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If you don’t see your preferred webhook provider, you can request support for it.
This guide shows you how to use ngrok to receive Facebook Messenger webhooks on your localhost app. By integrating ngrok with Facebook Messenger, you can:
  • Develop and test Facebook Messenger webhooks locally without deploying to a public environment or setting up HTTPS.
  • Inspect and troubleshoot requests from Facebook Messenger in real time via the inspection UI and API.
  • Modify and replay Facebook Messenger webhook requests with a single click instead of reproducing events manually in your account.
  • Secure your app with Facebook Messenger webhook validation provided by ngrok. Invalid requests are blocked by ngrok before reaching your app.

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What you’ll need

This integration requires an ngrok Pay-as-you-go plan because Facebook validates your ngrok domain.

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1. Start your app

For this tutorial, you can use the sample Node.js app on GitHub. To install the sample, run the following in a terminal:
Then start the app:
The app runs on port 3000 by default. You can confirm it’s running by visiting http://localhost:3000. The app logs request headers and body in the terminal and shows a message in the browser.

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2. Expose your app with ngrok

Once your app is running locally, you’re ready to put it online securely using ngrok.
The ngrok agent uses your authtoken to authenticate when you start a tunnel.
  • In the dashboard, expand Gateway and click Domains.
If you don’t have an ngrok Pay-as-you-go plan, subscribe by clicking Update Subscription and following the procedure.
  • On the Domains page, click + Create Domain or + New Domain.
  • In the Domain pane, enter a value in the Domain field (for example, myexample.ngrok.app) and click Continue.
Make sure your domain is available.
  • Close the Start a Tunnel pane and then close the Domain pane.
  • Start ngrok with your domain:
  • Copy the URL ngrok displays. Your app is now exposed at that URL for use with Facebook Messenger.

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3. Configure Facebook Messenger to send webhooks

Facebook Messenger delivers webhooks through a Meta app with a Messenger product and a linked Facebook page. Follow Meta’s Messenger Platform webhooks documentation to create the app, add the Messenger product, and subscribe your page, and set the following:
  • Callback URL: your ngrok URL with /webhook at the end (for example, https://myexample.ngrok.app/webhook).
  • Verify token: a string of your choice (for this example, 12345). Meta sends this value in the verification request so your app can confirm the request.
When you save the callback URL, Meta sends a verification request to your app. Confirm your localhost app receives it in the terminal before you continue subscribing your page and fields.

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Run webhooks with Facebook Messenger and ngrok

After your page is subscribed, Meta sends POST requests to your app when the fields you subscribed to change. The request body varies by field. To trigger a test call, use Meta’s webhook testing tool to send a sample event for a field you subscribed to, then confirm your localhost app logs the request headers and body in the terminal.
To test with a real message, send a message to the Facebook page you linked to your webhook from another account.

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Inspecting requests

ngrok’s Traffic Inspector captures all requests made through your ngrok endpoint to your localhost app. Select any request to view detailed information about both the request and response.
To avoid exposing secrets, accounts only collect traffic metadata by default. You must enable full capture in the Traffic Inspector section of your account settings to capture complete request and response data.
Use the traffic inspector to:
  • Validate webhook payloads and response data
  • Debug request headers, methods, and status codes
  • Troubleshoot integration issues without adding logging to your app

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Replaying requests

Test your webhook handling code without triggering new events from your service using the Traffic Inspector’s replay feature:
  1. Send a test webhook from your service to generate traffic in your Traffic Inspector.
  2. Select the request you want to replay in the traffic inspector.
  3. Choose your replay option:
    • Click Replay to send the exact same request again
    • Select Replay with modifications to edit the request before sending
  4. (Optional) Modify the request: Edit any part of the original request, such as changing field values in the request body.
  5. Send the request by clicking Replay.
Your local application will receive the replayed request and log the data to the terminal.

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Secure webhook requests

ngrok can verify that incoming requests are from your Facebook Messenger webhook so only that traffic reaches your app.
Webhook verification is limited to 500 validations per month on free accounts. If you need more, you can upgrade to Hobbyist or Pay-as-you-go. See TPU Pricing for details.
To add verification:
  • In Meta for Developers, go to My Apps, then Settings and Basic.
  • On the Basic Settings page, click Show next to App secret and copy the value.
  • Create a Traffic Policy file named messenger_policy.yml. Replace {your app secret} with the value you copied:
  • Restart ngrok with the policy file:
  • Send a message from the Facebook page linked to your webhook to trigger a request.
Your app should receive the request and log it in the terminal.