WhatsApp Developer API

Supports QR Code connection. No per-message charge.

Programmatically send and receive unlimited WhatsApp messages using our easy-to-use WhatsApp Developer API

Botpress & Voiceflow WhatsApp Handoff
<?php
use GuzzleHttp\Client;

$client = new Client();
$response = $client->post('http://api-portal.hitlchat.io/api/v1/messages/send', [
    'headers' => [
        'Content-Type' => 'application/json',
        'Authorization' => 'Bearer [your_api_key]'
    ],
    'json' => [
        'type' => 'text',
        'recipientNumber' => '+61000000000',
        'messageText' => 'Hello from the HitlChat API!'
    ]
]);
import axios from 'axios';

const response = await axios.post(
    'http://api-portal.hitlchat.io/api/v1/messages/send',
    {
        type: 'text',
        recipientNumber: '+61000000000',
        messageText: 'Hello from the HitlChat API!'
    },
    {
        headers: {
            'Content-Type': 'application/json',
            'Authorization': 'Bearer [your_api_key]'
        }
    }
);
import httpx

response = httpx.post(
    'http://api-portal.hitlchat.io/api/v1/messages/send',
    json={
        'type': 'text',
        'recipientNumber': '+61000000000',
        'messageText': 'Hello from the HitlChat API!'
    },
    headers={
        'Content-Type': 'application/json',
        'Authorization': 'Bearer [your_api_key]'
    }
)
using RestSharp;

var client = new RestClient("http://api-portal.hitlchat.io/api/v1/messages/send");
var request = new RestRequest()
    .AddHeader("Content-Type", "application/json")
    .AddHeader("Authorization", "Bearer [your_api_key]")
    .AddJsonBody(new {
        type = "text",
        recipientNumber = "+61000000000",
        messageText = "Hello from the HitlChat API!"
    });

var response = await client.ExecuteAsync(request);
import kong.unirest.Unirest;
import org.json.JSONObject;

var response = Unirest.post("http://api-portal.hitlchat.io/api/v1/messages/send")
    .header("Content-Type", "application/json")
    .header("Authorization", "Bearer [your_api_key]")
    .body(new JSONObject()
        .put("type", "text")
        .put("recipientNumber", "+61000000000")
        .put("messageText", "Hello from the HitlChat API!"))
    .asJson();
Live agent handoff for Botpress & Voiceflow

Send unlimited WhatsApp messages without per-message costs

Live agent handoff for Botpress & Voiceflow

Simply scan a QR code to connect your number instantly

Live agent handoff for Botpress & Voiceflow

Real-time webhooks deliver messages and events to your application

Live agent handoff for Botpress & Voiceflow

Send & receive multimedia (image/video/audio)

Start using our WhatsApp Developer API to instantly start sending messages

Botpress WhatsApp chatbot integration
whatsapp developer api

Try WhatsApp Developer API right now..

No need to register a number with Meta/WhatsApp Business API.

Simply create a hitlchat account, scan a QR code and receive your API key. It's that simple!

Try WhatsApp Developer API Free

Use cases for WhatsApp Developer API

Scheduled Reminders

Scheduled Reminders

Send scheduled customer alerts, appointment/booking reminders and other key updates straight to customers through our WhatsApp Developer API

Real-time Delivery Stats

eCommerce Notifications

Send automated purchase confirmations, abandon cart reminders, shipment/tracking alerts. Let customers monitor deliveries or complete transactions seamlessly, improving their entire experience

AI Chatbots

AI Chatbots

Launch AI-driven bots that answer questions, process returns, and manage support tasks around the clock. Boost customer satisfaction while drastically cutting operational costs.

connects Botpress and Voiceflow chatbots to real agents across WhatsApp and Webchat channels

Integrate with CRM's

Connect WhatsApp conversations directly with your CRM and helpdesk tools. Access comprehensive customer insights, refine your approach, and drive smarter business outcomes

AI Chatbot Human Handoff

Automate Customer Service

Transform your support operations with smart, instant WhatsApp replies. Handle common questions, resolve issues, and gather customer feedback automatically for maximum productivity.

Mobile App & Desktop Access using the hitlchat web app or mobile app

Lead Conversion

Turn more prospects into customers with tailored WhatsApp messaging. Schedule automatic follow-ups, assess lead quality, and guide them smoothly through your sales funnel.

Real stories from real developers

Voiceflow WhatsApp Business APIVoiceflow WhatsApp Business APIVoiceflow WhatsApp Business APIVoiceflow WhatsApp Business APIVoiceflow WhatsApp Business API

Jenn Emmings

Digital marketing agency

“The Hitlchat WhatsApp Developer API is super easy to use! It offers all the features we needed. There are many non official APIs out there, but Hitlchat has made building WhatsApp marketing campaigns seamless and highly effective. Absolutely a great product.”

Voiceflow WhatsApp Business APIVoiceflow WhatsApp Business APIVoiceflow WhatsApp Business APIVoiceflow WhatsApp Business APIVoiceflow WhatsApp Business API

Garcia Malan

Integrations Developer

"Getting started with the Whatsapp Developer API was quick and straightforward. Even as a beginner coder I found it simple to implement. It has transformed our business by enabling us to send personalized offers and deals to our customers on command."

Voiceflow WhatsApp Business APIVoiceflow WhatsApp Business APIVoiceflow WhatsApp Business APIVoiceflow WhatsApp Business APIVoiceflow WhatsApp Business API

Pinali Singh

eCommerce Developer

“WhatsApp has been our main sales channel for a few years. The hitlchat WhatsApp Developer API has without doubt taken our marketing efforts to the next level. It allows us to send custom targeted broadcasts based on specific customer interests. Sales have been steadily increasing thanks to this developer api.”

Pay per WhatsApp number

Save 25% with our annual plan

Annual

Monthly

WhatsApp Developer API

$6

/ Per Month per number

Programmatically send and receive WhatsApp messages without per message costs

Route conversations initiated on your website to real agents

Send/receive unlimited WhatsApp messages

Route conversations initiated on your website to real agents

Connect your WhatsApp number in seconds via QR scan

Route conversations initiated on your website to real agents

Real-time webhooks & events to your application

Route conversations initiated on your website to real agents

Supports images, video, audio, and documents

Route conversations initiated on your website to real agents

Secure API authentication

Route conversations initiated on your website to real agents

1 number included

Try Developer API For Free

WhatsApp Developer API

$8

/ Per Month per number

Programmatically send and receive WhatsApp messages without per message costs

Route conversations initiated on your website to real agents

Send/receive unlimited WhatsApp messages

Route conversations initiated on your website to real agents

Connect your WhatsApp number in seconds via QR scan

Route conversations initiated on your website to real agents

Real-time webhooks & events to your application

Route conversations initiated on your website to real agents

Supports images, video, audio, and documents

Route conversations initiated on your website to real agents

Secure API authentication

Route conversations initiated on your website to real agents

1 number included

Try Developer API For Free

What Is the WhatsApp Developer API? And How Does It Work in hitlchat?

The hitlchat WhatsApp Developer API lets your own software send and receive WhatsApp messages over a QR-connected number: a clean REST API with no per-message charges, priced per WhatsApp number instead.

Connect a number by scanning a QR code, grab your API key, and your application can message customers programmatically (text, images, video, audio, and files) with inbound messages and events delivered to your webhook in real time.

What developers build with it

Anywhere your code needs to reach a customer, WhatsApp is usually the most direct door to knock on. Common builds:

  • Scheduled reminders and appointment notifications
  • eCommerce order and delivery updates
  • CRM integrations that message customers automatically
  • AI chatbots and automated customer service

One endpoint and one API key cover all of them. The plumbing stays hitlchat’s problem.

How Hitlchat works

Three moving parts, all managed for you:

  1. Your WhatsApp number links via a QR scan, with no Meta Business setup and live in about two minutes.
  2. Your app calls the REST API with a Bearer API key to send text or media to any recipient number.
  3. Inbound replies and events stream back to your application through real-time webhooks.
It’s the shortest path from “we should notify customers on WhatsApp” to a working integration — one QR scan and one API key.

Why Build on the hitlchat WhatsApp Developer API?

A developer API is only as good as what surrounds it, and this one ships with the whole hitlchat platform behind it.

No per-message pricing

Send freely: plans are priced per connected WhatsApp number, not per message sent.

A REST API you’ll actually enjoy

Bearer-token auth, JSON in and out, and interactive docs generated from the live API, so you can try calls right in the browser.

Multimedia in both directions

Send and receive text, images, video, audio, and files: set a type and a media_url and you’re done.

Real-time webhooks

Inbound messages and events hit your endpoint the moment they happen, with no polling loops.

A human inbox behind your code

Conversations your integration can’t finish are right there in the shared team inbox for a live agent to pick up.

Which hitlchat WhatsApp API Do You Need?

The Developer API is a family of six REST APIs behind one base URL and one key. This page’s star, the Messages API, is the QR-connection one; here’s the full lineup.

API Connection What it does
Messages QR code Send individual text and media messages straight from your own code
Contacts Any Create and update contacts and assign tags, where tag assignments can fire your automations
Conversation Listings Any Fetch conversations with customer details, status, last sender, and bot-pause/handoff flags
Broadcasts Business API Send template-based campaigns immediately, or scheduled with scheduled_datetime
Templates Business API List your approved Meta templates to reference by name in broadcasts
Agency Any Invite and manage agency clients programmatically
One base URL for everything: https://api-portal.hitlchat.io/api/v1/public/, authenticated with Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY (your key lives under My Account → API). The full interactive reference documents every endpoint and lets you try calls in the browser.

How to Start Sending WhatsApp Messages from Your Code

From signup to your first programmatic message in well under ten minutes:

1

Create a hitlchat account

Start a free trial. No credit card required.

2

Connect a number by QR

Choose the QR code connection and scan with WhatsApp on your phone (Settings › Linked Devices), with no Meta account or approval involved.

3

Copy your API key

It’s under My Account → API in the “Your API Key” banner. Treat it like a password and keep it server-side.

4

Verify with your first call

GET conversationlist with your Bearer key: a 200 response means you’re authenticated.

5

Send a message

POST /v1/public/messages/send with a type, recipientNumber, and messageText, or a media_url for images, video, audio, and files.

6

Point a webhook at your app

Have inbound messages and events delivered to your endpoint in real time, so customer replies flow back into your system.

7

Let humans handle the exceptions

Conversations that need judgment sit in the hitlchat inbox, where an agent can reply, with no extra code needed.

# Step 5 in practice — your first message from code
curl -X POST https://api-portal.hitlchat.io/api/v1/public/messages/send \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "type": "text",
    "recipientNumber": "15551234567",
    "messageText": "Your order #1042 has shipped!"
  }'

Developer guides: How to Use the HitlChat API · Headless Human Handoff, for teams that keep their own WhatsApp gateway and use hitlchat purely as the agent inbox.

One API Key, a Whole WhatsApp Platform Behind It

Your integration doesn’t run in a vacuum. Everything your code sends and receives is part of the full hitlchat workspace:

  • Agents work the same conversations your code started, live in the shared team inbox
  • Tags assigned via the Contacts API can fire automations: send a message, add to a list, start a workflow
  • Pull conversation lists with statuses and customer details for your own dashboards
  • Reply on the go from the hitlchat mobile app (iOS & Android)
  • Step up to template broadcasts later by connecting a number on the WhatsApp Business API

Start with a QR scan and a single endpoint; grow into inbox, automations, and campaigns as you need them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about the hitlchat WhatsApp Developer API.

Is there a per-message cost?

No, the Developer API has no per-message charges. Plans are priced per connected WhatsApp number, so sending volume doesn’t change the bill.

Do I need the WhatsApp Business API or Meta approval?

No, the Developer API works over a QR code connection: scan with your phone and the number is live. No Meta Business account, no template approvals.

How do I authenticate requests?

Every request carries your API key as a Bearer token in the Authorization header. The key is shown in hitlchat under My Account → API. Keep it server-side, like a password.

What’s the base URL?

https://api-portal.hitlchat.io/api/v1/public/. Every endpoint appends to that, and the path is versioned.

Can I send images, video, and files?

Yes: set type to image, video, audio, or file and include a media_url. Plain text uses type: text with messageText.

How do I receive incoming messages?

Real-time webhooks deliver inbound messages and events to your application’s endpoint as they happen, with no polling required.

Is there interactive documentation?

Yes: the public API reference is generated from the live API and lets you try requests in the browser, so it never drifts out of date.

Can a human step into a conversation my code started?

Yes: every conversation is visible in the shared team inbox, so an agent can take over any thread your integration opened.

What if I already run my own WhatsApp gateway?

Use headless human handoff mode: keep your gateway as the webhook receiver, push messages to the hitlchat API, and receive agent replies back on your own webhook.

Can I send bulk campaigns through the API?

Template-based campaigns use the Broadcasts API, which requires a Business API connection. On a QR connection you send individual messages with the Messages API, or run bulk campaigns from the hitlchat dashboard instead.

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