Messaging API

The Messaging API allows Partners and Clients to send and receive WhatsApp messages.

It is designed to empower businesses with the tools for sending high-scale messages to customers through WhatsApp. Since our API is designed for easy understanding and use, you can also use Meta documentation as a reference.

Getting started

For any outgoing actions in the Messaging API, you need to use requests with appropriate endpoints.

• All Cloud API actions are available via different request types that use a combination of a root base URL + an endpoint suffix. To ensure that you use the correct endpoints for your API calls, we recommend setting https://waba-v2.360dialog.io/ as a base URL and, for each request suffix, you can refer to our documentation or reach out to our Support Team for clarification.

  • While referring to Meta Documentation, you may encounter requests with the path /PHONE_NUMBER_ID. Please note that 360dialog already transmits this value to Meta, hence, there is no need to include it in your request, as doing so may result in errors. (e.g. waba-v2.360dialog.io/PHONE_NUMBER_ID/business_compliance_info)

  • See Cloud API Error Codes

• The body of the request to the API will determine what exactly you want to send (text, image, etc.).

• You need to use an API key received from the Client in authorization purposes.

• A business cannot send a freely composed message first. If business starts a conversation with a user, it should use a template message. Please do not forget about Opt-In requirements.

• Tip: we can recommend to use Postman as first step instrument to test WABA opportunities.

• Once Cloud API is enabled in your Partner Hub, it becomes the default choice for all clients onboarded through Integrated Onboarding.

To receive any information that is not a response to your request to the API (e.g. incoming messages from users) you need to set a webhook address.

• It should be unique for every WABA number

• It should return an HTTPS 200 OK response immediately (before any other processing begins)

Registration Limits: A phone number is limited to 10 registration requests in a 72 hour (3 days) moving window. This restriction applies to actions like WABA Creation, Display Name Change, Migrating numbers from On-premise to Cloud API and registering Test Numbers. If a business exceeds this limit, the phone number will be rate limited and blocked for the next 72 hours before being restored. In case you have any issues, please reach out to our Support team.

As of May 15, 2024, Türkiye is no longer restricted for Cloud API business messaging. Cloud API businesses can now initiate conversations and receive messages from WhatsApp users with Turkish numbers.

Cloud API Local Storage

Local Storage for Cloud API number allows businesses to choose the location where their message data is stored at rest. For regulated industries like finance, government, or healthcare, storing data in a specific country may align with regulatory or company policies.

Refer to our Architecture and Security documentation for details on Cloud API Local Storage.

How to configure Local Storage

With such settings enabled, Cloud API uses a localized storage in the specified country for persisting message content, instead of using its default storage based in the US. Alternatively, by disabling Local Storage, Cloud API reverts to its default storage based in the US.

If you wish to change the local storage of a WABA, you can use the Partner API. Note that you will need to receive a pin code in the phone number to confirm the change.

If a number is already in Cloud API with standard data localization, but wants to enable Local Data Storage, OTP will be required. If you are migrating from On-premise to Cloud and set the desired location during the migration, OTP is not required.

This means that you should make sure that the Default Data Storage Region in your Partner Account is correct (in Europe or another Country) before starting to migrate or register numbers in Cloud API with default location in the U.S.

Enable Local Storage

POST https://hub.360dialog.io/api/v2 /partners/{partner_id}/clients/{client_id}/channels/{channel_id}/control/enable_local_storage

Request Example: curl --request POST --url https://hub.360dialog.io/api/v2/partners/partner_id/clients/client_id/channels/channel_id/control/enable_local_storage --header 'Accept: application/json' --header 'Authorization: Bearer 123' --header 'Content-Type: application/json' --data '{ "data_localization_region": "DE" }'

Path Parameters

Name	Type	Description
channel_id*	String	The ID of the channel. Example: exampleCH
client_id*	String	The ID of the client. Example: exampleCL
partner_id*	String	The ID of the partner. Example: examplePA

Request Body

Name	Type	Description
data_localization_region*	string	Australia, value: AU Indonesia, value: ID South Africa, value: ZA India, value: IN Canada, value: CA Japan, value: JP Singapore, value: SG South Korea, value: KR Germany, value: DE Switzerland, value: CH United Kingdom, value: GB Brazil, value: BR

200: OK

{
  "meta": {
    "success": true,
    "http_code": 200,
    "developer_message": "Local storage setting successfully adjusted."
  }
}

If you need any assistance, please reach out to our Support Team with the specific location, and we will configure this feature for you. Once enabled, you can see the configured local storage from the 360dialog Hub.

Base URL

The default base URL for the Cloud API is https://waba-v2.360dialog.io followed by the path-specific endpoint.

Prerequisites & Basic Setup

1. Retrieve API Key

In order to communicate with the WhatsApp Business API, you need the D360-API-KEY, which is used for authentication. Each registered WhatsApp phone number (channel) has its own D360-API-KEY.

Only the newest API key is valid, so if you generate another API key, the old one will stop working.

You can manage the API Key directly via API. See Partner Permissions to Generate API Key documentation for more details.

For each request you will need the Partner API Authorization Token.

Create a new API key for a specific channel.

POST https://hub.360dialog.io/api/v2/partners/{partner_id}/channels/{channel_id}/api_keys

Path Parameters

Name	Type	Description
channel_id*	string
partner_id*	string

Request Body

Name	Type	Description
id*	string
address*	string
api_key*	string
app_id*	string

200: OK

{
    // Response
}

Get authorization with the API Key

Each endpoint described later in the documentation has to be accessed with HTTP Request +SSL and either with API Key based authorization.

When making POST requests, JSON data specified in the docs has to be sent as POST data payload.

Every request to the needs to be authorized using an API Key authentication. Adding D360-API-KEY in the header with your unique API Key as a value will grant access.

Example for POST request with curl:

curl \
    -H "D360-API-KEY: {{your-api-key}}" \
    -X POST \
    https://waba-v2.360dialog.io/v1/messages \
    -H "Accept: application/json"
    ...

Example using Postman

Extra notes

• Store and manage your D360-API-KEY securely and use it only for server-2-server authentication.

• Ensure that you always use the corresponding D360-API-KEY when you deal with multiple configurations. A mismatch could lead to inconsistent data.

2. Set WABA Webhook URL

If you only want to test sending messages, you can skip this step and continue with 3. Send a message.

To receive notifications for in and outbound messages, you have to set a webhook URL.

This will serve as the destination for all Messaging Notifications associated with the WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) or the Phone Number.

Webhook URLs or headers for Cloud API does not support "_"(underscore) or ":xxxx"(port)in (sub)domain names.

Invalid webhook URL: https://your_webhook.example.com Valid webhook URL: https://yourwebhook.example.com

Invalid webhook URL:https://subdomain.your_webhook.example.com:3000 Valid webhook URL: https://subdomain.yourwebhook.example.com

▶ Set Webhook URL

See Webhook events and Notifications to find information about the payloads.

Send & Receive Messages

3. Send a message

Use/messages to send text messages, media, documents, and message templates to your customers.

You can send messages by making a POST call to the /messages regardless of message type. The content of the JSON message body differs for each type of message (text, image, etc.).

Send a text message

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

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

Request Body

Name	Type	Description
recipient_type	string	individual
to	string	wa_idof the contact you want to message
type	string	text
text	object	contains body field

201: Created

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"
        }
    ]
}

Example payload

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

{
    "recipient_type": "individual",
    "to": "wa_id",
    "messaging_product":"whatsapp",
    "type": "text",
    "text": {
        "body": "Hello, dear customer!"
    }
}

If this wa_id did not sent a message to your WhatsApp Business Account within the last 24 hours, you can only reach this number with a template message.

4. Receive a message

In case you have set a webhook URL as described in step 2. Set Webhook URL, you will have received a Outbound Message Status Notification for your test message by now.

In this Webhook URL, you will receive:

• Messages sent by users

• Message status notifications

• Other events listed here

If a webhook event isn't delivered or if the webhook request returns a HTTP status code other than 200, we retry the webhook delivery. We continue retrying delivery with increasing delays up to a certain timeout (typically 24 hours, though this may vary), or until the delivery succeeds.

See Webhook events and Notifications to find information about the payloads.

Webhook events and notifications