> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://doc.batch.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://doc.batch.com/guides-and-best-practices/message/universal-channel/how-to-send-a-whatsapp-message-meta.md).
# How to send a WhatsApp message - META
With this setup, Batch directly calls the Meta API to send a WhatsApp message to your users.
### Prerequisites
Before starting, make sure you have completed the following setup in Meta:
* A [**Meta Business Manager account**](https://www.facebook.com/business/tools/business-manager/get-started-guide)
* A [**WhatsApp Business Account (WABA)**](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/whatsapp-business-accounts/) created in Business Manager
* A **Meta app** with the [**WhatsApp product enabled**](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/get-started)
* A **sender phone number**
* Test → generated in `developers.facebook.com`
* Production → requires business verification
* An **approved** [**display name**](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/display-names/)
* An **approved** [**message template**](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/templates/marketing-templates)
* Created in **WhatsApp Manager → Message templates**
* An [**access token**](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/access-tokens/) for a **system user** with permissions:
* `whatsapp_business_messaging`
* `whatsapp_business_management`
* `business_management`
{% stepper %}
{% step %}
### Step 1 — Add your META creditential into Batch
Batch needs to authenticate requests to Meta.
1. Go to **Settings → Channels → Universal**
2. Click **New Credential Headers**
3. Choose a name (e.g., “META - Whatsapp”)
4. Key → `Authorization`
5. Value → paste the bearer token from META (e.g., "Bearer YOUR\_TOKEN")
6. Save
Add the information in the Universal channel settings
> **Note:** You only need to add the credential once in Batch.
> {% endstep %}
{% step %}
### Step 2 — Configure the Universal step in Batch
In this step, you will add the Universal step in your Batch automation and configure it to trigger the Whatsapp message.
**Add the Universal Step**
1. Open the Batch automation where you want to trigger WhatsApp
2. Click the **+** button
3. Select **Universal**
This opens the Universal step configuration screen.
**Configure the META request**
Fill in the fields using the information from META:
**1. Destination URL**
Paste the URL shown in META's API trigger : `https://graph.facebook.com/v22.0/{Sender-Phone-Number-ID}/messages`
**3. Headers**
* Choose the credential header you created earlier (e.g., "**META - Whatsapp"**)
* Add another header :
* "Key" : `Content-Type`
* "Value" : `application/json`
**4. JSON Body**\
\
**Example:**
```
{
"messaging_product": "whatsapp",
"recipient_type": "individual",
"to": "{{b.phone_number}}",
"type": "template",
"template": {"name": "YOU_TEMPLATE_ID"},
"language": { "code": "fr"}
}
```
Configure the universal channel step
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
### Step 3 — Test the connection
Once your Universal Step is configured, you can test it directly from Batch to make sure everything is working properly.
**How to test**
1. In the Universal Step, click **Test API**.
2. If your JSON body includes personalization (e.g., `{{b.phone_number}}`), choose a **test profile** so Batch can fill in real data.
3. Click to send the test request.
Use the "Test API" button in order to make sure everything is working properly
**What the test does**
* Batch performs the exact same API call it will make when the automation is live.
**What Batch validates**
Batch will display whether the request was **successfully delivered** to META or if something needs fixing (e.g., wrong URL, missing key, invalid JSON).
> **Note:** Batch can only confirm that the trigger was correctly called. It does not have visibility on what happens inside META afterward (e.g., whether the message was sent or failed).
> {% endstep %}
{% step %}
### Step 4 — Activate your Batch automation
When the test is successful, you can turn your Batch automation live.
**To activate**
1. Review your workflow, including the Universal step.
2. Run your automation
**Once live**
* Every time a profile moves through this step in your automation, Batch will send the whatsapp message.
**Additional Universal steps**
If you want to trigger multiple WhatsApp scenarios (e.g., a follow-up message, or different Whatsapp messages), you can add more Universal Steps within the same Batch automation or in a new one by following these steps again (Step 1 can be skipped).
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}
---
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