Skip to main content
This guide uses the REST API. Use the dashboard to create the API key, because the key secret is only shown once. Examples use plain HTTP clients. No SDK is required.

​
Before you begin

You need:
  • A WhatsApp Use account and organization.
  • A WhatsApp account available on your phone.
  • An API key with whatsapp:read and whatsapp:write scopes.

​
1. Set environment variables

export WHATSAPP_USE_BASE_URL="https://api.whatsapp-use.com"
export WHATSAPP_USE_API_KEY="pa_test_..."

​
2. Inspect your key

cURL
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $WHATSAPP_USE_API_KEY" \
  "$WHATSAPP_USE_BASE_URL/v1/me"
The response includes your organization, key metadata, and public endpoint paths.

​
3. Start WhatsApp pairing

cURL
curl -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $WHATSAPP_USE_API_KEY" \
  "$WHATSAPP_USE_BASE_URL/v1/whatsapp/pair"
Then poll for the QR payload:
cURL
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $WHATSAPP_USE_API_KEY" \
  "$WHATSAPP_USE_BASE_URL/v1/whatsapp/pair/status"
Render the returned QR value in your UI, or pair from the WhatsApp Use dashboard.

​
4. Check connection status

cURL
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $WHATSAPP_USE_API_KEY" \
  "$WHATSAPP_USE_BASE_URL/v1/whatsapp/status"
When pairing succeeds, paired is true. connected is true when WhatsApp Use currently has an active WhatsApp connection.

​
5. Send a message

cURL
curl -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $WHATSAPP_USE_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  "$WHATSAPP_USE_BASE_URL/v1/whatsapp/messages/send" \
  -d '{
    "contact_id": "14155550123@s.whatsapp.net",
    "text": "Hello from WhatsApp Use"
  }'
Use conversation_id instead of contact_id when replying to an existing conversation returned by /v1/whatsapp/conversations or /v1/whatsapp/sync.

​
Next steps

Pair WhatsApp

Build a dashboard or CLI pairing flow.

Use MCP

Connect an AI client to WhatsApp Use.