Send a WhatsApp Media Message Template

In this code snippet you learn how to send a WhatsApp Media Message Template using the Messages API.

To send the Media Message Template you need to use the Messages custom object. The custom object takes a partial section of the original WhatsApp API request and sends it directly through to WhatsApp.

IMPORTANT: If a customer messages you, you have 24 hours to respond to the customer with a free form message. After this period you must use a template message (MTM). If a customer has not messaged you first, then the first time you send a message to a user, WhatsApp requires that the message contains a template. This is explained in more detail in the Understanding WhatsApp topic.

Message format and length restrictions

WhatsApp Media Message Templates consist of a Header, Body and Footer structure. The Header contains the media, which can be text, location, video, image or file. The Body contains the text message. This is currently limited to 1024 characters when displayed to the end user, so as to avoid the need for scrolling. The Footer is optional and contains static text only.

NOTE: The Header and Footer lengths are currently limited to 60 characters each and the Message body length is limited to 1024 characters.

Example

Find the description for all variables used in each code snippet below:

Key	Description
`VONAGE_APPLICATION_ID`	The Vonage Application ID.
`VONAGE_APPLICATION_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH`	Private key path.
`BASE_URL`	For production use the base URL is `https://api.nexmo.com/`. For sandbox testing the base URL is `https://messages-sandbox.nexmo.com/`.
`MESSAGES_API_URL`	There are two versions of the API, each with their own endpoints. For production the previous Messages API endpoint was `https://api.nexmo.com/v0.1/messages`, the new one is `https://api.nexmo.com/v1/messages`. For sandbox testing the Messages API endpoint is `https://messages-sandbox.nexmo.com/v0.1/messages` or `https://messages-sandbox.nexmo.com/v1/messages`, depending on which version you have set in the sandbox dashboard.
`WHATSAPP_NUMBER`	The WhatsApp number that has been allocated to you by Vonage. For sandbox testing the number is 14157386102.
`VONAGE_WHATSAPP_NUMBER`	Refer to `WHATSAPP_NUMBER` above.
`VONAGE_NUMBER`	Refer to `WHATSAPP_NUMBER` above.
`TO_NUMBER`	Replace with the number you are sending to. E.g. `447700900001`
`WHATSAPP_TEMPLATE_NAME`	The name of the template created in your WhatsApp Business Account.
`IMAGE_URL`	The link to the image file to send.
`WHATSAPP_TEMPLATE_REPLACEMENT_TEXT`	Text to populate place-holders in a WhatsApp template message.

NOTE: Don't use a leading + or 00 when entering a phone number, start with the country code, for example, 447700900000.

Prerequisites

If you do not have an application you can create one. Make sure you also configure your webhooks.

Write the code

Add the following to send-media-mtm.sh:

curl -X POST $MESSAGES_API_URL \
     -H 'Authorization: Bearer' $JWT \
     -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
     -d '{
  "message_type": "custom",
  "to": "'$TO_NUMBER'",
  "from": "'$WHATSAPP_NUMBER'",
  "channel": "whatsapp",
  "custom": {
    "type": "template",
    "template": {
      "name": "'$WHATSAPP_TEMPLATE_NAME'",
      "language": {
        "policy": "deterministic",
        "code": "en"
      },
      "components": [
        {
          "type": "header",
          "parameters": [
            {
              "type": "image",
              "image": {
                "link": "'$IMAGE_URL'",
              }
            },
          ]
        },
        {
          "type": "body",
          "parameters": [
            {
              "type": "text",
              "text": "'$WHATSAPP_TEMPLATE_REPLACEMENT_TEXT'"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}'

View full source

Run your code

Save this file to your machine and run it:

bash send-media-mtm.sh

Prerequisites

If you do not have an application you can create one. Make sure you also configure your webhooks.

npm install @vonage/server-sdk

Create a file named send-media-template.js and add the following code:

const { Vonage } = require('@vonage/server-sdk');
const { WhatsAppCustom } = require('@vonage/messages');

const vonage = new Vonage({
  applicationId: VONAGE_APPLICATION_ID,
  privateKey: VONAGE_PRIVATE_KEY,
});

View full source

Write the code

Add the following to send-media-template.js:

vonage.messages.send(
  new WhatsAppCustom({
    custom: {
      type: 'template',
      template: {
        name: `${WHATSAPP_TEMPLATE_NAME}`,
        language: {
          policy: 'deterministic',
          code: 'en',
        },
        components: [
          {
            type: 'header',
            parameters: [
              {
                type: 'image',
                image: {
                  link: `${IMAGE_URL}`,
                },
              },
            ],
          },
          {
            type: 'body',
            parameters: [
              {
                type: 'text',
                text: `${WHATSAPP_TEMPLATE_REPLACEMENT_TEXT}`,
              },
            ],
          },
        ],
      },
    },
    to: TO_NUMBER,
    from: WHATSAPP_NUMBER,
  }),
)
  .then(({ messageUUID}) => console.log(messageUUID))
  .catch((error) => console.error(error));

View full source

Run your code

Save this file to your machine and run it:

node send-media-template.js

Prerequisites

If you do not have an application you can create one. Make sure you also configure your webhooks.

Add the following to build.gradle:

implementation 'com.vonage:server-sdk-kotlin:1.1.2'

Create a file named SendWhatsappMediaTemplate and add the following code to the main method:

val client = Vonage {
    applicationId(VONAGE_APPLICATION_ID)
    privateKeyPath(VONAGE_APPLICATION_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH)
}

View full source

Write the code

Add the following to the main method of the SendWhatsappMediaTemplate file:

val messageId = client.messages.send(
    whatsappCustom {
        to(TO_NUMBER)
        from(VONAGE_WHATSAPP_NUMBER)
        custom(mapOf(
            "type" to MessageType.TEMPLATE,
            "template" to mapOf(
                "name" to WHATSAPP_TEMPLATE_NAME,
                "language" to mapOf(
                    "policy" to Policy.DETERMINISTIC,
                    "code" to Locale.ENGLISH
                ),
                "components" to listOf(
                    mapOf(
                        "type" to "header",
                        "parameters" to listOf(
                            mapOf(
                                "type" to MessageType.IMAGE,
                                "image" to mapOf(
                                    "link" to IMAGE_URL
                                )
                            )
                        )
                    ),
                    mapOf(
                        "type" to "body",
                        "parameters" to listOf(
                            mapOf(
                                "type" to MessageType.TEXT,
                                "text" to WHATSAPP_TEMPLATE_REPLACEMENT_TEXT
                            )
                        )
                    )
                )
            )
        ))
    }
)

View full source

Run your code

We can use the application plugin for Gradle to simplify the running of our application. Update your build.gradle with the following:

apply plugin: 'application'
mainClassName = project.hasProperty('main') ? project.getProperty('main') : ''

Run the following gradle command to execute your application, replacing com.vonage.quickstart.kt.messages.whatsapp with the package containing SendWhatsappMediaTemplate:

gradle run -Pmain=com.vonage.quickstart.kt.messages.whatsapp.SendWhatsappMediaTemplate

Prerequisites

If you do not have an application you can create one. Make sure you also configure your webhooks.

Add the following to build.gradle:

implementation 'com.vonage:server-sdk:8.15.1'

Create a file named SendWhatsappMediaTemplate and add the following code to the main method:

VonageClient client = VonageClient.builder()
		.applicationId(VONAGE_APPLICATION_ID)
		.privateKeyPath(VONAGE_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH)
		.build();

View full source

Write the code

Add the following to the main method of the SendWhatsappMediaTemplate file:

var response = client.getMessagesClient().sendMessage(
	WhatsappCustomRequest.builder()
		.from(VONAGE_WHATSAPP_NUMBER).to(TO_NUMBER)
		.custom(Map.of(
				"type", MessageType.TEMPLATE,
				"template", Map.of(
					"name", WHATSAPP_TEMPLATE_NAME,
					"language", Map.of(
						"policy", Policy.DETERMINISTIC,
						"code", Locale.ENGLISH
					),
					"components", List.of(
						Map.of(
							"type", "header",
							"parameters", List.of(
								Map.of(
									"type", MessageType.IMAGE,
									"image", Map.of(
										"link", IMAGE_URL
									)
								)
							)
						),
						Map.of(
							"type", "body",
							"parameters", List.of(
								Map.of(
									"type", MessageType.TEXT,
									"text", WHATSAPP_TEMPLATE_REPLACEMENT_TEXT
								)
							)
						)
					)
				)
		)).build()
);
System.out.println("Message sent successfully. ID: "+response.getMessageUuid());

View full source

Run your code

We can use the application plugin for Gradle to simplify the running of our application. Update your build.gradle with the following:

apply plugin: 'application'
mainClassName = project.hasProperty('main') ? project.getProperty('main') : ''

Run the following gradle command to execute your application, replacing com.vonage.quickstart.messages.whatsapp with the package containing SendWhatsappMediaTemplate:

gradle run -Pmain=com.vonage.quickstart.messages.whatsapp.SendWhatsappMediaTemplate

Prerequisites

If you do not have an application you can create one. Make sure you also configure your webhooks.

composer require vonage/client

Create a file named send-media-mtm.php and add the following code:

$keypair = new \Vonage\Client\Credentials\Keypair(
    file_get_contents(VONAGE_APPLICATION_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH),
    VONAGE_APPLICATION_ID
);

$client = new \Vonage\Client($keypair);

View full source

Write the code

Add the following to send-media-mtm.php:

$custom = [
    "type" => "template",
    "template" => [
        "name" => WHATSAPP_TEMPLATE_NAME,
        "language" => ["policy" => "deterministic", "code" => "en"],
        "components" => [
            [
                "type" => "header",
                "parameters" => [
                    [
                        "type" => "image",
                        "image" => [
                            "link" => IMAGE_URL,
                        ],
                    ],
                ],
            ],
            [
                "type" => "body",
                "parameters" => [
                    "type" => "text",
                    "text" => WHATSAPP_TEMPLATE_REPLACEMENT_TEXT,
                ],
            ],
        ],
    ],
];

$whatsApp = new \Vonage\Messages\Channel\WhatsApp\WhatsAppCustom(
    TO_NUMBER,
    FROM_NUMBER,
    $custom
);

$client->messages()->send($whatsApp);

View full source

Run your code

Save this file to your machine and run it:

php send-media-mtm.php

Prerequisites

If you do not have an application you can create one. Make sure you also configure your webhooks.

pip install vonage

Write the code

Add the following to send-media-template.py:

from vonage import Auth, Vonage
from vonage_messages.models import WhatsappCustom

client = Vonage(
    Auth(
        application_id=VONAGE_APPLICATION_ID,
        private_key=VONAGE_APPLICATION_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH,
    )
)

message = WhatsappCustom(
    to=TO_NUMBER,
    from_=WHATSAPP_NUMBER,
    custom={
        "type": "template",
        "template": {
            "name": WHATSAPP_TEMPLATE_NAME,
            "language": {"policy": "deterministic", "code": "en"},
            "components": [
                {
                    "type": "header",
                    "parameters": [
                        {
                            "type": "image",
                            "image": {
                                "link": IMAGE_URL,
                            },
                        },
                    ],
                },
                {
                    "type": "body",
                    "parameters": [
                        {"type": "text", "text": WHATSAPP_TEMPLATE_REPLACEMENT_TEXT}
                    ],
                },
            ],
        },
    },
)

response = client.messages.send(message)
print(response)

View full source

Run your code

Save this file to your machine and run it:

python send-media-template.py

Prerequisites

If you do not have an application you can create one. Make sure you also configure your webhooks.

gem install vonage

Create a file named send-media-mtm.rb and add the following code:

client = Vonage::Client.new(
  application_id: VONAGE_APPLICATION_ID,
  private_key: File.read(VONAGE_APPLICATION_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH)
)

View full source

Write the code

Add the following to send-media-mtm.rb:

message = Vonage::Messaging::Message.whatsapp(
  type: 'custom',
  message: {
    type: "template",
    template: {
      name: WHATSAPP_TEMPLATE_NAME,
      language: {
        policy: "deterministic",
        code: "en"
      },
      components: [
        {
          type: "header",
          parameters: [
            {
              type: "image",
              image: {
                link: IMAGE_URL
              }
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          type: "body",
          parameters: [
            {
              type: "text",
              text: WHATSAPP_TEMPLATE_REPLACEMENT_TEXT
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  }
)

client.messaging.send(
  from: VONAGE_WHATSAPP_NUMBER,
  to: TO_NUMBER,
  **message
)

View full source

Run your code

Save this file to your machine and run it:

ruby send-media-mtm.rb

Try it out

When you run the code a WhatsApp Media Message Template is sent to the destination number.

Further information

WhatsApp documentation for Media Message Templates