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Testing Webhooks Locally with Ngrok

When developing applications that use A1Base webhooks, you’ll need a way to receive webhook events on your local development machine. This guide explains how to use Ngrok to create a secure tunnel to your local server.

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What is Ngrok?

Ngrok is a tool that creates secure tunnels from public URLs to your local machine, allowing external services like A1Base to send webhooks to your local development environment.

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Setting Up Ngrok

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Step 1: Install Ngrok

1. Visit ngrok.com and sign up for a free account
2. Download and install Ngrok for your operating system
3. Authenticate your Ngrok installation with your auth token:

ngrok config add-authtoken YOUR_AUTH_TOKEN

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Step 2: Start Your Local Server

First, make sure your local webhook server is running. For A1Framework or NextJS you’ll run “npm run dev”. When you do this you’ll find out what port your app is running on (e.g. localhost:3000).

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Step 3: Connect Ngrok to Your Local Port

Once your local server is running, use Ngrok to create a tunnel to your local port:

ngrok http 3000

This will start Ngrok and display output similar to:

Session Status                online
Account                       Your Name (Plan: Free)
Version                       3.3.1
Region                        United States (us)
Latency                       24ms
Web Interface                 http://127.0.0.1:4040
Forwarding                    https://a1b2-203-0-113-42.ngrok-free.app -> http://localhost:3000

The https://a1b2-203-0-113-42.ngrok-free.app URL is your public webhook URL that you’ll configure in the A1Base dashboard.

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Configuring A1Base with Your Ngrok URL

To configure your Ngrok URL in the A1Base dashboard, follow these steps:

1. Log in to the A1Base dashboard at https://www.a1base.com/dashboard/phone-numbers.
2. Navigate to the “Phone Numbers” section and locate the phone number you wish to configure (e.g., 14155356190).
3. In the “Webhook URL” column for that phone number, enter your Ngrok HTTPS URL combined with your endpoint path (e.g., https://a1b2-203-0-113-42.ngrok-free.app/whatsapp/incoming).
4. Click the “Save” button next to the webhook URL field to apply the changes.
   Refer to the A1Base dashboard screenshot for a visual guide on configuring webhook URLs: Phone Numbers Dashboard.

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Development vs. Production Phone Numbers

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Why Use Separate Phone Numbers?

Using separate phone numbers for development and production environments offers several advantages:

1. Isolated Testing: Test new features without affecting your production users
2. Prevent Webhook Conflicts: Avoid routing production messages to your development environment
3. Easier Debugging: Clearly distinguish between development and production traffic
4. Safer Experimentation: Experiment with new features risk-free

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Setting Up Development and Production Numbers

1. Purchase Two Phone Numbers: In your A1Base dashboard, purchase two separate phone numbers
2. Label Your Numbers: Clearly label one as “Development” and one as “Production”
3. Configure Different Webhooks:
   • Development number: Point to your Ngrok URL
   • Production number: Point to your production server URL
4. Use Environment Variables: In your code, use environment variables to determine which phone number to use:

// Example of using different phone numbers based on environment
const phoneNumber = process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production'
  ? process.env.A1BASE_PRODUCTION_PHONE
  : process.env.A1BASE_DEVELOPMENT_PHONE;

// Use the appropriate phone number for outgoing messages
a1base.sendMessage({
  to: recipientNumber,
  from: phoneNumber,
  message: "Hello from A1Base!"
});

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Monitoring Webhook Traffic

Ngrok provides a web interface at http://127.0.0.1:4040 where you can inspect:

• All incoming webhook requests
• Request and response headers
• Request and response bodies
• Timing information

This interface is invaluable for debugging webhook issues during development.

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Best Practices for Local Testing

1. Keep Ngrok Running: Maintain your Ngrok session while testing to avoid URL changes
2. Log All Webhook Data: Implement comprehensive logging in your development environment
3. Simulate Different Scenarios: Test various message types and edge cases
4. Verify Webhook Signatures: Even in development, validate webhook signatures if available
5. Test Error Handling: Ensure your application handles webhook failures gracefully

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Limitations and Considerations

• Free Tier Restrictions: Ngrok’s free tier has limitations on connections and features
• URL Changes: Free Ngrok URLs change each time you restart Ngrok
• Latency: There may be slight additional latency when using Ngrok
• Security: Be cautious about sensitive data passing through your development environment

By following this guide, you can effectively test A1Base webhooks in your local development environment using Ngrok, ensuring a smooth transition to production.