Send Images using Whatsapp Cloud Api - php

Question

I am trying to send images with Whatsapp Cloud API. Using PHP, I am able to send normal text messages successfully.
When going through the docs, what does 'MEDIA_OBJECT_ID' mean ? An example would be great.
curl -X POST \
'https://graph.facebook.com/v13.0/FROM_PHONE_NUMBER_ID/messages' \
-H 'Authorization: Bearer ACCESS_TOKEN' \
-d '{
"messaging_product": "whatsapp",
"recipient_type": "individual",
"to": "PHONE_NUMBER",
"type": "image",
"image": {
"id" : "MEDIA_OBJECT_ID"
}
}'
thanks

Answer 1

First, you need to upload the media file to the WhatsApp Server then WhatsApp will respond back the MEDIA_OBJECT_ID
$target="/home/rishabh/uploads/myImage.png";
$mime=mime_content_type('myImage.png')
$file = new CURLFILE($target);
$file->setMimeType($mime);
$curl = curl_init();
curl_setopt_array($curl, array(
CURLOPT_URL => "https://graph.facebook.com/v13.0/$phoneSid/media",
CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
CURLOPT_ENCODING => "",
CURLOPT_MAXREDIRS => 10,
CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 0,
CURLOPT_FOLLOWLOCATION => true,
CURLOPT_HTTP_VERSION => CURL_HTTP_VERSION_1_1,
CURLOPT_CUSTOMREQUEST => "POST",
CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS => array("messaging_product" => "whatsapp", "type"=>$mime, "file"=> $file),
CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => array(
"Authorization: Bearer ".$whatsappToken
),
));
$resultWhatsAppMedia = json_decode(curl_exec($curl), true);
$httpcode = curl_getinfo($curl, CURLINFO_HTTP_CODE);
$MEDIA_OBJECT_ID = $resultWhatsAppMedia['id']; //MEDIA OBJECT ID
Now, you will get the media object id. You need to send the media from API
$FileName="Caption Name or Image Name";
$messageBody = [
"messaging_product"=>"whatsapp",
"recipient_type" => "individual",
"to" => "$to_number",
"type" => "image",
"image" => [
"id" => $MEDIA_OBJECT_ID, // MEDIA OBJECT ID
"caption" => $FileName,
]
];
$curl = curl_init();
curl_setopt_array($curl, array(
CURLOPT_URL => 'https://graph.facebook.com/v13.0/FROM_PHONE_NUMBER_ID/messages',
CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
CURLOPT_ENCODING => '',
CURLOPT_MAXREDIRS => 10,
CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 0,
CURLOPT_FOLLOWLOCATION => true,
CURLOPT_HTTP_VERSION => CURL_HTTP_VERSION_1_1,
CURLOPT_CUSTOMREQUEST => 'POST',
CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS => json_encode($messageBody),
CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => array(
"Authorization:Bearer $YOUR_WHATSAPP_ACCESS_TOKEN",
'Content-Type: application/json'
),
));
$response = json_decode(curl_exec($curl), true);
$status_code = curl_getinfo($curl, CURLINFO_HTTP_CODE);
curl_close($curl);
Here is the different type of media JSON
// for mp3
$messageBody = [
"messaging_product"=>"whatsapp",
"recipient_type" => "individual",
"to" => "$to_number",
"type" => "audio",
"audio" => [
"id" => $MEDIA_OBJECT_ID, // MEDIA OBJECT ID
]
];
// for pdf, doc, apk etc
$messageBody = [
"messaging_product"=>"whatsapp",
"recipient_type" => "individual",
"to" => "$to_number",
"type" => "document",
"document" => [
"id" => $MEDIA_OBJECT_ID, // MEDIA OBJECT ID,
"caption" => $fileName,
"filename" => $fileName,
]
];
// for mp4
$messageBody = [
"messaging_product"=>"whatsapp",
"recipient_type" => "individual",
"to" => "$to_number",
"type" => "video",
"video" => [
"id" => $MEDIA_OBJECT_ID, // MEDIA OBJECT ID,
"caption" => $media['fileName'],
]
];
$RequestJSON = json_encode($messageBody)

Answer 2

You need to upload the media to https://graph.facebook.com/v13.0/FROM_PHONE_NUMBER_ID/media
The response will give you the "MEDIA_OBJECT_ID"
OR
use image link instead
curl -X POST \
'https://graph.facebook.com/v13.0/FROM_PHONE_NUMBER_ID/messages' \
-H 'Authorization: Bearer ACCESS_TOKEN' \
-d '{
"messaging_product": "whatsapp",
"recipient_type": "individual",
"to": "PHONE_NUMBER",
"type": "image",
"image": {
"link" : "Image URL"
}
}'

Answer 3

Example using Postman
URL:
https://graph.facebook.com/{{Version}}/{{Phone-Number-ID}}/messages
OBJECT:
{
"messaging_product": "whatsapp",
"recipient_type": "individual",
"to": "5500900050006",
"type": "image",
"image": {
"link": "https://images.ecycle.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/20195924/o-que-e-paisagem.jpg"
}
}
Don't forget...
Some web server does not permit access to files...😉

Answer 4

Media Messages
To send a media message, make a POST call to /PHONE_NUMBER_ID/messages and attach a message object with type=image, document, audio, image, video, or sticker. Then, add a corresponding media object.
Sample request using image with link:
POST
Send Image Message by URL
To send a media message, make a POST call to /{{Phone-Number-ID}}/messages and attach a message object with type = image. Then, be sure to include the link to the image.
Send an audio message to your customers using a link to an image file.
Authorization : Bearer Token
BODY
{
"messaging_product": "whatsapp",
"recipient_type": "individual",
"to": "{{Recipient-Phone-Number}}",
"type": "image",
"image": {
"link": "http(s)://image-url"
}
}
example in PHP CURL
<?php
$curl = curl_init();
curl_setopt_array($curl, array(
CURLOPT_URL => 'https://graph.facebook.com/%7B%7BVersion%7D%7D/%7B%7BPhone-Number-ID%7D%7D/messages',
CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
CURLOPT_ENCODING => '',
CURLOPT_MAXREDIRS => 10,
CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 0,
CURLOPT_FOLLOWLOCATION => true,
CURLOPT_HTTP_VERSION => CURL_HTTP_VERSION_1_1,
CURLOPT_CUSTOMREQUEST => 'POST',
CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS =>'{
"messaging_product": "whatsapp",
"recipient_type": "individual",
"to": "{{Recipient-Phone-Number}}",
"type": "image",
"image": {
"link": "http(s)://image-url"
}
}',
CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => array(
'Authorization: Bearer {{User-Access-Token}}',
'Content-Type: application/json'
),
));
$response = curl_exec($curl);
curl_close($curl);
echo $response;
RESPONSE:
{
"messaging_product": "whatsapp",
"contacts": [
{
"input": "48XXXXXXXXX",
"wa_id": "48XXXXXXXXX "
}
],
"messages": [
{
"id": "wamid.gBGGSFcCNEOPAgkO_KJ55r4w_ww"
}
]
}
https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/cloud-api/guides/send-messages#media-messages

Answer 5

I recommend you to download the WhatsApp Cloud API Postman collection from you Developer Dashboard for future doubts:
Go to https://developers.facebook.com/apps/
Select your WhatsApp application
In left sidebar, go to WhatsApp -> Getting Started
Click on the button "Run in Postman" to open a full API collection of samples
By the way I recommend you install the PHP SDK for WhatsApp Cloud API:
compose require netflie/whatsapp-cloud-api

Answer 6

#apositivo, when putting the above code on postmen, i got the wamid.#######. but I didn't receive the media message? any particular reason? or should i use the media object id?
{
"messaging_product": "whatsapp",
"recipient_type": "individual",
"to": "{{Recipient-Phone-Number}}",
"type": "image",
"image": {
"link": "https://iprovider.pk/whatsappapi/1640191015925.jpg"
}
}

Answer 7

there are two ways to upload a media via link or an id.
To get an id or a link first you need to upload the media using the API which would return a media object with ID and a link.
I used the Whatsapp Ruby SDK for connecting with the API which looks like this:
uploaded_media = medias_api.upload(sender_id: SENDER_ID, file_path: "tmp/whatsapp.png", type: "image/png")
media = medias_api.media(media_id: uploaded_media.data&.id).data