WhatsApp Webhooks Reference

Webhooks enable real-time, event-driven communication between the 8x8 platform and your application. When specific events occur (such as receiving a message, delivery confirmation, or template status change), 8x8 sends an HTTP POST request to your configured webhook URL with event details in JSON format.

Configuration

You can configure your webhook URLs in the 8x8 Connect portal under Webhooks.

8x8 Connect Webhook Configuration

Key Requirements:

Your webhook endpoint must be publicly accessible via HTTPS
Your server should respond with HTTP 200 within 5 seconds
Failed webhook deliveries will be retried with exponential backoff

Inbound Messages

Fires when a user sends a message to your WhatsApp number. This is the primary webhook for enabling two-way chat and building conversational applications.

Event Type: inbound_message_received

Use Cases:

Respond to customer inquiries automatically
Trigger workflows based on user input
Route messages to appropriate agents or systems
Process button/list selections from interactive messages

Inbound Message Types

The inbound message webhook structure varies based on the message type. Below are examples for the most common types.

Text Message

Sample JSON Payload:

{
  "namespace": "ChatApps",
  "eventType": "inbound_message_received",
  "description": "ChatApps inbound message",
  "payload": {
    "umid": "<UNIQUE_MESSAGE_ID>",
    "subAccountId": "<SUBACCOUNT_ID>",
    "timestamp": "2025-12-02T07:05:51Z",
    "user": {
      "msisdn": "+15551234567",
      "channelUserId": "15551234567",
      "name": "<USER_NAME>"
    },
    "recipient": {
      "channel": "whatsapp",
      "channelId": "<CHANNEL_ID>"
    },
    "type": "Text",
    "content": {
      "text": "Hello"
    }
  }
}

Key Fields:

type: "Text"
content.text: The text message content sent by the user

Media Message (Image, Video, Audio, Document)

Sample JSON Payload (Image):

{
  "namespace": "ChatApps",
  "eventType": "inbound_message_received",
  "description": "ChatApps inbound message",
  "payload": {
    "umid": "<UNIQUE_MESSAGE_ID>",
    "subAccountId": "<SUBACCOUNT_ID>",
    "timestamp": "2025-12-02T07:07:19Z",
    "user": {
      "msisdn": "+15551234567",
      "channelUserId": "15551234567",
      "name": "<USER_NAME>"
    },
    "recipient": {
      "channel": "whatsapp",
      "channelId": "<CHANNEL_ID>"
    },
    "type": "Image",
    "content": {
      "url": "<MEDIA_FILE_URL>"
    }
  }
}

Key Fields:

type: Message type - "Image", "Video", "Audio", "Document"
content.url: Pre-signed URL to download the media file (expires after 24 hours)

Media Type Values:

Image: Customer sent a photo
Video: Customer sent a video
Audio: Customer sent a voice message or audio file
Document: Customer sent a document (PDF, Word, Excel, etc.)

Interactive Message (Button Reply)

When a user responds to an interactive button or list, the payload includes the interactive response details.

Sample JSON Payload:

{
  "namespace": "ChatApps",
  "eventType": "inbound_message_received",
  "description": "ChatApps inbound message",
  "payload": {
    "umid": "<UNIQUE_MESSAGE_ID>",
    "subAccountId": "<SUBACCOUNT_ID>",
    "timestamp": "2025-12-02T06:58:50Z",
    "user": {
      "msisdn": "+15551234567",
      "channelUserId": "15551234567",
      "name": "<USER_NAME>"
    },
    "recipient": {
      "channel": "whatsapp",
      "channelId": "<CHANNEL_ID>"
    },
    "type": "Interactive",
    "content": {
      "interactive": {
        "type": "button_reply",
        "button_reply": {
          "id": "option-2",
          "title": "FAQ"
        }
      }
    },
    "replyToUmid": "<ORIGINAL_MESSAGE_UMID>"
  }
}

Key Fields:

type: "Interactive"
content.interactive.type: "button_reply" or "list_reply"
content.interactive.button_reply.id: The button ID you defined
content.interactive.button_reply.title: The button text the user saw
replyToUmid: The UMID of your original interactive message

Interactive Response Types:

button_reply: User tapped a quick-reply button
list_reply: User selected an item from an interactive list

Common Fields (All Message Types)

These fields appear in every inbound message webhook:

umid: Unique message identifier for this inbound message
subAccountId: Your subaccount identifier
timestamp: ISO 8601 timestamp when message was received
user.msisdn: Customer's phone number (E.164 format)
user.channelUserId: Customer's WhatsApp ID (phone without +)
user.name: Customer's WhatsApp display name (if available)
recipient.channel: Always "whatsapp"
recipient.channelId: Your WhatsApp channel (phone number) ID
type: Message type determines content structure
replyToUmid: Present if customer replied to a specific message

Outbound Delivery Receipts

Fires when the status of an outbound message changes. Status updates include sent, delivered, read, and failure states. Read receipt checks continue for up to 10 days after message delivery.

Event Type: outbound_message_status_changed

Use Cases:

Track message delivery success rates
Retry failed messages
Measure customer engagement (read receipts)
Update CRM systems with delivery status

Possible Status States:

sent: Message successfully sent to WhatsApp
delivered: Message delivered to recipient's device
read: Recipient opened and read the message
undelivered: Message failed to deliver

Sample JSON Payload (Delivered):

{
  "namespace": "ChatApps",
  "eventType": "outbound_message_status_changed",
  "description": "ChatApps outbound message delivery receipt",
  "payload": {
    "umid": "<UNIQUE_MESSAGE_ID>",
    "subAccountId": "<SUBACCOUNT_ID>",
    "channel": "whatsapp",
    "user": {
      "msisdn": "+6512345678",
      "channelUserId": "6512345678"
    },
    "status": {
      "state": "delivered",
      "detail": "delivered_to_recipient",
      "timestamp": "2025-05-05T09:15:57.00Z"
    }
  }
}

Sample JSON Payload (Read):

{
  "namespace": "ChatApps",
  "eventType": "outbound_message_status_changed",
  "description": "ChatApps outbound message delivery receipt",
  "payload": {
    "umid": "<UNIQUE_MESSAGE_ID>",
    "subAccountId": "<SUBACCOUNT_ID>",
    "channel": "whatsApp",
    "user": {
      "msisdn": "+6512345678",
      "channelUserId": "6512345678"
    },
    "status": {
      "state": "read",
      "timestamp": "2025-05-17T06:27:52.45Z"
    }
  }
}

Sample JSON Payload (Undelivered):

{
  "namespace": "ChatApps",
  "eventType": "outbound_message_status_changed",
  "description": "ChatApps outbound message delivery receipt",
  "payload": {
    "umid": "<UNIQUE_MESSAGE_ID>",
    "subAccountId": "<SUBACCOUNT_ID>",
    "channel": "whatsapp",
    "user": {
      "msisdn": "+6512345678",
      "channelUserId": "+6512345678"
    },
    "status": {
      "state": "undelivered",
      "detail": "rejected_by_operator",
      "timestamp": "2016-01-01T00:00:00Z",
      "errorCode": 15,
      "errorMessage": "Invalid destination"
    }
  }
}

Key Fields:

umid: Unique message identifier matching your original send request
status.state: Current delivery state
status.detail: Additional context about the status
errorCode & errorMessage: Present only for failed messages

Template Status Updates

Fires when your template's approval status changes. Meta reviews all templates before they can be used, and this webhook notifies you of approval, rejection, pausing, or disabling.

Event Type: template_status_update

Use Cases:

Monitor template approval workflow
Alert team when templates are rejected
Track when templates are paused due to quality issues
Automate template resubmission after fixing issues

Possible Status Values:

APPROVED: Template approved and ready to send
REJECTED: Template failed review (check reason field)
PENDING: Under Meta review (up to 24 hours)
PAUSED: Temporarily disabled due to quality score
DISABLED: Permanently disabled after multiple pauses

Sample JSON Payload (Status Update - Rejected):

{
  "eventId": "0f88f5c4-fae7-4dcf-8ff2-b2990133edea",
  "timestamp": "2025-01-01T00:00:00.00Z",
  "provider": "WhatsApp",
  "businessAccountId": "<BusinessAccountId>",
  "accountId": "<AccountId>",
  "eventType": "template_status_update",
  "eventDetails": {
    "templateId": "<TEMPLATE_ID>",
    "templateName": "<TEMPLATE_NAME>",
    "templateLanguage": "<TEMPLATE_LANGUAGE>",
    "meta": {
      "status": "REJECTED",
      "reason": "INCORRECT_CATEGORY"
    }
  }
}

Common Rejection Reasons:

INCORRECT_CATEGORY: Template submitted in wrong category (e.g., promotional content in UTILITY)
INVALID_FORMAT: Parameter formatting issues or missing samples
ABUSIVE_CONTENT: Violates Meta's content policies
SCAM: Appears to be fraudulent or misleading

Key Fields:

templateName & templateLanguage: Identifies which template changed
meta.status: New status value
meta.reason: Rejection reason (present only when status is REJECTED)

Template Quality Updates

Fires when Meta updates the quality score for your template based on user feedback (blocks, reports). Quality scores affect whether templates get paused or disabled.

Event Type: template_quality_update

Use Cases:

Monitor template performance in real-time
Alert teams when quality degrades
Pause campaigns using low-quality templates
Correlate quality changes with campaign timing

Quality Score Values:

GREEN (High): Good user feedback, no issues
YELLOW (Medium): Some negative feedback, monitor closely
RED (Low): Poor feedback, template may be auto-paused
UNKNOWN: New template with insufficient data

Sample JSON Payload (Quality Update):

{
  "eventId": "0f88f5c4-fae7-4dcf-8ff2-b2990133edea",
  "timestamp": "2025-01-01T00:00:00.00Z",
  "provider": "WhatsApp",
  "businessAccountId": "<BusinessAccountId>",
  "accountId": "<AccountId>",
  "eventType": "template_quality_update",
  "eventDetails": {
    "templateId": "<TEMPLATE_ID>",
    "templateName": "<TEMPLATE_NAME>",
    "templateLanguage": "<TEMPLATE_LANGUAGE>",
    "meta": {
      "previousQualityScore": "UNKNOWN",
      "newQualityScore": "GREEN"
    }
  }
}

Key Fields:

meta.previousQualityScore: Previous quality rating
meta.newQualityScore: Updated quality rating

Quality-Based Pausing:

1st RED score: Paused for 3 hours
2nd RED score: Paused for 6 hours
3rd RED score: Permanently disabled

Phone Number Quality & Messaging Limit Updates

Fires when your phone number's quality rating changes or when Meta adjusts your account's messaging tier limits based on sending patterns and quality.

Event Type: phone_number_quality_update

Use Cases:

Monitor account health and reputation
Track messaging limit increases as you scale
Alert on limit downgrades due to quality issues
Plan capacity based on current tier

Messaging Tier Limits:

TIER_250: 250 unique users per 24 hours (new accounts)
TIER_1K: 1,000 unique users per 24 hours
TIER_10K: 10,000 unique users per 24 hours
TIER_100K: 100,000 unique users per 24 hours
UNLIMITED: No daily limit

Sample JSON Payload (Messaging Limit Upgrade):

{
  "eventId": "0f88f5c4-fae7-4dcf-8ff2-b2990133edea",
  "timestamp": "2025-01-01T00:00:00.00Z",
  "provider": "WhatsApp",
  "businessAccountId": "<BusinessAccountId>",
  "accountId": "<AccountId>",
  "eventType": "phone_number_quality_update",
  "eventDetails": {
    "displayPhoneNumber": "15550783881",
    "meta": {
      "event": "UPGRADE",
      "currentLimit": "TIER_10K",
      "oldLimit": "TIER_1K"
    }
  }
}

Sample JSON Payload (Quality Downgrade):

{
  "eventId": "0f88f5c4-fae7-4dcf-8ff2-b2990133edea",
  "timestamp": "2025-01-01T00:00:00.00Z",
  "provider": "WhatsApp",
  "businessAccountId": "<BusinessAccountId>",
  "accountId": "<AccountId>",
  "eventType": "phone_number_quality_update",
  "eventDetails": {
    "displayPhoneNumber": "15550783881",
    "meta": {
      "event": "FLAGGED",
      "reason": "QUALITY_DECREASE"
    }
  }
}

Key Fields:

displayPhoneNumber: Which phone number is affected
meta.event: Type of change (UPGRADE, DOWNGRADE, FLAGGED)
meta.currentLimit & meta.oldLimit: Tier change for limit updates
meta.reason: Reason for quality flags

Event Types:

UPGRADE: Messaging limit increased (good sending history)
DOWNGRADE: Messaging limit decreased (quality issues)
FLAGGED: Phone number quality issue detected

Webhook Security Best Practices

Verify Webhook Origin

Always verify that webhook requests come from 8x8:

IP Whitelisting: Configure your firewall to accept webhooks only from 8x8's IP ranges
Signature Verification: Check the X-8x8-Signature header (if provided)
HTTPS Only: Never accept webhooks over unencrypted HTTP

Handle Retries Gracefully

8x8 retries failed webhooks with exponential backoff:

Make your webhook endpoint idempotent (safe to call multiple times)
Use the umid or eventId to deduplicate events
Return HTTP 200 quickly, then process asynchronously

Error Handling

// Example webhook handler (Node.js/Express)
app.post('/webhooks/whatsapp', async (req, res) => {
  // Return 200 immediately
  res.status(200).send('OK');

  // Process asynchronously
  try {
    const event = req.body;
    await processWebhook(event);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Webhook processing failed:', error);
    // Log for manual review, don't fail the request
  }
});

Testing Webhooks

Local Development

Use tools like ngrok to expose your local server for webhook testing:

ngrok http 3000
# Use the generated HTTPS URL in webhook configuration

Webhook Logs

The 8x8 Connect portal provides webhook delivery logs:

View recent webhook attempts
See response codes and timing
Retry failed deliveries manually

WhatsApp over 8x8 API - Main API guide
Operations, Monitoring & Troubleshooting - Error handling and debugging
Governance, Security & Compliance - Security best practices

Configuration​

Inbound Messages​

Inbound Message Types​

Text Message​

Media Message (Image, Video, Audio, Document)​

Interactive Message (Button Reply)​

Common Fields (All Message Types)​

Outbound Delivery Receipts​

Template Status Updates​

Template Quality Updates​

Phone Number Quality & Messaging Limit Updates​

Webhook Security Best Practices​

Verify Webhook Origin​

Handle Retries Gracefully​

Error Handling​

Testing Webhooks​

Local Development​

Webhook Logs​

Related Resources​

Configuration

Inbound Messages

Inbound Message Types

Text Message

Media Message (Image, Video, Audio, Document)

Interactive Message (Button Reply)

Common Fields (All Message Types)

Outbound Delivery Receipts

Template Status Updates

Template Quality Updates

Phone Number Quality & Messaging Limit Updates

Webhook Security Best Practices

Verify Webhook Origin

Handle Retries Gracefully

Error Handling

Testing Webhooks

Local Development

Webhook Logs

Related Resources