# Sending Contacts

🔒 WhatsApp 24-Hour Session Rule

> Before sending a contact, make sure the WhatsApp session with the user is **active**.
>
> **If the user has not messaged your business within the last 24 hours, WhatsApp requires the first message to be a *****template message***.
>
> After the customer replies, the 24-hour session opens and you may send contacts using this API.\
> **For sandbox testing**, send your join code to the sandbox number to activate your session.\
> [Learn more](https://app.gitbook.com/o/rJyj7TfON4zeW56KoQjM/s/2JHt6V4YwZLX6ZUdLqMy/~/changes/87/guides/joincodes)

WhatsApp offers an API to send contacts.

<figure><img src="https://4060499158-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F2JHt6V4YwZLX6ZUdLqMy%2Fuploads%2F06iGIkeePhTuZgLEO4gM%2FScreenshot%202025-09-02%20at%2010.48.31.png?alt=media&#x26;token=e2099def-7674-4b69-9296-f37c7176add4" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<mark style="color:green;">`POST`</mark>&#x20;

```url
https://gateway.lipachat.com/api/v1/whatsapp/contact
```

**Headers**

| Name         | Value                                                                          |
| ------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Content-Type | `application/json`                                                             |
| apiKey       | Get apiKey from App portal settings tab<https://app.lipachat.com/app/settings> |

**Body**

<table><thead><tr><th width="348">Name</th><th>Type</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>messageId</td><td>string</td><td>A unique identifier for the message. This will be used to track the message status and for deduplication purposes.</td></tr><tr><td>from</td><td>string</td><td>Sandbox number +254110090747 or your own WABA phone number.</td></tr><tr><td>to</td><td>string</td><td>Receiver phone number. It should start with a country code.</td></tr><tr><td>name.formattedName</td><td>String</td><td>Contact's formatted name. This will appear in the message alongside the profile arrow button.</td></tr><tr><td>phones[0].phone[0].phone</td><td>string</td><td>User phone number.</td></tr><tr><td>phones[0].phone[0].type</td><td>string</td><td>Type of phone number. For example, cell, mobile, main, iPhone, home, work, etc.</td></tr><tr><td>phones[0].phone[0].waId</td><td>string</td><td>WhatsApp user ID. If omitted, the message will display an Invite to WhatsApp button instead of the standard buttons.</td></tr></tbody></table>

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Curl" %}

```sh
curl --location 'https://gateway.lipachat.com/api/v1/whatsapp/contact' \
--header 'apiKey: API_KEY' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--data '{
    "messageId": "ca739107-4b0d-4581-acb1-4c4af70555de",
    "to": "2547XXXX",
    "from": "254110090747",
    "name": {
        "formattedName": "Test User"
    },
    "phones": [
        {
            "phone": "254712345678",
            "type": "Cell",
            "waId": "254712345678"
        }
    ]
}'
```

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Java" %}

```java
// Create an instance of OkHttpClient
OkHttpClient client = new OkHttpClient().newBuilder()
    .build();

// Define the media type for the request
MediaType mediaType = MediaType.parse("application/json");

// Create the request body with the necessary JSON payload using a text block
RequestBody body = RequestBody.create(mediaType, """
{
    "messageId": "ca739107-4b0d-4581-acb1-4c4af70555de",
    "to": "2547XXXX",
    "from": "254110090747",
    "name": {
        "formattedName": "Test User"
    },
    "phones": [
        {
            "phone": "254712345678",
            "type": "Cell",
            "waId": "254712345678"
        }
    ]
}
""");

// Build the request with the required headers
Request request = new Request.Builder()
    .url("https://gateway.lipachat.com/api/v1/whatsapp/contact")
    .method("POST", body)
    .addHeader("apiKey", "YOUR_API_KEY")
    .addHeader("Content-Type", "application/json")
    .build();

// Execute the request and get the response
Response response = client.newCall(request).execute();






```

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Javascript" %}

```ruby
const axios = require('axios');
let data = JSON.stringify({
    "messageId": "ca739107-4b0d-4581-acb1-4c4af70555de",
    "to": "2547XXXX",
    "from": "254110090747",
    "name": {
        "formattedName": "Test User"
    },
    "phones": [
        {
            "phone": "254712345678",
            "type": "Cell",
            "waId": "254712345678"
        }
    ]
});

let config = {
  method: 'post',
  maxBodyLength: Infinity,
  url: 'https://gateway.lipachat.com/api/v1/whatsapp/contact',
  headers: { 
    'apiKey': 'YOUR_API_KEY', 
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  },
  data : data
};

axios.request(config)
.then((response) => {
  console.log(JSON.stringify(response.data));
})
.catch((error) => {
  console.log(error);
});


```

{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

**Response**

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="200" %}

```json
{
      "timestamp": "2023-08-06T01:27:56.825898971",
      "data": {
            "messageId": "7addc006-07db-4fae-aac5-b285903b41d4",
            "waId": "wamid.HBgMMjU0NzE3NzQ2NTY1FQIAEnRgSRjJGRkMzNkQ0QUVENTIxQ0NBAA==",
            "status": "SENT",
            "statusDesc": "Message sent successfully"
      },
      "status": "success",
      "message": "",
      "errors": null
}
```

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="400" %}

```json
{
      "timestamp": "2023-08-06T17:50:35.701+00:00",
      "status": 400,
      "error": "Bad Request",
      "path": "/api/v1/whatsapp/contact"
}
```

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="401" %}

```json
{
      "timestamp": "2023-08-06T20:49:48.455464058",
      "data": null,
      "status": "success",
      "message": "Invalid credentials",
      "errors": null
}
```

{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}