Sending Messages

This guide covers all message types supported by the WhatsApp SDK.

Text Messages

Simple Text

response = client.messages.send_text(
    to="+1234567890",
    body="Hello World!"
)

With URL Preview

response = client.messages.send_text(
    to="+1234567890",
    body="Check out https://example.com",
    preview_url=True
)

Media Messages

Images

# Using URL
response = client.messages.send_image(
    to="+1234567890",
    image="https://example.com/image.jpg",
    caption="Beautiful sunset"
)

# Using media ID
response = client.messages.send_image(
    to="+1234567890",
    image="media_id_123",
    caption="Uploaded image"
)

Documents

response = client.messages.send_document(
    to="+1234567890",
    document="https://example.com/document.pdf",
    caption="Important document",
    filename="contract.pdf"
)

Videos

response = client.messages.send_video(
    to="+1234567890",
    video="https://example.com/video.mp4",
    caption="Check this out!"
)

Audio

response = client.messages.send_audio(
    to="+1234567890",
    audio="https://example.com/audio.mp3"
)

Location Messages

response = client.messages.send_location(
    to="+1234567890",
    latitude=37.4847,
    longitude=-122.1477,
    name="Meta Headquarters",
    address="1 Hacker Way, Menlo Park, CA"
)

Contact Messages

from whatsapp_sdk.models import Contact, Name, Phone

contact = Contact(
    name=Name(
        formatted_name="John Doe",
        first_name="John",
        last_name="Doe"
    ),
    phones=[Phone(phone="+1234567890", type="MOBILE")]
)

response = client.messages.send_contact(
    to="+9876543210",
    contacts=[contact]
)

Typing Indicators

Typing indicators provide visual feedback to users showing that you are actively typing a response. The typing indicator appears for up to 25 seconds or until you send a message, whichever comes first.

Mark as Read with Typing Indicator

# Mark message as read only
response = client.messages.mark_as_read("wamid.xxx")

# Mark as read and show typing indicator
response = client.messages.mark_as_read(
    "wamid.xxx",
    typing_indicator=True
)

Send Typing Indicator Only

# Show typing indicator while processing
response = client.messages.send_typing_indicator("wamid.xxx")

# Process your response (user sees typing indicator)
import time
time.sleep(2)  # Simulate processing time

# Send actual response (typing indicator disappears)
response = client.messages.send_text(
    to="+1234567890",
    body="Response ready!"
)

Best Practices for Typing Indicators

When to Use:

Before sending a lengthy response that requires processing time
During conversational flows to maintain user engagement
When fetching data from external APIs or databases

Implementation Tips:

def handle_complex_query(message_id: str, user_phone: str, query: str):
    # Show typing indicator immediately
    client.messages.send_typing_indicator(message_id)

    # Process complex query
    result = process_complex_query(query)

    # Send response (typing indicator automatically disappears)
    client.messages.send_text(
        to=user_phone,
        body=f"Here's your answer: {result}"
    )

Important Notes:

Typing indicators last up to 25 seconds maximum
Sending any message will immediately clear the typing indicator
Use sparingly to avoid creating a poor user experience
Don’t use for very quick responses (under 1-2 seconds)