WhatsApp Business Cloud API¶

Overview¶

The WhatsApp Business task sends a WhatsApp message from one of the account's WhatsApp Business connections (Meta's Cloud API). It has three actions:

Send Template — an approved template, to anyone, at any time.
Send Text — free text, only inside the 24-hour customer-service window.
Send Media — an image, video, document or audio file, only inside that window.

Each message is recorded on the contact's WhatsApp chat thread in BaseCloud, as one sent from the CRM is. Templates themselves are created and approved in Meta's WhatsApp Manager; this task sends them.

Prerequisites¶

A WhatsApp Business account connected in Settings → WhatsApp Business. The task only picks from connections already made there.
For templates: the template approved by Meta in the language you send.
For text and media: the recipient must have messaged the number in the last 24 hours.

Outputs¶

Session fields describe the 24-hour customer-service window: outside it, only template messages can be sent.

Reference fields as {{task_<ID>_<field>}}.

Field	Type	Notes
`session_open`	boolean	Whether the 24-hour messaging window was open for this number when the task ran (empty if it could not be checked).
`session_expires_at`	string	When that window closes.
`success`	boolean	`true` once the message was handed to WhatsApp.
`message_id`	string	WhatsApp's id for the message (`wamid.…`).
`recipient`	string	The number it went to, in international format.
`thread_id`	string	The chat thread in BaseCloud this message was recorded on.

Always emitted¶

Field	Type	Notes
`run`	boolean	Whether the task succeeded.
`run_text`	string	What happened, including the reason on failure.

Connections are made in Settings → WhatsApp Business, not on the task — the selector here only picks from what is already connected, and the template list stays empty until one is chosen.

Configuration¶

Builder fields¶

The Field column is the label as it appears in the task builder; Key is the name the value is stored under and referenced by.

Field	Key	Type	Default	Notes
WhatsApp Business Connection	`app_connection_id`	app-connection	–
Action	`action`	select	`send_template`	Options: Send Template · Send Text (session only) · Send Media (session only)
Recipient	`recipient`	text	–
Template	`template_name`	whatsapp-template-select	–	Only shown when `action` is `send_template`
Template Variables	`tpl_params`	whatsapp-template-params	–	Only shown when `action` is `send_template`
Message Text	`message_text`	textarea	–	Only shown when `action` is `send_text`
Media Type	`media_type`	select	`image`	Options: Image · Video · Document · Audio. Only shown when `action` is `send_media`
Media URL	`media_url`	text	–	Only shown when `action` is `send_media`
Caption	`caption`	text	–	Only shown when `action` is `send_media`
Filename	`filename`	text	–

Send Template¶

Pick the connection, the recipient and the template. Template Variables shows one field for each {{1}}, {{2}}… in the template's header and body; each takes text or {{variables}}.

The template is checked against Meta when the task runs. A template that is no longer approved (or no longer in that language) fails the task: Template '…' (en_US) is no longer available or approved — please reconfigure the task.
Every variable is required. One that comes out empty fails the task rather than sending a message with a gap: Template '…' not sent: variable {{2}} in the body resolved empty.
Header File (optional) replaces the template's own header document for this run — a link or a variable, for example a PDF task's document_url. Left empty, the template's file is used.

Send Text (session only)¶

Free text, sent only if the recipient messaged in the last 24 hours. Outside that window the task fails at once without sending: No open 24-hour session with +27… Free-form text can only be sent inside the customer service window — use Send Template to initiate contact. To fall back to a template, check session_open with an If before this task.

Send Media (session only)¶

Media Type (Image, Video, Document or Audio) and Media URL are required; Caption is optional, and a document can be given a Filename. The same 24-hour rule applies as for text. BaseCloud fetches the file from the URL, so it must be reachable without signing in, and WhatsApp must accept its type and size.

Recipient¶

One number, in international format (+27821234567) or a variable holding one. A number that cannot be read fails the task: No valid recipient number provided.

Real-World Examples¶

Reply automatically to an inbound message¶

WhatsApp Message Received
  └─ Chat Thread          read the conversation so far
      └─ AI Prompt        draft a reply, memory key {{task_61001_session_id}}
          └─ WhatsApp Business   send it

Send a template outside the messaging window¶

Schedule
  └─ Match to Client            look the client up
      └─ WhatsApp Business      send an approved template

session_open tells you whether the 24-hour window is still open. Outside it, only templates can be sent.

Confirm an order over WhatsApp¶

Webhook In
  └─ Phone Formatter          normalise the number
      └─ WhatsApp Business    send the confirmation

Troubleshooting¶

Message	What to do
No WhatsApp Business connection selected.	Choose a connection on the task.
The selected WhatsApp Business connection is no longer available (disconnected or removed).	Reconnect it in Settings → WhatsApp Business, then pick it again.
No valid recipient number provided.	Map a number in international format — a Phone Formatter normalises one.
No open 24-hour session with …	Send a template instead, or only send text once the contact has written in.
Template '…' is no longer available or approved	Re-pick the template; check it in WhatsApp Manager.
Template '…' not sent: variable {{N}} … resolved empty.	Check the task that variable reads from ran and has that output.
Rate limited — rescheduled for retry.	Nothing — the run is retried automatically.

FAQ¶

Can I create or edit templates here? No — create them in Meta's WhatsApp Manager. Once approved they appear in the Template list.

Can I see whether a message was delivered or read? Yes, on the contact's WhatsApp chat thread in BaseCloud, which shows each message's status as WhatsApp reports it.

WATI or WhatsApp Business? Both send WhatsApp; this task uses Meta's Cloud API through a connection made in BaseCloud, WATI uses a WATI account's own API.

WATI - Alternative WhatsApp platform integration
Email - Fallback communication channel
SMS - Alternative text messaging
If Statement - Message routing logic
Loop - Bulk message sending
Delay - Rate limiting in campaigns
Webhook In - Receive WhatsApp webhooks
Match to Client - Match phone numbers to clients

Technical Details¶

Type ID: 58
Function: taskWhatsAppBusiness() in automationService.js, sending through whatsappService.js
API: Meta Graph API (WhatsApp Cloud API)
Message ID format: wamid.…