WhatsApp Business API

Official Meta Cloud API integration. See auxiliary files for detailed operations.

Quick Start

curl -X POST "https://graph.facebook.com/v21.0/$WHATSAPP_PHONE_NUMBER_ID/messages" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $WHATSAPP_ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"messaging_product":"whatsapp","to":"1234567890","type":"text","text":{"body":"Hello!"}}'

Setup

On first use, read setup.md. Preferences stored in ~/whatsapp-business-api/memory.md.

When to Use

Any WhatsApp Business operation: send messages, templates, media, interactive elements, manage webhooks, handle conversations, update business profiles.

Architecture

~/whatsapp-business-api/
├── memory.md      # Account context + phone numbers
├── templates.md   # Approved templates reference
└── webhooks.md    # Webhook configurations

Quick Reference

Core Rules

1. International format — Phone numbers without + or leading zeros: 1234567890
2. 24-hour window — Free replies within 24h of customer message; templates required to initiate
3. Template approval — Templates need Meta approval (24-48h); test in sandbox first
4. Idempotency — Use biz_opaque_callback_data to track message state
5. Webhook verification — Always verify webhook signature with app secret
6. Rate limits — 80 messages/second per phone number; 1000 template messages/day (tier 1)
7. Media limits — Images <5MB, videos <16MB, documents <100MB

Authentication

Required environment variables:

• WHATSAPP_ACCESS_TOKEN — System User access token (permanent) or User access token (60-day)
• WHATSAPP_PHONE_NUMBER_ID — Your registered phone number ID
• WHATSAPP_BUSINESS_ACCOUNT_ID — Your WABA ID (for templates)
• WHATSAPP_APP_SECRET — App secret for webhook verification

curl "https://graph.facebook.com/v21.0/$WHATSAPP_PHONE_NUMBER_ID" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $WHATSAPP_ACCESS_TOKEN"

Token Types

Common Traps

• Phone format with + or 00 → API rejects
• Missing messaging_product: "whatsapp" → 400 error
• Template not approved → message fails silently
• Webhook signature not verified → security vulnerability
• Sending outside 24h window without template → blocked

External Endpoints

Security & Privacy

Environment variables used:

• WHATSAPP_ACCESS_TOKEN — for API authentication
• WHATSAPP_APP_SECRET — for webhook signature verification

Sent to Meta: Messages, media, customer phone numbers via graph.facebook.com

Stays local: Tokens (never logged), ~/whatsapp-business-api/ preferences

Never: Log message content, skip webhook verification, store tokens in code

Trust

This skill sends data to Meta (facebook.com/whatsapp).

Related Skills

Install with clawhub install if user confirms:

• api — REST API patterns
• webhook — Webhook handling
• chat — Conversational patterns

Feedback

• If useful: clawhub star whatsapp-business-api
• Stay updated: clawhub sync