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

[csongs]

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.

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