WhatsApp Business API for first contact with a new lead

Use case overview

The scenario sends a new lead a personalised WhatsApp template as the first sales touch. The message includes the lead name, the specialist's name, and where the request came from. Quick-reply buttons let the lead tap «Yes, interested» or «Call me later»; taps arrive via webhook for routing to sales or scheduling.

Template example

Hello, {{1}}! My name is {{2}}, and I am following up on your inquiry from {{3}}. I am ready to tell you more and answer all your questions — choose a convenient option below.

[Yes, interested]

Quick-reply button labels are fixed in the Meta template — only body variables are sent via the API; taps return via webhook.

Variables and purpose

• {{1}} — lead or customer name
• {{2}} — specialist or manager name introducing themselves
• {{3}} — lead source or request context (e.g. website form, Instagram ad, partner referral)

Filled-in example

Hello, Alexey! My name is Maria, and I am following up on your inquiry from the company website. I am ready to tell you more and answer all your questions — choose a convenient option below.

[Yes, interested]

When to use it

• lead generation
• b2b and services
• agencies

Business value

• CRM or form integration captures a new lead event
• System resolves lead phone, specialist name, and source label
• First-contact template is sent with two quick-reply engagement buttons
• Lead taps interest or callback-later — webhook routes to sales workflow
• Delivery and engagement are logged in CRM for timely follow-up

Workflow

1. A new lead event is captured from a form, ad, or CRM.
2. Lead phone, specialist name, and source label are resolved from the payload.
3. A personalised first-contact template is sent with three body variables and two quick-reply buttons.
4. The lead taps «Yes, interested» or «Call me later» — the event arrives via webhook for sales routing.
5. Delivery and engagement are logged in CRM for follow-up.
6. Delivery progress is reported asynchronously — typically sent, then delivered (or failed/undelivered).
7. Your system receives status via webhook (hooks[]) or polls GET …/hookInfo?messageId=<id> and handles failures if needed.

Technical implementation

Prerequisites

• An approved WhatsApp template with three body variables and two quick-reply buttons.
• A 1MSG account with template send API and a configured webhook for incoming messages.
• CRM or lead capture integration with phone, specialist, and source fields.

Code examples

Node.js

#!/usr/bin/env node

// === Configuration (replace "___" placeholders) ===

const API_BASE_URL = "https://api.1msg.io"; // production 1MSG API base URL
const CHANNEL_ID = "___";                   // channel ID from 1MSG dashboard
const API_TOKEN = "___";                    // channel JWT token (Bearer)

const TEMPLATE_NAME = "___";                // approved template name
const TEMPLATE_NAMESPACE = "___";           // template namespace (422 without it)
const TEMPLATE_LANGUAGE = "___";            // template language code, e.g. "en"



// === Test data ===
const TEST_PHONE = "___";            // client phone in international format
const TEST_LEADNAME = "___";    // {{1}} lead name
const TEST_SPECIALIST = "___";    // {{2}} specialist name
const TEST_LEADSOURCE = "___";    // {{3}} lead source

function normalizePhone(phone) {
  return String(phone).replace(/\D/g, "");
}

function assertConfigured(values) {
  for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(values)) {
    if (value === "___" || value === "" || value === undefined || value === null) {
      throw new Error(`Missing configuration value: ${key}`);
    }
  }
}

async function sendTemplateMessage({ phone, leadName, specialist, leadSource }) {
  assertConfigured({
    CHANNEL_ID,
    API_TOKEN,
    TEMPLATE_NAME,
    TEMPLATE_NAMESPACE,
    TEMPLATE_LANGUAGE,
    phone,
    leadName,
    specialist,
    leadSource,
  });

  const url = `${API_BASE_URL}/${CHANNEL_ID}/sendTemplate`;

  // params carries body and button blocks (dynamic buttons).
  const requestBody = {
    phone: normalizePhone(phone),
    template: TEMPLATE_NAME,
    namespace: TEMPLATE_NAMESPACE,
    language: {
      policy: "deterministic",
      code: TEMPLATE_LANGUAGE,
    },
    params: [
      {
        type: "body",
        parameters: [
          { type: "text", text: String(leadName) }, // {{1}} lead name
          { type: "text", text: String(specialist) }, // {{2}} specialist name
          { type: "text", text: String(leadSource) }, // {{3}} lead source
        ],
      },
    ],
  };

  const res = await fetch(url, {
    method: "POST",
    headers: {
      "Content-Type": "application/json",
      Authorization: `Bearer ${API_TOKEN}`,
    },
    body: JSON.stringify(requestBody),
  });

  const raw = await res.text();
  let data;
  try {
    data = JSON.parse(raw);
  } catch {
    data = null;
  }

  if (!res.ok || !data || data.sent !== true) {
    console.error("Send failed. API response:");
    console.error(raw);
    process.exit(1);
  }

  console.log("Message sent to client.");
  console.log("API response:", raw);
  return data;
}

function handleIncomingMessage(message) {
  const text = (message && (message.text || message.body || "")).trim();
  // Meta quick_reply label (from template.txt) → route key (code_contract.ref) "interested"
  if (text === "Да, интересно") {
    console.log("Reply received: interested");
    return { status: "interested" };
  }
  // Meta quick_reply label (from template.txt) → route key (code_contract.ref) "call_later"
  if (text === "Перезвоните позже") {
    console.log("Reply received: call_later");
    return { status: "call_later" };
  }
  console.log("Free-text reply — handle separately.");
  return { status: "other" };
}

if (require.main === module) {
  sendTemplateMessage({
    phone: TEST_PHONE,
    leadName: TEST_LEADNAME,
    specialist: TEST_SPECIALIST,
    leadSource: TEST_LEADSOURCE,
  }).catch((err) => {
    console.error("Execution failed:", err.message);
    process.exit(1);
  });
}

module.exports = { sendTemplateMessage, handleIncomingMessage };

Immediate API response (synchronous)

• HTTP 2xx and JSON "sent": true mean 1MSG accepted the message for sending — not that it already reached the customer's phone.
• Save the `id` field from the response (value looks like wamid.…). Use it to correlate delivery callbacks or polling.
• The response may also include message and description — informational only.

Delivery status (asynchronous)

• Register a webhook (POST …/webhook) so 1MSG POSTs delivery updates to your HTTPS endpoint in a separate `hooks[]` payload (sent, delivered, read, or failed/undelivered when applicable).
• Optionally poll: GET {base}/{channel}/hookInfo?messageId=<id from sendTemplate>.
• In practice, delivery often completes within a few seconds — but that is not guaranteed by the API contract.

Common errors

• Invalid or non-normalized phone number
• Unapproved or missing template name / namespace
• No customer opt-in for WhatsApp business messages
• Template variable count mismatch (422 from API)
• Delivery failure — check status webhook and retry policy

FAQ

• Do I need an approved template? Yes — cold-start WhatsApp messages require a Meta-approved template.
• Can I customize the message text? Body variables are dynamic; fixed text and button labels are set in the Meta template.
• How do I check delivery? sent: true only confirms acceptance. Track delivery via webhook hooks[] or GET …/hookInfo?messageId=<id>.
• What if the message is not delivered? Log the failed/undelivered hook, verify opt-in and template status, then retry or fall back to another channel.
• Can I connect this to my CRM or backend? Yes — trigger the API call from your platform webhook or event handler.

CTA

Ready to use first contact with a new lead? Connect your 1MSG channel and run the code examples above.

Related

• Knowledge base
• Creating a template
• Sending a template
• SDK