Inconsistent created_by and updated_by structure in related_item for commented_on vs. comment_delete webhooks #5572

New Issue

OVERLORD · 2026-02-05T10:10:42+03:00

OVERLORD commented

2026-02-05 10:10:42 +03:00

Originally created by @csongs on GitHub (Jan 22, 2026).

Describe the Bug

When using webhooks for comment-related events, the structure of the created_by and updated_by fields within the related_item object is inconsistent between the commented_on and comment_delete events.

For the commented_on event, related_item.created_by and related_item.updated_by are provided as full user objects (containing id, name, slug). However, for the comment_delete event, these same fields (related_item.created_by and related_item.updated_by) are provided as simple integer user IDs.

This inconsistency makes it challenging to uniformly process webhook payloads for comment-related activities, as the data structure for user information changes depending on the event type. Developers need to implement conditional logic to parse these fields, which adds unnecessary complexity.

Example Payload for commented_on event:

{
    "body": {
        "event": "commented_on",
        "text": "User A commented on \"Example Page Name\"",
        "triggered_at": "2026-01-22T08:39:52.000000Z",
        "triggered_by": {
            "id": 1,
            "name": "User A",
            "slug": "user-a"
        },
        "triggered_by_profile_url": "https://your-bookstack-instance.com/user/user-a",
        "webhook_id": 4,
        "webhook_name": "test",
        "url": "https://your-bookstack-instance.com/books/example-book/page/example-page-name",
        "related_item": {
            "id": 182,
            "type": "page",
            "name": "Example Page Name",
            "slug": "example-page-name",
            "book_id": 40,
            "chapter_id": 45,
            "priority": 3,
            "created_at": "2021-04-14T18:20:24.000000Z",
            "updated_at": "2021-04-27T20:39:03.000000Z",
            "created_by": { // Full user object
                "id": 2,
                "name": "Content Creator",
                "slug": "content-creator"
            },
            "updated_by": { // Full user object
                "id": 2,
                "name": "Content Creator",
                "slug": "content-creator"
            },
            "owned_by": {
                "id": 2,
                "name": "Content Creator",
                "slug": "content-creator"
            },
            "page_id": 182,
            "draft": false,
            "template": false,
            "revision_count": 1,
            "editor": "wysiwyg"
        }
    }
}

Example Payload for comment_delete event:

{
    "body": {
        "event": "comment_delete",
        "text": "User A deleted a comment",
        "triggered_at": "2026-01-22T09:08:53.000000Z",
        "triggered_by": {
            "id": 1,
            "name": "User A",
            "slug": "user-a"
        },
        "triggered_by_profile_url": "https://your-bookstack-instance.com/user/user-a",
        "webhook_id": 4,
        "webhook_name": "test",
        "related_item": {
            "id": 13,
            "commentable_id": 74,
            "commentable_type": "page",
            "parent_id": null,
            "local_id": 3,
            "created_by": 1, // Integer user ID
            "updated_by": 1, // Integer user ID
            "created_at": "2025-12-11T03:06:28.000000Z",
            "updated_at": "2025-12-11T03:06:28.000000Z",
            "content_ref": "",
            "archived": false
        }
    }
}

Steps to Reproduce

Detail the steps that would replicate this issue.

Configure a Webhook:
- Navigate to your BookStack instance's Webhooks settings (e.g., https://your-bookstack-instance.com/settings/webhooks).
- Click "Create New Webhook".
- Provide a name (e.g., "Comment Events Test") and set the "Webhook Endpoint" to a URL where you can receive and inspect JSON payloads (e.g., a webhook testing service like Webhook.site, or a custom endpoint).
- Under "Webhook Events", select both commented_on and comment_delete.
- Save the webhook.
Create a Page and Add a Comment:
- Log in to BookStack as a user (e.g., "User A").
- Create a new page (e.g., "Test Page for Comments").
- Add a comment to this newly created page.
Observe commented_on Webhook Payload:
- Check your webhook endpoint for the incoming payload triggered by the commented_on event.
- Locate the related_item object within the JSON payload.
- Note the structure of the created_by and updated_by fields within this related_item object (they should appear as full user objects with id, name, slug).
Delete the Comment:
- As "User A" (the user who posted the comment), delete the comment from the "Test Page for Comments".
Observe comment_delete Webhook Payload:
- Check your webhook endpoint for the incoming payload triggered by the comment_delete event.
- Locate the related_item object within the JSON payload.
- Note the structure of the created_by and updated_by fields within this related_item object (they should appear as simple integer user IDs).
Compare Structures:
- Compare the created_by and updated_by fields from the commented_on payload (Step 3) with those from the comment_delete payload (Step 5). You will observe the inconsistency in their data types/structures.

Expected Behaviour

I expect the created_by and updated_by fields within the related_item object to have a consistent structure across all comment-related webhook events (commented_on, comment_delete, comment_update).

Screenshots or Additional Context

No response

Browser Details

No response

Exact BookStack Version

v25.12.1

Originally created by @csongs on GitHub (Jan 22, 2026). ### Describe the Bug When using webhooks for comment-related events, the structure of the created_by and updated_by fields within the related_item object is inconsistent between the commented_on and comment_delete events. For the commented_on event, related_item.created_by and related_item.updated_by are provided as full user objects (containing id, name, slug). However, for the comment_delete event, these same fields (related_item.created_by and related_item.updated_by) are provided as simple integer user IDs. This inconsistency makes it challenging to uniformly process webhook payloads for comment-related activities, as the data structure for user information changes depending on the event type. Developers need to implement conditional logic to parse these fields, which adds unnecessary complexity. - Example Payload for commented_on event: ```JSON { "body": { "event": "commented_on", "text": "User A commented on \"Example Page Name\"", "triggered_at": "2026-01-22T08:39:52.000000Z", "triggered_by": { "id": 1, "name": "User A", "slug": "user-a" }, "triggered_by_profile_url": "https://your-bookstack-instance.com/user/user-a", "webhook_id": 4, "webhook_name": "test", "url": "https://your-bookstack-instance.com/books/example-book/page/example-page-name", "related_item": { "id": 182, "type": "page", "name": "Example Page Name", "slug": "example-page-name", "book_id": 40, "chapter_id": 45, "priority": 3, "created_at": "2021-04-14T18:20:24.000000Z", "updated_at": "2021-04-27T20:39:03.000000Z", "created_by": { // Full user object "id": 2, "name": "Content Creator", "slug": "content-creator" }, "updated_by": { // Full user object "id": 2, "name": "Content Creator", "slug": "content-creator" }, "owned_by": { "id": 2, "name": "Content Creator", "slug": "content-creator" }, "page_id": 182, "draft": false, "template": false, "revision_count": 1, "editor": "wysiwyg" } } } ``` - Example Payload for comment_delete event: ```json { "body": { "event": "comment_delete", "text": "User A deleted a comment", "triggered_at": "2026-01-22T09:08:53.000000Z", "triggered_by": { "id": 1, "name": "User A", "slug": "user-a" }, "triggered_by_profile_url": "https://your-bookstack-instance.com/user/user-a", "webhook_id": 4, "webhook_name": "test", "related_item": { "id": 13, "commentable_id": 74, "commentable_type": "page", "parent_id": null, "local_id": 3, "created_by": 1, // Integer user ID "updated_by": 1, // Integer user ID "created_at": "2025-12-11T03:06:28.000000Z", "updated_at": "2025-12-11T03:06:28.000000Z", "content_ref": "", "archived": false } } } ``` ### Steps to Reproduce Detail the steps that would replicate this issue. 1. **Configure a Webhook:** * Navigate to your BookStack instance's Webhooks settings (e.g., `https://your-bookstack-instance.com/settings/webhooks`). * Click "Create New Webhook". * Provide a name (e.g., "Comment Events Test") and set the "Webhook Endpoint" to a URL where you can receive and inspect JSON payloads (e.g., a webhook testing service like Webhook.site, or a custom endpoint). * Under "Webhook Events", select both `commented_on` and `comment_delete`. * Save the webhook. 2. **Create a Page and Add a Comment:** * Log in to BookStack as a user (e.g., "User A"). * Create a new page (e.g., "Test Page for Comments"). * Add a comment to this newly created page. 3. **Observe `commented_on` Webhook Payload:** * Check your webhook endpoint for the incoming payload triggered by the `commented_on` event. * Locate the `related_item` object within the JSON payload. * Note the structure of the `created_by` and `updated_by` fields within this `related_item` object (they should appear as full user objects with `id`, `name`, `slug`). 4. **Delete the Comment:** * As "User A" (the user who posted the comment), delete the comment from the "Test Page for Comments". 5. **Observe `comment_delete` Webhook Payload:** * Check your webhook endpoint for the incoming payload triggered by the `comment_delete` event. * Locate the `related_item` object within the JSON payload. * Note the structure of the `created_by` and `updated_by` fields within this `related_item` object (they should appear as simple integer user IDs). 6. **Compare Structures:** * Compare the `created_by` and `updated_by` fields from the `commented_on` payload (Step 3) with those from the `comment_delete` payload (Step 5). You will observe the inconsistency in their data types/structures. --- ### Expected Behaviour I expect the created_by and updated_by fields within the related_item object to have a consistent structure across all comment-related webhook events (commented_on, comment_delete, comment_update). ### Screenshots or Additional Context _No response_ ### Browser Details _No response_ ### Exact BookStack Version v25.12.1

OVERLORD added the 🐛 Bug label 2026-02-05 10:10:42 +03:00

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Reference: starred/BookStack#5572