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Identity verification request via WhatsApp API

The scenario sends the client a personalized WhatsApp template when identity or KYC verification is required but not yet started.

Use case overview

The scenario sends the client a personalized WhatsApp template when identity or KYC verification is required but not yet started. The message includes the client name, the verification process, and next-step instructions. A static URL button opens the verification portal or document upload flow.

Template example

Hello, {{1}}! To continue, please complete your {{2}}. {{3}} Tap the button below to start verification. If you have questions — we are here to help.

Start verification
  • {{1}}
    customer name
  • {{2}}
    verification process (e.g. identity verification, KYC check, document review)
  • {{3}}
    next-step instruction (e.g. upload ID and take a selfie in the portal by Friday)
  • “Start verification”
    button — fixed in the Meta template
WhatsApp Business API for verification request

When to use it

Reach for this scenario when a client must complete identity or KYC verification before using your product, receiving payouts, or unlocking account features — and they have not started the flow yet, with no open WhatsApp conversation to reach them in session. It fits fintech teams gating account activation on KYC, marketplaces requiring seller identity checks before going live, and agencies wiring compliance or onboarding triggers from a client's CRM into WhatsApp verification nudges.

Verification starts before limits or payouts block the client
Three body variables carry the client's name, the verification process label, and the next-step instruction, so the request explains why verification is required instead of a generic compliance blast.
One tap into the verification portal
A static URL button labeled Start verification opens the portal or document upload flow — 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 verification when the client has not written first.
No manual chase when compliance gates fire
When a verification-required trigger fires — registration, compliance gate, or feature unlock — the system resolves the phone number and sends the template on that event instead of someone copying details by hand.
Delivery logged for compliance follow-up
Delivery result is logged after send, so CRM or compliance teams can see who was asked to verify and handle errors according to platform rules.

Workflow

  1. Customer acts

    A business rule or onboarding step requires the client to complete identity or KYC verification.

    user action

  2. Capture event

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

    phone: "+…"

  3. Build & send

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

    POST /sendTemplate

  4. Delivered

    The client receives the WhatsApp verification request with process context and next-step instructions.

    delivered

  5. Status tracked

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

    status: "read"

WhatsApp Business API for verification 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_PROCESS="___"         # {{2}} process name
TEST_NEXTSTEP="___"         # {{3}} next step

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=$TEST_CUSTOMERNAME" \
            "TEST_PROCESS=$TEST_PROCESS" \
            "TEST_NEXTSTEP=$TEST_NEXTSTEP"; do
    val="${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}} process name → ${TEST_PROCESS}
# {{3}} next step → ${TEST_NEXTSTEP}
read -r -d '' PAYLOAD <<JSON || true
{
  "phone": "${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": "${TEST_PROCESS}" },
        { "type": "text", "text": "${TEST_NEXTSTEP}" }
      ]
    }

  ]
}
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

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