How should a webhook handler be designed to manage out-of-order event arrivals?

To effectively manage out-of-order event arrivals, a webhook handler should be designed to retrieve the relevant object if an event is missing data. This approach allows the system to maintain consistency and accuracy when processing events, even if they arrive in an unexpected order. By fetching the object referenced in the event, the webhook handler can ensure that it has the latest information and the complete context needed to process the event correctly.

This method is particularly valuable because events may not always arrive with all the requisite data due to the asynchronous nature of webhook notifications. In situations where an event might reference a particular object, retrieving that object allows the handler to fill in any gaps in information and take the appropriate actions, thereby reducing the likelihood of errors or incomplete processing.

While queuing events or ignoring missing data events might seem like viable solutions, they do not address the problem effectively. Simply queuing events without processing can lead to unnecessary delays, and ignoring events may result in data loss or inconsistency. Handling events based on timestamps alone could lead to processing events in a way that does not respect their actual dependencies, potentially causing incorrect outcomes.

Overall, retrieving the object in cases of missing data promotes a more robust and reliable handling of webhook events, aligning with best practices for event-driven architectures.