# Free-Form Messages

🔒 WhatsApp 24-Hour Session Rule

> Before sending a free-form message, 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 free-form messages 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)

<mark style="color:green;">`POST`</mark> <https://gateway.lipachat.com/api/v1/whatsapp/message/text>

Used to send free form messages to users.

**Headers**

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

**Body**

| Name      | Type   | Description                                                                                                        |
| --------- | ------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| messageId | string | A unique identifier for the message. This will be used to track the message status and for deduplication purposes. |
| message   | string | The message being sent.                                                                                            |
| from      | string | Sandbox number +254110090747 or your own WABA phone number.                                                        |
| to        | string | Receiver phone number. It should start with a country code.                                                        |

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

```sh
curl --location 'https://gateway.lipachat.com/api/v1/whatsapp/message/text' \
--header 'apiKey: YOUR_API_KEY' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--data '{
    "message": "Hello world",
    "messageId": "e66fc7b8-680f-4887-8dc8-ee062d65b54f",
    "to": "254XXXXXXX",
    "from": "254110090747"
}'
```

{% 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, """
{
    "message": "Hello world",
    "messageId": "91a0cda6-9454-4150-b536-21cf6491e37b",
    "to": "PHONE_NUMBER",
    "from": "+254110090747"
}
""");

// Build the request with the required headers
Request request = new Request.Builder()
    .url("https://gateway.lipachat.com/api/v1/whatsapp/message/text")
    .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({
  "message": "Hello world",
  "messageId": "307d4b95-6892-403c-a777-8297a0c375de",
  "to": "254XXXXXXX",
  "from": "+254110090747"
});

let config = {
  method: 'post',
  maxBodyLength: Infinity,
  url: 'https://gateway.lipachat.com/api/v1/whatsapp/message/text',
  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/message/text"
}
```

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="401" %}

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

{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}