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How to use a WhatsApp API without Meta approval

Updated

Short answer: You can send and receive WhatsApp messages over an HTTP API without Meta approval by linking your own phone as a device to a hosted gateway such as Weai, which exposes REST endpoints and realtime events on your own subdomain.

Official Business API vs. linked-device API

  • WhatsApp Business Platform (official): requires a Meta Business account, business verification, approved message templates and per-conversation fees.
  • Linked-device API (Weai): your phone links like WhatsApp Web; the gateway exposes it as an API. No application, no templates, flat monthly price per instance.
  • Trade-off: a linked-device connection is unofficial. WhatsApp can restrict numbers that send spam or unsolicited messages, so only message people who agreed to hear from you.

Steps

  1. Create an account. Register at eaiwhatsapp.com and verify your email.
  2. Create an instance. Pick a subdomain name, e.g. my-bot. Your API base URL becomes https://my-bot.eai.menustudioai.com.
  3. Link your phone. In WhatsApp open Settings → Linked devices → Link a device and scan the QR code, or enter the pairing code shown in the dashboard.
  4. Send a message. Call POST /message/sendText/{instance} with your instance token in the apikey header.
curl -X POST https://{name}.eai.menustudioai.com/message/sendText/{instance} \
  -H "apikey: YOUR_INSTANCE_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"number":"34600000000","text":"Hello from my API"}'

The number is the full international number without "+" or spaces. The response contains the WhatsApp message key and timestamp.

Your phone. Your API. From 5.50 €/instance a month.

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