Messaging

This documentation describes how to send messages using the WhatsApp Business API.

If you are using On-Premise API, remember that it is being discontinued by Meta. No new signups will be allowed with this type of integration from May 15, 2024.

Numbers registered before this date will still be supported, but should start planning a change of hosting type as soon as possible.

Introduction

Message API calls are sent to the /messages endpoint regardless of message type, but the content of the JSON message body differs for each type of message. See the official WhatsApp documentation for information regarding the parameters of each type of message you want to send to assemble your request payload.

On-Premise API (old)

Cloud API (standard)

Text Messages

Media Messages

Interactive Messages

Contacts & Location Messages

Templates Messages

Media Template Messages

Interactive Template Messages

Check out the Best practices on how to message your customers.

Send Text Messages

Specify text in the type field. A text message can be a maximum of 4096 characters long.

If the WABA is registered in Cloud API

Send Text Message

POST https://waba-v2.360dialog.io/messages

To send a message, use the request URL and the following body parameters.

{

"messaging_product": "whatsapp",

"recipient_type": "individual",

"to": "PHONE_NUMBER",

"type": "text",

"text": {

"body": "Hello, dear customer!"

}

Request Body

Name

Type

Description

messaging_product*

string

Required only for Cloud API.

Messaging service used for the request: Use "whatsapp"

text*

object

contains body field

type*

string

type of the message: text

recipient_type*

string

individual

A successful response includes a messages object with an ID for the newly created message.

{
    "messaging_product": "whatsapp",
    "contacts": [
        {
            "input": "16505076520",
            "wa_id": "16505076520"
        }
    ],
    "messages": [
        {
            "id": "wamid.HBgLMTY1MDUwNzY1MjAVAgARGBI5QTNDQTVCM0Q0Q0Q2RTY3RTcA"
        }
    ]
}

[will be deprecated] If the WABA is registered in On-premise API

As announced in November 2023, Meta is transitioning to a fully Cloud-hosted WhatsApp Business Platform and will stop supporting On-Premise API in October 2025.

Starting from On-Premise client v2.53, all new feature updates will be exclusively delivered to Cloud API. While the On-Premise API client will receive quarterly releases, they will focus solely on bug fixes and security patches. From May 15, 2024, 360dialog will not allow for new numbers to be onboarded with On-Premise API. We will continue supporting already registered On-Premise API throughout 2024, but we strongly recommend to start changing the hosting type of numbers to Cloud as soon as possible. Learn here how to integrate with Cloud API.

Send Text Message

POST https://waba.360dialog.io/v1/messages

To send a message, use the request URL and the following body parameters.

{

"recipient_type": "individual",

"to": "wa_id",

"type": "text",

"text": {

"body": "Hello, dear customer!"

}

Request Body

Name

Type

Description

recipient_type

string

individual

string

wa_id

type

string

text

object

contains body field

{
    "messages": [
        {
            "id": "gBGHSRUUIXKJTwIJVQgXRR0rdXiv"
        }
    ],
    "meta": {
        "api_status": "stable",
        "version": "2.31.5"
    }
}

For non template messages, sending a message to a phone number without a WhatsApp account will result in a webhook notification related to the messaging attempt containing a 470 error code.

See all parameters for messages here.

Formatting in Text Messages

WhatsApp allows some formatting in messages. To format all or part of a message, use these formatting symbols:

Formatting

Symbol

Example

Bold

Asterisk (*)

Your total is *$10.50*.

Italics

Underscore (_)

Welcome to _WhatsApp_!

~~Strike-through~~

Tilde (~)

This is ~better~ best!

Code

Three backticks (```)

```print 'Hello World';```

Sending URLs in Text Messages

By default, the mobile WhatsApp application recognizes URLs and makes them clickable. To include a URL preview, include "preview_url": true and make sure the URL begins with http:// or https://. A hostname is required, IP addresses are not matched.

If the WABA is registered in Cloud API

When sending preview-url with Cloud API hosting, the preview-url should be inside the text object.

Example:

    "text":  {// the text object
        "preview_url": true,
        "body": You have to check out this amazing messaging service https://www.whatsapp.com/"
    }

The majority of the time when you send a URL, whether with a preview or not, the receiver of the message will see a URL that they can click on.

URL previews are only rendered after one of the following has happened:

The business has sent a message template to the user.
The user initiates a conversation with a "click to chat" link.
The user adds the business phone number to their address book and initiates a conversation.

If the end user did not initiate the conversation with you - you must use a Template message instead for a free-form message.

[will be deprecated] If the WABA is registered in On-premise API

To use preview-url with the 360dialog On-Premise hosting, it must be sent as a top-level object:

Example:

{
    "preview_url": true,
    "to": "whatsapp-id",
    "text": {
        "body": "You have to check out this amazing messaging service https://www.whatsapp.com/"
     }

Message Templates

Please refer to our documentation on Message Templates, which includes the steps required to get your Templates approved, and the process for creating and deleting them.

We strongly advise uploading media intended to use in template messages and the usage of media ID instead of a URL.

Each WhatsApp Business Account can have up to 250 message templates (how many is determined by your plan). That means 250 message template names, and each of them can have multiple language translations. For example, a message template called hello_world translated into two languages counts as a single message template in regards to this limit.
The message template name field is limited to 512 characters.
The message template content field is limited to 1024 characters.
There is no limit to the number of parameters allowed in a Message Template.

360dialog stores media files for 14 days after upload. Media files older than 14 days may be deleted by 360dialog without prior notice.

Bulk Messaging

There are two options to send messages in bulk.

Use an Integration Partner Bulk messaging, sometimes known as group messaging, is deprecated in the native WhatsApp API. But the same functionality is available in many of our Integration Partner Applications. Although Meta has deprecated group management features on WhatsApp with an API, the same functionality has been implemented by our Partners.
Develop your own solution Code your own solution to send Template messages to a list of contacts.

Error scenarios

For a complete overview of API error codes and status messages, please see Official WhatsApp documentation.

400: Bad Request Check that you are using the correct data type for Booleans and Strings, and that the JSON-payload is well-formed. Use an online tool (ex. JSON formatter and validator) to validate the payload if you are not sure.
402: Message failed to send because there were one or more errors related to your payment This happens when a WhatsApp Business Account is created but no Payment Method is set. If you get this error message - contact our support team.
408: Timeout Message failed to send because it was pending for too long. If this happens, we recommend that you implement graceful timeout handling and retry.
470: Message failed to send because more than 24 hours have passed since the customer last replied to this number (no open session) Free-form text messages and media messages will result in a failure callback with error 470 when sent outside of the 24h-window. In other words, if it has been more than 24 hours since you last received a user initiated message - the session is closed and you can no longer use free-form messages. To re-initiate a conversation, you must use a Template Message.
1000: Failed to generate processed file path This could occur when the file storage is full and files cannot be stored. If you get this error message - contact our support team.
1000: Image file format (audio/mpeg) is not supported Make sure that the message type matches the MIME-type of the file (ex. audio files should be sent using "audio", not "image"; audio/mpeg is an unsupported combination). Another reason could be that the video file doesn't have an audio track: then the error message contains something like video/mp4/h264/NONE where NONE is an indicator that the audio track is missing.
1009: Invalid latitude The valid range is from -90 to 90.
1014: Request for .... failed You have provided a URL that seems to be double URL-encoded and the file cannot be delivered because of that, or the file behind the URL doesn't exist.
2001: Template name does not exist in the translation Check that you are calling the correct language short code. Example:
```
    "language": {
        "policy": "deterministic",
        "code": "en"
    }
```
500: structure unavailable: Client could not display the highly structured message (hsm) The Template was not understood by the WhatsApp consumer client. Check the format.

Message statuses

Received

The receive 'double check' on messages sent by the customer appears when the callback with the received status reaches the 360dialog Webhook.

The receive 'double check' on messages sent by the business appears when the customer’s WhatsApp app receives the message.

Read

The read double check on messages sent by the customer appears when the message is marked as read by the business.

The read double check on messages sent by the business appears when the customer’s WhatsApp app is open in the message.

To mark a message as read, follow the instructions below:

If the WABA is registered in Cloud API

Step 1: Make `POST` Request to `/messages`

The message_id used in this API call is the id provided in the Webhook Inbound Notification.

POST /messages
{
  "messaging_product": "whatsapp",
  "status": "read",
  "message_id": "MESSAGE_ID"
  }'

Parameters

Name

Description

messaging_product

Required. Use whatsapp

message_id

Required.

status

Required.

Updating status to read is applicable only for incoming messages.

Step 2: Check the API Response

A successful response returns:

null # or { "success" : true }

[will be deprecated] If the WABA is registered in On-premise API

As announced in November 2023, Meta is transitioning to a fully Cloud-hosted WhatsApp Business Platform and will stop supporting On-Premise API in October 2025.

Step 1: Make `PUT` Request to `/messages`

The message_id used in this API call is the id provided in the Webhook Inbound Notification.

PUT /v1/messages/message-id
{
    "status": "read"
}

Parameters

Name

Description

status

Required.

Updating status to read is applicable only for incoming messages.

Step 2: Check the API Response

A successful response returns:

null # or {}

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Introduction

Send Text Messages

If the WABA is registered in Cloud API

Send Text Message

Request Body

[will be deprecated] If the WABA is registered in On-premise API

Send Text Message

Request Body

Formatting in Text Messages

Sending URLs in Text Messages

If the WABA is registered in Cloud API

[will be deprecated] If the WABA is registered in On-premise API

Message Templates

Bulk Messaging

Error scenarios

Message statuses

Received

Read

If the WABA is registered in Cloud API

Step 1: Make POST Request to /messages

Step 2: Check the API Response

[will be deprecated] If the WABA is registered in On-premise API

Step 1: Make PUT Request to /messages

Step 2: Check the API Response

Step 1: Make `POST` Request to `/messages`

Step 1: Make `PUT` Request to `/messages`