhook-skills/blob/main/skills/webhook-handler-patterns/references/handler-sequence.md) — Verify first, parse second, handle idempotently third
- [Idempotency](https://github.com/hookdeck/webhook-skills/blob/main/skills/webhook-handler-patterns/references/idempotency.md) — Prevent duplicate processing
- [Error handling](https://github.com/hookdeck/webhook-skills/blob/main/skills/webhook-handler-patterns/references/error-handling.md) — Return codes, logging, dead letter queues
- [Retry logic](https://github.com/hookdeck/webhook-skills/blob/main/skills/webhook-handler-patterns/references/retry-logic.md) — Provider retry schedules, backoff patterns

## Related Skills

- [stripe-webhooks](https://github.com/hookdeck/webhook-skills/tree/main/skills/stripe-webhooks) - Stripe payment webhook handling
- [shopify-webhooks](https://github.com/hookdeck/webhook-skills/tree/main/skills/shopify-webhooks) - Shopify e-commerce webhook handling
- [github-webhooks](https://github.com/hookdeck/webhook-skills/tree/main/skills/github-webhooks) - GitHub repository webhook handling
- [resend-webhooks](https://github.com/hookdeck/webhook-skills/tree/main/skills/resend-webhooks) - Resend email webhook handling
- [chargebee-webhooks](https://github.com/hookdeck/webhook-skills/tree/main/skills/chargebee-webhooks) - Chargebee billing webhook handling
- [clerk-webhooks](https://github.com/hookdeck/webhook-skills/tree/main/skills/clerk-webhooks) - Clerk auth webhook handling
- [openai-webhooks](https://github.com/hookdeck/webhook-skills/tree/main/skills/openai-webhooks) - OpenAI webhook handling
- [paddle-webhooks](https://github.com/hookdeck/webhook-skills/tree/main/skills/paddle-webhooks) - Paddle billing webhook handling
- [webhook-handler-patterns](https://github.com/hookdeck/webhook-skills/tree/main/skills/webhook-handler-patterns) - Handler sequence, idempotency, error handling, retry logic
- [hookdeck-event-gateway](https://github.com/hookdeck/webhook-skills/tree/main/skills/hookdeck-event-gateway) - Production webhook infrastructure (routing, replay, monitoring)

## Official ElevenLabs SDK Skills

For making API calls TO ElevenLabs (text-to-speech, transcription, agents), see the official [ElevenLabs Skills](https://github.com/elevenlabs/skills). This skill handles the opposite direction: receiving webhooks FROM ElevenLabs.

> **SDK Warning:** Always use `@elevenlabs/elevenlabs-js` for JavaScript. Do not use `npm install elevenlabs` (that's an outdated v1.x package).