Messages

The messages endpoint lets you send any type of content to WhatsApp numbers.

Endpoint

POST /v1/messages

Available types

Type	Subtype	Description
text	—	Plain text with optional link preview
image	—	JPEG or PNG image
video	—	MP4 or 3GP video
audio	—	Audio file or voice note (OGG/OPUS)
document	—	PDF, Word, Excel, and others
sticker	—	Animated or static sticker (.webp)
location	—	Map location pin
contacts	—	One or more contact cards
reaction	—	Emoji reaction to a received message
interactive	cta_url	Button that opens a URL
interactive	button	Up to 3 quick-reply buttons
interactive	list	Scrollable list of options
interactive	location_request_message	Request user's location

For Meta-approved templates, use the POST /v1/messages/template endpoint.

Base structure

Every message includes waba_id, to, type, and a field named after the type:

{
  "waba_id": "your_waba_id",
  "to": "+5511999999999",
  "type": "text",
  "text": { "body": "Hello!" }
}

The phone_id field is optional — when omitted, the WABA's default phone number is used.

Response

{
  "messaging_product": "whatsapp",
  "contacts": [{ "input": "+5511999999999", "wa_id": "5511999999999" }],
  "messages": [{ "id": "wamid.HBgL..." }]
}

messages[0].id is the wamid — use it to correlate status webhooks.

Customer service window

Non-template types can only be sent within the 24-hour window after the user's last message. Outside this window, use templates.