GitHub Webhook Not Triggering on Push Events

[TeamNodSync]

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Hi, I set up a GitHub Webhook to trigger on push events, but it’s not firing when I push new commits to my repo.

I checked the Webhook settings, and everything seems correct:

Payload URL is set to my server
Content type is application/json
Push event is selected
The webhook shows as active
However, when I push a commit, no request is sent to my server. I checked my logs, and the webhook isn’t reaching my endpoint.

What could be causing this issue? How can I debug it and ensure my webhook triggers properly?

Thanks in advance!

[Logesh08]

If your GitHub Webhook isn’t firing on push events, try the following fixes:

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✅ 1. Check the Webhook Delivery Logs

1. Go to your GitHub Repo → Settings → Webhooks.
2. Click on your webhook.
3. Scroll down to Recent Deliveries.
4. If there are failed requests, click one to see the response code & error message.

👉 If there are no deliveries at all, GitHub isn’t sending the webhook! Move to the next steps.

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✅ 2. Make Sure the Webhook URL is Correct

• If you are using localhost, GitHub cannot send requests to it.
• Use a publicly accessible URL (e.g., from ngrok, Vercel, or an actual server).
• Example command to create a public URL using ngrok:

  ngrok http 3000

  This will generate a temporary public URL for testing.

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✅ 3. Verify the Webhook Secret (If Used)

If your webhook requires a secret key, your server must verify it correctly.

1. Find your GitHub Webhook Secret in Settings → Webhooks.
2. In your backend, ensure the signature is correctly validated:

   import hmac
   import hashlib
   
   def verify_signature(payload, signature, secret):
       mac = hmac.new(secret.encode(), payload, hashlib.sha256).hexdigest()
       return hmac.compare_digest(mac, signature)

3. If the secret is incorrect, GitHub will silently ignore the request.

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✅ 4. Ensure the Webhook Has the Right Permissions

• Go to GitHub Repo → Settings → Webhooks.
• Make sure Push events are selected (or any other event you need).
• If using GitHub App Webhooks, ensure the app has read/write permissions.

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✅ 5. Force Trigger a Test Webhook

If the webhook isn’t triggering automatically, send a test event manually:

1. Go to Settings → Webhooks.
2. Click "Recent Deliveries" → Resend an old event.
3. OR click "Send Test Payload" at the top.

If it still doesn’t work, GitHub may be blocking your endpoint due to failures.

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✅ 6. Use a Simple Webhook Receiver for Debugging

If you're not sure if your server is receiving requests, try a temporary test webhook endpoint:

1. Go to https://webhook.site/
2. Copy the generated URL.
3. Replace your webhook URL in GitHub with this test URL.
4. Push a commit and check if GitHub sends a request.

If the request appears in webhook.site, the issue is with your server, not GitHub.

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🔥 Final Fix: Delete & Re-Add the Webhook

If nothing works, try:

1. Delete the webhook from GitHub.
2. Wait 30 seconds.
3. Re-add the webhook with the same settings.
4. Test again.

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🚀 TL;DR (Quick Fixes)

✔ Check Webhook Logs in GitHub
✔ Ensure the Webhook URL is public (ngrok, Vercel, etc.)
✔ Verify Secret Key & Signature
✔ Make sure Webhook has Push Event enabled
✔ Test with webhook.site to debug
✔ Delete & Recreate the Webhook

Hope this helps!