Google introduces event-driven webhooks for Gemini API long-running tasks

Google has announced event-driven webhooks for the Gemini API, a push-based notification system designed to streamline long-running asynchronous tasks. The feature replaces inefficient polling patterns where developers repeatedly query task status via GET requests. Instead, the API now sends HTTP POST notifications directly to a developer's endpoint when a job completes, reducing both network overhead and latency.

The webhook implementation follows the Standard Webhooks specification and includes security measures such as HMAC signing via webhook-signature, webhook-id, and webhook-timestamp headers to prevent replay attacks and ensure idempotency. Developers can configure webhooks at the project level or override them on a per-request basis for specific jobs.

The system guarantees at-least-once delivery with automatic retry attempts extending up to 24 hours, addressing reliability concerns in distributed systems. The feature applies to operations across Gemini's product line including Deep Research, long video generation, and the Batch API for processing thousands of prompts.

Google has provided documentation and a Python SDK example alongside a hands-on cookbook for developers building end-to-end integrations. The feature is available immediately to all developers with access to the Gemini API.