JSON & NoCode — Zapier, n8n, Make & Webhook Payloads Explained

How JSON Flows Through Automations

Webhook → Automation → Action

Understanding Webhook JSON

When a service like Stripe, Shopify, or GitHub triggers a webhook, it sends a JSON payload to your URL:

Stripe payment webhook payload (simplified)json

1{
2  "id": "evt_1abc123",
3  "type": "payment_intent.succeeded",
4  "data": {
5    "object": {
6      "id": "pi_xyz789",
7      "amount": 2999,
8      "currency": "usd",
9      "customer": "cus_abc",
10      "metadata": {
11        "order_id": "ORD-1234"
12      },
13      "receipt_email": "[email protected]"
14    }
15  }
16}

Tip

The payment amount 2999 means $29.99 — Stripe stores amounts in the smallest currency unit (cents). This is a common pattern in payment and e-commerce APIs. Always check the API docs for how numbers are formatted.

Key Concepts for Non-Developers

JSON Concept	What It Means	Example
Object { }	A group of labeled values	{"name": "Alice", "email": "[email protected]"}
Array [ ]	A list of items	["email", "sms", "push"]
Nested object	An object inside another object	{"customer": {"name": "Alice"}}
Key	The label/name (always in quotes)	"email" in {"email": "[email protected]"}
Value	The data (text, number, true/false, null)	"[email protected]" or 2999 or true
null	Intentionally empty / no value	"bio": null means bio is not set

Zapier — Working with JSON

Incoming Webhooks

Zapier's “Webhooks by Zapier” trigger automatically parses JSON and shows each field as a selectable value in subsequent steps:

Create a new Zap with trigger Webhooks by Zapier → Catch Hook
Copy the webhook URL Zapier gives you
Send a test JSON payload to that URL (from your service or manually)
Click Test trigger — Zapier shows all parsed fields
Use those fields in your action step (e.g., “Send Email” with the customer email)

Handling Nested Data in Zapier

Accessing nested valuestext

1Given this webhook JSON:
2{
3  "customer": {
4    "name": "Alice",
5    "addresses": [
6      { "city": "New York", "zip": "10001" }
7    ]
8  }
9}
10
11In Zapier field mapping:
12  customer__name       → "Alice"
13  customer__addresses  → (shows as array — use Formatter to extract)
14
15In Code by Zapier (JavaScript):
16  const data = JSON.parse(inputData.rawBody);
17  return { city: data.customer.addresses[0].city };  // "New York"

n8n — Full JSON Control

n8n expression examplesjson

1// Access a simple field
2{{ $json.customer.email }}
3
4// Access array item
5{{ $json.data.items[0].name }}
6
7// Conditional value
8{{ $json.status === 'paid' ? 'Complete' : 'Pending' }}
9
10// Format a price (cents to dollars)
11{{ ($json.amount / 100).toFixed(2) }}

Tip

n8n shows you the raw JSON at every step. Click any node's output to see the exact JSON structure. Use this to build your expressions — you can see exactly which keys exist and what their values are.

Make (Integromat) — Mapping JSON

Make uses a visual mapper to connect JSON fields between modules:

1.Add a Webhooks → Custom webhook trigger
2.Send a test payload — Make auto-detects the JSON structure
3.Click the data structure button to see all available fields
4.Use the Set Variable module for transformations
5.For arrays, use an Iterator module to loop through items

Real-World Webhook Examples

Shopify Order Webhook

Shopify order created (simplified)json

1{
2  "id": 5678,
3  "email": "[email protected]",
4  "total_price": "49.99",
5  "currency": "USD",
6  "line_items": [
7    { "title": "Blue T-Shirt", "quantity": 2, "price": "19.99" },
8    { "title": "Cap", "quantity": 1, "price": "9.99" }
9  ],
10  "shipping_address": {
11    "city": "New York",
12    "zip": "10001",
13    "country": "US"
14  }
15}

GitHub Push Webhook

GitHub push event (simplified)json

1{
2  "ref": "refs/heads/main",
3  "repository": {
4    "name": "my-project",
5    "full_name": "alice/my-project"
6  },
7  "commits": [
8    {
9      "message": "Fix login bug",
10      "author": { "name": "Alice", "email": "[email protected]" },
11      "timestamp": "2026-04-02T14:30:00Z"
12    }
13  ]
14}

Debugging Failed Webhooks

Symptom	Likely Cause	Fix
Webhook not received	Wrong URL or firewall blocking	Check URL, test with a simple POST tool
"Invalid JSON" error	Malformed payload or wrong Content-Type	Ensure Content-Type: application/json
Fields showing as empty	JSON structure changed (fields renamed)	Re-test webhook trigger to update field mapping
Array data missing	Tool does not auto-expand arrays	Use Iterator (Make) or Code step (Zapier)
Numbers wrong	Amount in cents, not dollars	Divide by 100 in a Formatter/Code step

Try It — Validate a Webhook Payload

Try It Yourself

A typical webhook JSON payload — validate before using in your automation

Try These Tools

JSON Validator

Validate webhook payloads before mapping

Open tool

JSON Pretty Print & Viewer

View webhook JSON in a readable tree

Open tool

JSON Path Finder

Find the exact path to any nested field

Open tool

JSON Flattener

Flatten nested webhook data for spreadsheets

Open tool

Continue Learning

Debugging JSON

Debug webhook JSON issues step by step

JSON Common Errors

Fix the most common JSON errors in payloads

Working with Nested JSON

Understand deeply nested webhook structures

Structuring API Responses

Understand why APIs structure JSON the way they do

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a webhook payload?

A webhook payload is the JSON data that a service (like Stripe, Shopify, or GitHub) sends to your URL when an event happens. For example, when a customer completes a purchase, Shopify sends a JSON object containing the order details, customer info, and line items to your webhook URL.

How do I use JSON in Zapier?

Zapier automatically parses incoming webhook JSON into individual fields you can map. For nested data, use dot notation in the Formatter step (e.g., "customer.email"). For complex transformations, use the Code by Zapier step with JavaScript to reshape the JSON before passing it to the next step.

What is the difference between n8n and Zapier for JSON?

n8n gives you full access to the raw JSON and lets you transform it with JavaScript expressions, JSON Path, or built-in nodes like Set, Merge, and Split. Zapier abstracts JSON away and shows you field names instead. n8n is more powerful for complex JSON transformations; Zapier is easier for simple field mapping.

Why is my webhook not working?

Common causes: (1) The webhook URL is wrong or unreachable, (2) The receiving tool expects a different Content-Type header, (3) The JSON structure does not match what your automation expects (a field was renamed or nested differently), (4) Authentication headers are missing. Check the webhook delivery logs in the sending service first.

How do I extract a value from nested JSON in Zapier?

For simple nesting, Zapier flattens the JSON automatically and you can select "customer email" from the dropdown. For deeper nesting (arrays, nested arrays), use the Code by Zapier step: inputData.body = JSON.parse(inputData.rawBody); return { email: inputData.body.customer.addresses[0].email };