Send messages

WhatsApp is not email — you can't send anything to anyone at any time. Meta's rule is simple: the customer's last message opens a 24-hour window. Inside it, you may send free-form text and media (called session messages). Outside it, you can usually only reach the contact with a template message that Meta has pre-approved.

Here is the full lifecycle of the window:

Most teams settle into the same pattern: templates to start conversations, session messages to have them.

Live Chat is your team inbox — every conversation across your connected numbers in one place, updating in real time.

1. 1

   Open Live Chat and pick a conversation

   In the dashboard, open Live Chat. Conversations are listed on the left with unread counts; use the search box to find a contact by name or number. If you have more than one WhatsApp number connected, a number switcher at the top filters the inbox per number.
2. 2

   Type your reply

   Click the conversation and type in the message box. Enter sends, Shift+Enter adds a new line, and Ctrl+V pastes an image straight from your clipboard. Typing / opens your saved quick replies so common answers are one keystroke away.
3. 3

   Add media or emoji

   Use the paperclip button next to the message box to attach a file, or the smiley button to open the emoji picker. Attachments upload first, then send as a normal session message.
4. 4

   When the window has expired

   If the customer hasn't messaged you in the last 24 hours, Live Chat replaces the composer with a notice — "Customer not messaged you in last 24 hours" — and explains that only pre-approved templates can be sent. The Send Template button there takes you to the Direct Message screen, where you pick an approved template, fill its variables, and send.

WhatsApp renders lightweight formatting from plain characters — type the markers and the customer's app does the rest. The same markers work in Live Chat, templates, and API messages.

Media attachments. Inside an open window you can send images, videos, audio, and documents. As a rule of thumb WhatsApp accepts images up to about 5 MB, video and audio up to 16 MB, and documents up to 100 MB — oversized files are rejected before sending. For media outside the window, use a template with a media header instead (covered in Message templates).

Anything you can send from Live Chat, your own systems can send through the REST API with an API key. The free-form text endpoint:

curl -X POST https://richautomate.in/api/v1/send-message \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "phone": "919876543210",
    "message": "Hi! Your order #1042 has shipped and arrives Friday."
  }'

The same 24-hour rule applies: send-message is a session message, so the recipient's window must be open or Meta will usually reject the send. To start conversations programmatically, use the send-template endpoint instead. Generating an API key, authentication, and both endpoints are covered step by step in the API quickstart.