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A Pipe happens when your WebHook not only receives real-time data, but goes on to do something new and meaningful with it, triggering actions unrelated to the original event. For example, you create a script, register its URL at a photo site, and have it email you when your mother posts a new photo.

Plugins: processing data and giving something in return This is where the entire web becomes a programming platform. You can use this form of WebHooks to allow others to extend your application. Facebook's Application Platform uses WebHooks in this way, and so does Google Wave's robot integration. The general idea is that a web application sending out data via WebHooks will also use the response to modify its own data. At Facebook, when you access an app, Facebook sends a WebHook out to your application saying "Hey, someone's accessing your application, what do I do?!" The application responds with, "Show the user this page..." Facebook does so, and the pattern continues in the same manner as you continue to use the application. At Google Wave, when you do something in a wave, any robot you've added as a participant is notified via a WebHook, and the robot has the ability to modify the wave in its http response. Implement WebHooks in this way in your application if you want to allow others to truly extend and enhance the abilities of your application.

By letting the user specify a URL for various events, the application will POST data to those URLs when the events occur. With the cheap availability of PHP hosting and even easier simple app/script hosting like AppJet or Scriptlets, handling the POST data becomes fairly trivial. How you use it is up to you and whatever you want to accomplish.

In order to manage those accounts with HootSuite, you must use the App directory. If you go to your dashboard, hover over the wrench icon (tools), and then click “App Directory”, you’ll be able to add several third party apps that allow integration into HootSuite. UPDATE 9/18/2012 – HootSuite Changes access to the App Directory

I noticed that you now have a puzzle piece icon on the left bar in HootSuite. This will allow you to access the App Directory without having to navigate through the settings menu.