Send a WhatsApp Message via API: cURL, Node, Python, PHP

curl -X POST https://api.broadnet.me/whatsapp/message/sendbulk \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $BROADNET_TOKEN" \
  -F batchId=0 \
  -F campaignName=order-updates \
  -F destinationNo=971500000000 \
  -F messageType=TEMPLATE \
  -F templateName=order_update \
  -F templateLanguage=en_US \
  -F bodyTemplateVariables=INV-400

// Node.js 18+ (built-in fetch and FormData)
const form = new FormData();
form.append("batchId", "0");
form.append("campaignName", "order-updates");
form.append("destinationNo", "971500000000");
form.append("messageType", "TEMPLATE");
form.append("templateName", "order_update");
form.append("templateLanguage", "en_US");
form.append("bodyTemplateVariables", "INV-400");

const res = await fetch("https://api.broadnet.me/whatsapp/message/sendbulk", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.BROADNET_TOKEN}` }, // fetch sets the multipart boundary
  body: form,
});
console.log(await res.json());

import os
import requests

fields = {
    "batchId": "0",
    "campaignName": "order-updates",
    "destinationNo": "971500000000",
    "messageType": "TEMPLATE",
    "templateName": "order_update",
    "templateLanguage": "en_US",
    "bodyTemplateVariables": "INV-400",
}
# Send every field as a multipart part (files=) rather than url-encoded (data=).
r = requests.post(
    "https://api.broadnet.me/whatsapp/message/sendbulk",
    headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['BROADNET_TOKEN']}"},
    files={k: (None, v) for k, v in fields.items()},
    timeout=30,
)
print(r.json())

<?php
$ch = curl_init("https://api.broadnet.me/whatsapp/message/sendbulk");
curl_setopt_array($ch, [
    CURLOPT_POST => true,
    CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
    CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => ["Authorization: Bearer " . getenv("BROADNET_TOKEN")],
    // An array (not a string) makes cURL send multipart/form-data.
    CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS => [
        "batchId" => "0",
        "campaignName" => "order-updates",
        "destinationNo" => "971500000000",
        "messageType" => "TEMPLATE",
        "templateName" => "order_update",
        "templateLanguage" => "en_US",
        "bodyTemplateVariables" => "INV-400",
    ],
]);
echo curl_exec($ch);
curl_close($ch);

{
  "totalFiles": 1,
  "totalSuccess": 1,
  "totalFailed": 0,
  "totalDuplicates": 0,
  "batchId": "2609091405000000001",
  "fileResults": [
    {
      "fileName": "direct",
      "totalRecords": 1,
      "successCount": 1,
      "failedRecipients": [],
      "duplicateRecipients": []
    }
  ],
  "message": "Messages queued for delivery"
}

Which request fields matter most?

Which fields are required depends on messageType. These are the common ones.

Scheduling uses scheduled, scheduleTime and gmt, and delay throttles delivery. The complete list is in the WhatsApp API reference.

How do I send a template with a button or an OTP?

Add the button value in buttonsTemplateVariable. For an authentication template with a copy-code button, pass the code in both the body and the button fields.

curl -X POST https://api.broadnet.me/whatsapp/message/sendbulk \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $BROADNET_TOKEN" \
  -F batchId=0 \
  -F destinationNo=971500000000 \
  -F messageType=TEMPLATE \
  -F templateName=login_code \
  -F templateLanguage=en_US \
  -F bodyTemplateVariables=482913 \
  -F buttonsTemplateVariable=482913

Here login_code is a placeholder for your own approved authentication template. For several buttons, buttonsTemplateVariable takes a JSON array. Generate the code on your server, store it hashed with an expiry, and never log it. Our OTP guide covers one-tap, zero-tap and copy-code delivery.

How do I reply inside the customer service window?

Use a session message type. A plain text reply needs messageType=TEXT and content.

curl -X POST https://api.broadnet.me/whatsapp/message/sendbulk \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $BROADNET_TOKEN" \
  -F batchId=0 \
  -F destinationNo=971500000000 \
  -F messageType=TEXT \
  -F campaignName=support \
  -F "content=Your order has shipped. Reply here if you need anything."

For reply buttons, send messageType=INTERACTIVE and an interactivePayload that follows Meta's interactive message format.

curl -X POST https://api.broadnet.me/whatsapp/message/sendbulk \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $BROADNET_TOKEN" \
  -F batchId=0 \
  -F destinationNo=971500000000 \
  -F messageType=INTERACTIVE \
  -F campaignName=support \
  -F 'interactivePayload={"type":"button","body":{"text":"Confirm your delivery slot?"},"action":{"buttons":[{"type":"reply","reply":{"id":"slot_ok","title":"Confirm"}},{"type":"reply","reply":{"id":"slot_change","title":"Change"}}]}}'

To mark an inbound message as read, and optionally show a typing indicator, call POST /whatsapp/message/read with JSON:

curl -X POST https://api.broadnet.me/whatsapp/message/read \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $BROADNET_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{ "messageId": "wamid.HBgMOTcxNTAwMDAwMDAwFQIAEhgg", "typing": true }'

See our guide to interactive messages for design guidance.

How do I track delivery?

Statuses are pushed to the webhook configured on your account and can also be read per batch. Each recipient moves through SUBMITTED, SENT, DELIVERED and READ, or ends as FAILED or REJECTED with a reason.

curl "https://api.broadnet.me/whatsapp/message/bulk-insights?batch_Id=2609091405000000001&status=FAILED&page=0&size=50" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $BROADNET_TOKEN"

batch_Id is required; status, destination, search, page and size are optional, and page is zero-based. Use polling as a backstop for missed events, and build your receiver as described in our webhooks guide. Batches can also be paused, resumed and aborted with the batch endpoints in the reference.

What errors should I handle?

Read the HTTP status first, then the error body. The API raises errors in a five-field JSON body, and WhatsApp-specific failures can come from Meta.

Our error codes guide explains common Meta codes. Because there is no idempotency key, follow the duplicate-protection steps in Errors and limits: write a pending record first, store the returned batchId, and after a timeout check status before sending again.

Worked example: an order notification service

"Souq Rafiq" (synthetic), a UAE retailer, sends an order_update template when an order ships.

1. The order service writes a row keyed order-8842-shipped with status pending.
2. It calls sendbulk with the template and the order number as bodyTemplateVariables.
3. On 200, it stores the batchId and marks the row accepted.
4. The webhook handler updates the row to DELIVERED or READ, or FAILED with a reason.
5. If the customer replies, the support tool uses a TEXT session message inside the window.
6. A nightly job reads bulk-insights for yesterday's batches and reconciles any missing statuses.

What are the common mistakes?

• Sending JSON. The WhatsApp send endpoint is multipart; Content-Type: application/json will not work.
• Python data= instead of files=, which url-encodes the form.
• Free-form text outside the window, which fails. Use a template.
• Wrong language code, such as en instead of the template's en_US.
• Treating 200 as delivered. It means queued.
• Blind retries after a timeout, which can message a customer twice.
• Token in client code. Call the API from your backend only.
• Limits: payload details vary by template. Confirm the variable layout for your first personalised campaign with our team.

How OmniChannels.ai helps

BroadNet is an official Meta Business Solution Provider, and onboarding to the WhatsApp Business API uses Meta Embedded Signup; our team prepares the registration with you, while approvals remain with Meta. The REST API is documented with an OpenAPI 3.1 spec and a TypeScript SDK, @broadnet/cpaas-sdk, and delivery statuses are normalised across channels. Start with the WhatsApp API docs or the quickstart.