Send WhatsApp messages using templates via Digital Connect API?

As a business, you might be looking to send WhatsApp messages using message templates to your customers automatically from your own system (website/app/CRM etc.) when some event pertaining to the customer has occurred.

This article will guide you through the precise steps required to automate WhatsApp notifications  using your own system.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. HTTP Request using API Key
2. Message Types and Parameters
3. Response Body
4. Error Codes and Messages
5. Message Throughput
6. Example Postman Request

HTTP Request using API Key

POST  https://eoceandigitalconnect.com/v2/api/outgoing/message

 

Example:

The request body for the API should be in JSON format and include the following parameters:

Fields	Type	Description
phone_number	String (required)	Phone number to authenticate
type	String (required)	Type of message template
parameters	Object (required)	Contains the data for the chosen type

 

Request Payload

Message Types and Parameters

You can send both types of WhatsApp messages, including Template and Free-form messages. However, Free Form messages can only be sent to customers within a 24-hour conversation window. Otherwise, although the message won't be sent, you will still receive a success response from the API.

Make sure to include the relevant parameters based on the type you choose when sending the message in the request body.

Type : TEXT

Fields	Data Type	Description
body	String (required)	text message that can contain URLs and supports formatting
preview_url	Boolean (optional)	Set this field to true to include a URL preview box

Text Message Payload (Without Preview URL)

Text Message Payload (With Preview URL)

Type: MEDIA

The media object consists of audio, document, image and video objects.

Fields	Data Type	Description
type	String (required)	The type of media object
id	String (required)	The ID of the media object
link	String (required when type is audio, document, image, sticker or video or when not using uploaded media ID )	The protocol and URL of the media to be sent
caption	String (optional)	Description of the media object
filename	String (optional)	Specified filename document

 

Image Message by ID Payload

 

Image Message by URL Payload

Audio Message by ID Payload

Audio Message by URL Payload

Document Message by ID Payload

Document Message by URL Payload

Video Message by ID Payload

Video Message by URL Payload

 

Type:  LOCATION

Fields	Data Type	Description
latitude	String (required)	latitude of the location
longitude	String (required)	longitude of the location
name	String (optional)	name of the location
address	String (optional)	address of the location

Location Message Payload

Type: TEMPLATE

Fields	Data Type	Description
name	String (required)	The ID of the media object
language	Object (required)	Specifies the language object
component	Array of Objects (optional)	Specifies the array of component objects

Template Text Message Payload

Template Button Message Payload

Template Date and Currency Message Payload

Type: CONTACTS

Fields	Data Type	Description
name	Object (required)	Specifies the name object
address	Object (optional)	Specifies the address object
email	Object (optional)	Specifies the email object
org	Object (optional)	Specifies the organisation object
phone	Object (optional)	Specifies the phone object
birthday	String (optional)	Specifies the birthday
url	Object (optional)	Specifies the url object

Contact Message Payload

 

Parameter Fields

Fields	Data Type	Description
type	String (required)	Describes parameter type. Values: text, currency, date_time, image or document.
text	String (required when type is text)	Message of the text
currency	String (required when type is currency)	Specifies the currency object
date_time	string (required when type is date_time)	Specifies the date_time object
image	String (required when type is image)	Specifies the media object of type image
document	String (required when type is document)	Specifies the media object of type document

For more information on message types and their required parameters, please refer to the following link:

https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/cloud-api/reference/messages

Response Body

If successful, the response body will return a status of 200 including message ID  and a success indicator.

Message Throughput

For each registered business phone number, Cloud API supports up to  100 messages/min by default.

Throughput is inclusive of inbound and outbound messages and all message types. Note that business phone numbers, regardless of throughput, are still subject to their WhatsApp Business Account's business use case rate limit and template messaging limits.

If you attempt to send more messages than your current throughput level allows, the API will return error code 130429 until you are within your allowed level again.

Error Codes and Messages

Error Message	Error Code	Error Description
noToken	Unauthorised: No token Provided (Code: 1488)	The request is missing the required authentication token
invalidToken	Unauthorised: Invalid token (Code: 1489)	The provided authentication token is invalid or expired
incorrectCredentials	Incorrect org_unit_id or phone_number_id (Code: 1652)	The provided org_unit_id or phone_number_id is incorrect or invalid
validation	Data Validation Error (Code: 1265)	Data being sent does not match the expected format
limitReached	limitReached: (Code: 130429)	Requests per minute exceeded

 

Example Postman Request

Step 1: Setup Request Type to "POST"
Step 2: Setup URL
Step 3:  Select Headers option
Step 4:  Set token under Headers section
Step 5:  Choose body type "raw" 
Step 6:  Select "JSON" type
Step 7:  Set content of the request

You can find more examples here - Open in Postman