WhatsApp group API: read, send and stream group messages

What the group API can do

The developer API and webhooks start on the Growth plan. WhatsApp group management for teams, the workflow built on top of it, is part of the Scale plan, which also has higher API rate limits.

• List the groups your linked number is in, with details and members.
• Read the recent messages of any group, up to 200 at a time.
• Send text or media to a group, or reply to a specific message.
• Rename a group, add or remove members (the number must be a group admin).
• Receive every new message and group event on your own server through webhooks.

Before you start

Every request sends the key as a Bearer token. In the examples, BASE stands for the base URL shown on your Developer API screen.

• Link a number by scanning the QR code in Linked Devices. For team groups, use a dedicated number, so it only sees the groups you add it to.
• Open the Developer API screen and create an API key. It is shown once, so store it safely.
• Add the linked number to the group you want to read. It sees only the groups it is a member of.

Test your key and list your groups

Group ids look like [email protected]. Keep the ids of the groups you care about, you will use them in every call below.

curl "$BASE/me" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

curl "$BASE/groups" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Read recent messages and post to a group

Only send when the number is connected. The /me call returns a status, and it should be working before you post.

curl "$BASE/groups/[email protected]/messages?limit=50" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

curl -X POST "$BASE/groups/[email protected]/messages" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{ "text": "Reminder: sales review at 5 PM today" }'

Stream group messages in real time

Polling the messages endpoint works for a quick report. For a live dashboard, use webhooks instead. Save a webhook URL on the Developer API screen, tick message.any to receive every new message, and add the group events if you want to know when members join or leave.

Each call is a JSON POST with an event name, your session id and a payload. Group messages arrive with the group id, the one that ends in @g.us, in the from field, and the sender is identified in the payload and at the end of the message id.

{
  "event": "message.any",
  "session": "acct_ab12cd34ef56",
  "payload": {
    "id": "[email protected][email protected]",
    "timestamp": 1790763300,
    "from": "[email protected]",
    "fromMe": false,
    "body": "Met Northbridge Foods, demo done. Quote sent.",
    "hasMedia": false
  }
}

What teams build with it

AI for WhatsApp does not ship a team dashboard today. You build it on the API, and we can also build one for your team depending on what you need to track. Email [email protected].

• A live board of what each person on a sales or operations team posted today.
• A daily report that lands in your inbox or in a manager group.
• Alerts when a group has been quiet, or when a keyword such as urgent appears.
• A CRM or sheet that fills itself from the updates people already send.

Frequently asked questions

Keep reading

• WhatsApp webhook tutorial: receive messages on your own server
• How to see what your sales team is doing on WhatsApp
• WhatsApp group summary: a daily digest of any group
• WhatsApp group management for teams
• Pricing