Integrate WhatsApp Business Cloud API

WhatsApp Cloud API implements professional integrations with WhatsApp Business using Meta's official Cloud API, supporting both Node.js/TypeScript and Python. Since October 2025 the Cloud API is the only supported option - the On-Premises API has been discontinued. It targets Graph API v21.0 (2026), authenticating with a Bearer token (a permanent System User Token for production) against https://graph.facebook.com/v21.0/{phone-number-id}/messages.

Use it for WhatsApp Business integration, WhatsApp chatbots, sending WhatsApp messages or templates, or automating customer service over WhatsApp. Prerequisites: a free Meta Business Suite account, an app registered in Meta for Developers with the WhatsApp product added, a verified phone number, and a permanent System User Token - if the user lacks a Meta Business account, a full from-scratch setup guide is referenced separately.

2026 per-message pricing has four categories: Marketing ($0.025-$0.1365, campaigns/promotions), Utility ($0.004-$0.0456, order confirmations/updates), Authentication ($0.004-$0.0456, OTP/password reset), and Service (free, replies within the 24-hour customer service window). A decision tree routes the work: initial setup needs the setup guide; otherwise pick Node.js or Python and the task - sending messages, receiving messages via webhooks, automating service, WhatsApp Flows/Commerce, template management, or compliance/rate limits - each pointing to its own reference section or file. A project can be scaffolded from a boilerplate with python scripts/setup_project.py --language nodejs --path ./my-project (or --language python). Required environment variables: WHATSAPP_TOKEN, PHONE_NUMBER_ID, WABA_ID, APP_SECRET, VERIFY_TOKEN. Sending a simple text message posts a messaging_product: whatsapp, to, type: text, text: { body } payload to the Graph API messages endpoint with a Bearer-token Authorization header, returning a message ID on success - shown in both TypeScript (axios) and Python (httpx async) implementations.

const response = await axios.post(
  `${GRAPH_API}/${process.env.PHONE_NUMBER_ID}/messages`,
  { messaging_product: 'whatsapp', to, type: 'text', text: { body: message } },
  { headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.WHATSAPP_TOKEN}` } }
);

Covers webhooks secured with HMAC-SHA256 signature verification for receiving inbound messages and delivery status updates, template management for pre-approved outbound message formats, and advanced features including WhatsApp Flows and Commerce. All authentication runs through Meta's Graph API using an app secret and verify token pair for webhook validation.

Developers building WhatsApp Business messaging, chatbot automation, or customer-service workflows on Meta's official Cloud API, in either Node.js/TypeScript or Python, who need boilerplate and pricing/compliance context alongside the message-sending code itself - including teams migrating off the deprecated On-Premises API onto the now-mandatory Cloud API.