WhatsApp Business API

Gupshup's WhatsApp Business API provides you APIs to send free form messages or session messages and template messages (utility/marketing/authentication) to users on WhatsApp. Both of these types of messages are together referred as 'Outbound Messages'

Here we will look at the different types of outbound messages you can send using Gupshup's API

Session messaging

You can send Session messages to Active users only. When a user sends a message to your WhatsApp Business API, they become an active user. A session starts from the latest user message. Sessions remain Active for 24 hours.

You can use our send message API for sending session messages

Send message API

The following guide will help you understand Gupshup's send message API. Using a single endpoint, you can send various messages to users on WhatsApp.

API Endpoint


https://api.gupshup.io/sm/api/v1/msg

Headers

Header	Value
Content-Type	application/x-www-form-urlencoded
api_key	Your Gupshup account API key

Request body

Key	Type	Description	Example
`channel`	string	The channel for sending messages.	whatsapp
`source`	string	For Live apps - Your registered WhatsApp Business API phone number. For Sandbox apps - Gupshup's sandbox/proxy number 917834811114 The number must be in E. 164 format.	917834811114
`src.name`	string	The Gupshup app name registered against the phone number provided in the API.	DemoAPI
`destination`	string	User's phone number.	919876543210
`message`	object	The message object will change depending on the type of message.	Refer message object description
`disablePreview`	Boolean	Optional This will enable/disable preview for media messages.	true
`encode`	Boolean	Optional This flag is used for sending an emoji in an Interactive List message. If the list message consists of emojis, set the encode flag to 'true'. This flag will not affect any other type of message.	true

API Response

Send message API requests received by our platform are processed asynchronously, and hence you will always get an HTTP_SUCCESS(200 to 299) response range if the API request made is correct. The API response includes an object with a Gupshup unique message identifier and status as submitted. Your callback URL/webhook will receive a message event stating the submitted message to the WhatsApp API client(which eventually sends the message to the customer) is enqueued or has failed.

Header	Value
Content-Type	text/html

{
   "status":"submitted",
   "messageId":"ee4a68a0-1203-4c85-8dc3-49d0b3226a35"
}

The Gupshup unique message identifier that is the messageId in the API response will help you track messages through the inbound message events - enqueued, failed, sent, delivered, and read that you obtain on your webhook/callback URL.

Template messaging

Template messages are Highly Structured(HSM)/ Notification messages. Once your WhatsApp Business API is Live, you can create template messages and submit them to WhatsApp for approval. You can send Template messages to users that you have opted-in. To know how you can opt-in users, read frequently asked questions.

API Endpoint


http://api.gupshup.io/sm/api/v1/template/msg

Headers

Header	Value
Content-Type	application/x-www-form-urlencoded
Apikey	Your Gupshup account API key

Request body

Key	Type	Description	Sample
`source`	string	Your registered WhatsApp Business API phone number. The number must be in E. 164 format.	917834811114
`destination`	string	User's phone number.	919876543210
`template`	object	See template object description	`{"id": "c6aecef6-bcb0-4fb1-8100-28c094e3bc6b","params": ["Agent","Local Address","Tracking code"]}`
`message`	object	Required only if the template is of type Media - Image, Video, Document(.pdf) or location. See message object description	Image: `{"type":"image","image":{"link":""}}` Video:`{"type":"video","video":{"link":""}}` Document: `{"type":"document","document":{"link":""}}` Location: `{"type":"location","location":{"longitude":"","latitude":""}}`

Template object description

Key Description Sample

Key	Description	Sample
`id`	Unique identifier for a template Use this API to get all template details for an app.	`c6aecef6-bcb0-4fb1-8100-28c094e3bc6b`
`params`	Array of placeholders/variables in the template in the order of occurrence.	["Agent","Local Address","Tracking code"]

id

Unique identifier for a template

Use this API to get all template details for an app.

c6aecef6-bcb0-4fb1-8100-28c094e3bc6b

params

Array of placeholders/variables in the template in the order of occurrence.

["Agent","Local Address","Tracking code"]

Message object description

Key	Type	Description	Sample
`type`	string	The type of media. Possible values are: `image`, `video`, `document` and `location`	`image`
`image`, `video`, `document`, or `location`	object	This object has the link to the `type` of media file specified	`{"link":"https://www.buildquickbots.com/whatsapp/media/sample/jpg/sample01.jpg"}`

API Response

Header	Value
Content-Type	text/html

{
   "status":"submitted",
   "messageId":"ee4a68a0-1203-4c85-8dc3-49d0b3226a35"
}

Sample requests

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Following are sample API requests for each message type. These examples are for your reference only. You can create templates from settings in the app dashboard and submit them to WhatsApp for review.

curl --location --request POST 'http://api.gupshup.io/sm/api/v1/template/msg' \
--header 'apikey: 2xxc4x4xx2c94xxxc2f9xx9d43xxxx8a' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded' \
--data-urlencode 'source=917834811114' \
--data-urlencode 'destination=918x98xx21x4' \
--data-urlencode 'template={"id": "c6aecef6-bcb0-4fb1-8100-28c094e3bc6b","params": ["Agent","Local Address","Tracking code"]}'

curl --location --request POST 'http://api.gupshup.io/sm/api/v1/template/msg' \
--header 'apikey: 2xxc4x4xx2c94xxxc2f9xx9d43xxxx8a' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded' \
--data-urlencode 'source=917834811114' \
--data-urlencode 'destination=918x98xx21x4' \
--data-urlencode 'template={"id": "c6aecef6-bcb0-4fb1-8100-28c094e3bc6b","params": ["Agent","Local Address","Tracking code"]}' \
--data-urlencode 'message={"type":"image","image":{"link":"https://www.buildquickbots.com/whatsapp/media/sample/jpg/sample01.jpg"}}'

curl --location --request POST 'http://api.gupshup.io/sm/api/v1/template/msg' \
--header 'apikey: 2xxc4x4xx2c94xxxc2f9xx9d43xxxx8a' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded' \
--data-urlencode 'source=917834811114' \
--data-urlencode 'destination=918x98xx21x4' \
--data-urlencode 'template={"id": "c6aecef6-bcb0-4fb1-8100-28c094e3bc6b","params": ["Agent","Local Address","Tracking code"]}' \
--data-urlencode 'message={"type":"document","document":{"link":"https://www.buildquickbots.com/whatsapp/media/sample/pdf/sample01.pdf","filename": "Sample funtional resume"}}'

curl --location --request POST 'http://api.gupshup.io/sm/api/v1/template/msg' \
--header 'apikey: 2xxc4x4xx2c94xxxc2f9xx9d43xxxx8a' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded' \
--data-urlencode 'source=917834811114' \
--data-urlencode 'destination=918x98xx21x4' \
--data-urlencode 'template={"id": "c6aecef6-bcb0-4fb1-8100-28c094e3bc6b","params": ["Agent","Local Address","Tracking code"]}' \
--data-urlencode 'message={"type":"video","video":{"link": "https://www.buildquickbots.com/whatsapp/media/sample/video/sample01.mp4"}}'

curl --location --request POST 'http://api.gupshup.io/sm/api/v1/template/msg' \
--header 'apikey: 2xxc4x4xx2c94xxxc2f9xx9d43xxxx8a' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded' \
--data-urlencode 'source=917834811114' \
--data-urlencode 'destination=918x98xx21x4' \
--data-urlencode 'template={"id": "c6aecef6-bcb0-4fb1-8100-28c094e3bc6b","params": ["Agent","Local Address","Tracking code"]}' \
--data-urlencode 'message={"type":"location","location":{"longitude":"","latitude":""}}'

curl --location --request POST 'http://api.gupshup.io/sm/api/v1/template/msg' \
--header 'apikey: 2xxc4x4xx2c94xxxc2f9xx9d43xxxx8a' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded' \
--data-urlencode 'source=917834811114' \
--data-urlencode 'destination=918x98xx21x4' \
--data-urlencode 'template={"id": "c49ee21d-4d39-452d-a6c1-25b7615e01e4","params": ["John","docs/bot-platform/guide/whatsapp-api-documentation"]}' \
--data-urlencode 'message={"type":"document","document":{"link":"https://www.buildquickbots.com/whatsapp/media/sample/pdf/sample01.pdf","filename": "Sample funtional resume"}}'

curl --location --request POST 'http://api.gupshup.io/sm/api/v1/template/msg' \
--header 'apikey: 2xxc4x4xx2c94xxxc2f9xx9d43xxxx8a' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded' \
--data-urlencode 'source=917834811114' \
--data-urlencode 'destination=918x98xx21x4' \
--data-urlencode 'template={"id": "c6aecef6-bcb0-4fb1-8100-28c094e3bc6b","params": ["12323XXXX"]}'

Let's have a look at the error codes for the above outbound message APIs:

Error code	Description
`1001` - Last mapped bot and sender details mismatched	It occurs if your Access API app is not Live yet and you are using the sandbox mode to send a template message. To receive messages from your Access API app in sandbox mode, you must first send a WhatsApp message (proxy YourAppName) to the Gupshup proxy phone number (+917834811114).
`1002` - Number does not exist on WhatsApp	The phone number you sent the message to is not registered on WhatsApp.
`1003` - Unable to send message \| Check your wallet balance	Message sending failed because of insufficient balance.
`1004` - Message sending failed as user is inactive for session message and template messaging is disabled.	You have disabled template messaging for your app, and the user is not active for a session.
`1005` - Message sending failed as user is inactive for session message and template did not match	The message is not a template message, and the user is not active for a session.
`1006` - Message sending failed as user is inactive for session message and not opted in for template message	The user is not opted-in, and the user is not active for a session.
`1007` - Message sending failed as user is inactive for session message, not opted in for template message and template did not match	The message is not a template message, the user is not opted-in and not active for a session.
`1008` - User is not Opted in and Inactive	The user is not opted-in and not active for a session.
`1010` - Invalid Media URL	It occurs if your Access API app is not Live yet and you are using the sandbox mode to send a message. A sandbox Access API app is limited and only supports sending media messages given here.
`1011` - Invalid Media Size	The size of the media file is not supported.

Session messaging

Send message API

API Endpoint

Headers

Request body

API Response

Template messaging

API Endpoint

Headers

Request body

Template object description

Message object description

API Response

Sample requests

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For any other error code, click here.