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Overview

Send transactional and marketing messages via WhatsApp Business. Each organization connects their own verified WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) number — messages appear from your business, not Unosend.
20 free messages for every account. After that, messages cost $0.05 each from your wallet balance.

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Connect Your WhatsApp Number

Before sending messages, connect your WhatsApp Business number:
  1. Go to WhatsApp → Settings in the dashboard
  2. Click Connect WhatsApp
  3. Enter your WhatsApp Business phone number and business name
  4. Your number is registered and verified automatically
  5. Once status shows Active, you can start sending
You need a verified WhatsApp Business Account. Personal WhatsApp numbers are not supported.

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Message Types

WhatsApp supports two message types with different rules:

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Template Messages

Pre-approved message templates that can be sent anytime — even outside the 24-hour customer care window. Use for:
  • Order confirmations
  • Shipping notifications
  • Appointment reminders
  • OTP / verification codes
{
  "to": "+919876543210",
  "type": "template",
  "template": "order_confirmation",
  "language": "en",
  "variables": ["Alice", "ORD-1234", "$49.99"]
}

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Chat Messages

Free-form text messages that can only be sent within 24 hours of the customer’s last message. Use for:
  • Customer support replies
  • Follow-up conversations
  • Interactive responses
{
  "to": "+919876543210",
  "type": "chat",
  "message": "Hi Alice! Your order has shipped. Track it here: https://example.com/track/1234"
}
Chat messages can only be sent within 24 hours of the customer’s last incoming message. Outside this window, use template messages.

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Sending via API

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Send a Template Message

curl -X POST https://www.unosend.co/api/v1/whatsapp \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer un_xxxxxxxxxx" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "to": "+919876543210",
    "type": "template",
    "template": "order_update",
    "language": "en",
    "variables": ["Alice", "ORD-1234"]
  }'

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Send a Chat Message

curl -X POST https://www.unosend.co/api/v1/whatsapp \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer un_xxxxxxxxxx" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "to": "+919876543210",
    "type": "chat",
    "message": "Thanks for reaching out! How can we help?"
  }'

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Response

200
{
  "data": {
    "id": "wa_abc123",
    "to": "+919876543210",
    "type": "template",
    "status": "sent",
    "cost": 0.05,
    "created_at": "2026-02-28T10:30:00Z"
  }
}

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Templates

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Creating Templates

Create message templates from WhatsApp → Templates in the dashboard:
  1. Click Create Template
  2. Choose a category: Marketing, Utility, or Authentication
  3. Write the template body with variables: {{1}}, {{2}}, etc.
  4. Submit for review — templates are approved by Meta (usually within minutes)

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Template Rules

  • Names must be lowercase with underscores (e.g., order_confirmation)
  • Variables use numbered placeholders: {{1}}, {{2}}, {{3}}
  • Marketing templates must include opt-out text: “Reply STOP to unsubscribe”
  • Templates require Meta approval before use (typically 1–5 minutes)

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Example Template

Name: order_shipped Category: Utility Body: 
Hi {{1}}! Your order {{2}} has shipped.

Track your package: {{3}}

Delivery estimate: {{4}}

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Message Status

Track delivery status for each message:
StatusDescription
pendingQueued for delivery
sentSent to WhatsApp servers
deliveredDelivered to recipient’s device
readRecipient opened the message
failedDelivery failed
Status updates are delivered via webhooks if configured. See the Webhooks guide.

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Pricing

ItemCost
First 20 messagesFree (lifetime)
Additional messages$0.05 per message
Messages are charged from your wallet balance. Add funds to continue sending after the free tier.

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Best Practices

WhatsApp requires pre-approved templates for business-initiated conversations. Chat messages are only for replying within the 24-hour window.
WhatsApp messages are read on mobile. Keep templates under 160 characters when possible for the best readability.
Always use the full international format: +1 for US, +44 for UK, +91 for India. Example: +14155551234.
WhatsApp tracks your account quality. High spam reports can restrict your messaging. Check quality in WhatsApp → Settings.

WhatsApp API Reference

Full API endpoint documentation

Wallet & Billing

Manage your messaging balance