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Document upload request via WhatsApp API

The scenario sends the client a personalised WhatsApp template when a required document is missing and they must upload it to continue.

Use case overview

The scenario sends the client a personalised WhatsApp template when a required document is missing and they must upload it to continue. The message includes the client name, the document type, and upload instructions. A static URL button opens the document upload portal or secure form.

Template example

Hello, {{1}}! Please upload your {{2}}. {{3}} Tap the button below to upload your document. If you have questions — we are here to help.

Upload document
  • {{1}}
    customer name
  • {{2}}
    document to upload (e.g. passport scan, proof of address, income statement)
  • {{3}}
    upload instructions (e.g. PDF or photo format, upload by Friday)
  • “Upload document”
    button — fixed in the Meta template
WhatsApp Business API for document upload request

When to use it

Reach for this scenario when a client must upload a required document to continue onboarding, complete a support request, or unlock an account feature — and they have not submitted it yet, with no open WhatsApp conversation to reach them in session. It fits product teams gating account activation on missing KYC files, support desks waiting on attachments or signed forms, and agencies wiring CRM or BPM document gates into WhatsApp upload nudges.

Missing documents collected without email chase
Three body variables carry the client name, document type, and upload instructions, so the request explains exactly what to submit instead of a generic "please complete your profile" blast.
Upload portal one tap away
A static URL button labeled Upload document opens the secure upload portal or form — the link is fixed in the approved Meta template while only the body text is sent via the API.
Reach clients outside the 24-hour window
Because there is no active conversation, the send uses an approved WhatsApp template via the 1MSG API — the only channel that can prompt a document upload when the client has not written first.
No manual follow-up for every missing file
When a document-upload-required trigger fires from onboarding, support, or compliance, the system resolves the phone number and sends the template on that event instead of someone copying upload instructions by hand.
Delivery logged for workflow follow-up
Delivery result is logged after send, so CRM or support teams can see who was asked to upload and handle errors according to platform rules.

Workflow

  1. Trigger

    A business rule or workflow requires the client to upload a specific document.

    event · triggered

  2. Capture event

    The system detects the document-upload-required event and resolves the recipient phone number.

    phone: "+…"

  3. Build & send

    A personalised template message is built with three body variables and a static URL button.

    POST /sendTemplate

  4. Delivered

    The client receives the WhatsApp document upload request with document context and instructions.

    delivered

  5. Status tracked

    Delivery result is logged; the client can upload via the portal link.

    status: "read"

WhatsApp Business API for document upload request

Technical implementation

Prerequisites

  1. 1MSG API Key · How to get API Key
  2. WhatsApp Business account · How to Connect WABA
  3. WhatsApp Template · How to Approve WABA Template
  4. Customer opt-in · How to Manage Customers Consent

Code examples

#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -euo pipefail

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

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

TEMPLATE_NAME="___"                        # approved template name
TEMPLATE_NAMESPACE="___"                   # template namespace (required — send fails without it)
TEMPLATE_LANGUAGE="___"                    # template language code, e.g. "en"



# === Test data ===
TEST_PHONE="___"                 # client phone in international format
TEST_CUSTOMERNAME="___"         # {{1}} customer name
TEST_AWAITEDITEM="___"         # {{2}} awaited item
TEST_REQUESTDETAIL="___"         # {{3}} request detail

PHONE_NORM="$(printf '%s' "$TEST_PHONE" | tr -cd '0-9')"

for pair in "CHANNEL_ID=$CHANNEL_ID" "API_TOKEN=$API_TOKEN" \
            "TEMPLATE_NAME=$TEMPLATE_NAME" "TEMPLATE_NAMESPACE=$TEMPLATE_NAMESPACE" \
            "TEMPLATE_LANGUAGE=$TEMPLATE_LANGUAGE" "TEST_PHONE=$TEST_PHONE" \
            "TEST_CUSTOMERNAME=$TEST_CUSTOMERNAME" \
            "TEST_AWAITEDITEM=$TEST_AWAITEDITEM" \
            "TEST_REQUESTDETAIL=$TEST_REQUESTDETAIL"; do
    val="${pair#*=}"
    if [ -z "$val" ] || [ "$val" = "___" ]; then
        echo "Missing configuration value: ${pair%%=*}" >&2
        exit 1
    fi
done

if [ -z "$PHONE_NORM" ]; then
    echo "Error: phone number has no digits after normalization" >&2
    exit 1
fi

URL="${API_BASE_URL%/}/${CHANNEL_ID}/sendTemplate"

# params carries body ONLY. Button text is fixed in the Meta template — no button param.

# {{1}} customer name → ${TEST_CUSTOMERNAME}
# {{2}} awaited item → ${TEST_AWAITEDITEM}
# {{3}} request detail → ${TEST_REQUESTDETAIL}
read -r -d '' PAYLOAD <<JSON || true
{
  "phone": "${PHONE_NORM}",
  "template": "${TEMPLATE_NAME}",
  "namespace": "${TEMPLATE_NAMESPACE}",
  "language": { "policy": "deterministic", "code": "${TEMPLATE_LANGUAGE}" },
  "params": [
    {
      "type": "body",
      "parameters": [
        { "type": "text", "text": "${TEST_CUSTOMERNAME}" },
        { "type": "text", "text": "${TEST_AWAITEDITEM}" },
        { "type": "text", "text": "${TEST_REQUESTDETAIL}" }
      ]
    }

  ]
}
JSON

RESPONSE="$(curl -s -w '\n%{http_code}' -X POST "$URL" \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer ${API_TOKEN}" \
    -d "$PAYLOAD")"

HTTP_CODE="$(printf '%s' "$RESPONSE" | tail -n1)"
BODY="$(printf '%s' "$RESPONSE" | sed '$d')"

case "$BODY" in
    *'"sent":true'*) ok=1 ;;
    *) ok=0 ;;
esac

if [ "$HTTP_CODE" -ge 200 ] && [ "$HTTP_CODE" -lt 300 ] && [ "$ok" -eq 1 ]; then
    echo "Message sent to client."
    echo "API response: $BODY"
else
    echo "Send failed. HTTP status: $HTTP_CODE" >&2
    echo "$BODY" >&2
    exit 1
fi

Response and delivery status

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 (looks like wamid.…) to correlate delivery callbacks.

200 OKResponse
{
  "sent": true,
  "message": "Sent to [email protected]",
  "description": "Message has been sent to the provider",
  "id": "wamid.HBgLMzgwNjM5..."
}
  • sent

    Accepted for sending — not yet on the customer's phone

  • id

    Store it; delivery callbacks and hookInfo are keyed on this

Delivery statuses and webhooks →

Common errors

StatusAPI responseCauseFix
200Message was not sent: template is not definednamespace, template or language is missing from the request body.Send all three. Take namespace and the exact template name from GET /templates; language is an object: {"policy": "deterministic", "code": "en"}.
200template name (…) does not exist in <language>The template is approved in a different language than the one requested.Use the exact language code the template was approved in (for example es_MX is not the same as es). Check it in GET /templates.
200Message was not sent: provide chatId, phone, bsuid, or usernameNo recipient the channel could resolve.Pass exactly one recipient: phone (country code plus number, digits only), chatId (for example [email protected]) or bsuid.

All error codes →

Common questions

Related

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