# Send Your First Message

### Guide to Sending Your First Message with Waabot API

#### Step 1: Set Up Your Base URL and Endpoint

The base URL for the Waabot API is:

```
https://client.waabot.com/api/v2
```

The endpoint for sending a message is:

```
/send-message
```

#### Step 2: Prepare Your Request Body

To send a message via WhatsApp using the Waabot API, your request body should be structured as follows:

```json
{
    "platform": "whatsapp",
    "recipient": "**********",
    "message": {
        "messaging_product": "whatsapp",
        "recipient_type": "individual",
        "to": "**********",
        "type": "text",
        "text": {
            "body": "messageText"
        }
    }
}
```

#### Example Request

Here is an example of how to send a simple text message:

```json
{
    "platform": "whatsapp",
    "recipient": "**********",
    "message": {
        "messaging_product": "whatsapp",
        "recipient_type": "individual",
        "to": "**********",
        "type": "text",
        "text": {
            "body": "Hello, this is your first message from Waabot API!"
        }
    }
}
```

#### Important Note

This message will only be delivered if the user has initiated a conversation with your business number within the last 24 hours. If the user hasn't messaged your business within this timeframe, you will need to use a pre-approved message template to initiate the conversation.

#### Step 3: Sending a Template Message

To initiate a message to a user who hasn't contacted your business within the last 24 hours, follow these steps:

1. **Create a Template:**
   * Go to your WhatsApp Business Manager.
   * Create a message template that follows WhatsApp's guidelines.
   * Submit the template for approval by Facebook.
2. **Send the Template Message:**
   * Once your template is approved, use the Waabot API to send the template message.

#### Example Request for Template Message

```json
POST https://client.waabot.com/api/v2/send-message
Content-Type: application/json

{
    "platform": "whatsapp",
    "recipient": "**********",
    "message": {
        "messaging_product": "whatsapp",
        "recipient_type": "individual",
        "to": "**********",
        "type": "template",
        "template": {
            "name": "your_template_name",
            "language": {
                "code": "en_US"
            },
            "components": [
                {
                    "type": "body",
                    "parameters": [
                        {
                            "type": "text",
                            "text": "Hello, this is a template message using Waabot API!"
                        }
                    ]
                }
            ]
        }
    }
}
```

#### Summary

1. **Direct Messages:**
   * Use the `/send-message` endpoint with the appropriate JSON body to send messages to users who have messaged your business within the last 24 hours.
2. **Template Messages:**
   * Create and get approval for a message template in your WhatsApp Business Manager.
   * Use the `/send-message` endpoint with the template structure to initiate a conversation with users outside the 24-hour window.

By following these steps, you can effectively send messages and engage with your customers using the Waabot API.


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