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Build the template from your system, show your customer the preview and send it to review. Four calls, none of them sends a message:
1. POST /v1/templates/media — the sample file Meta reviews (PDF, JPG/PNG or MP4; multipart with file, or JSON with file in base64). Returns { handle, type, format, mimeType, bytes }. It isn't the file you send: that one goes with every send, by link or mediaId. We don't keep the file. 2. POST /v1/templates/validate — the same check as create, nothing sent to Meta: ok, and in errors[] every problem at once, each with its field (header.handle, buttons[1].url…) and the message in your language. 3. POST /v1/templates — header: { "format": "IMAGE", "handle": "…" } (also VIDEO, DOCUMENT and LOCATION) and buttons: QUICK_REPLY (text), URL (text, url, and if it ends in {{1}}, example with a sample ending), PHONE_NUMBER (text, phoneNumber with country code) and COPY_CODE (example). Born PENDING; template.status_changed tells you (with previousStatus). 4. POST /v1/templates/preview?format=html — a self-contained page with the WhatsApp bubble (no scripts, no outside resources) to show your customer in an <iframe sandbox>. Without format, the same view as JSON.
Meta's limits, checked before Meta: up to 10 buttons, 2 URL, 1 phone, 1 copy-code; button text up to 25 characters; quick replies grouped (first or last). If the Meta account has 141006 (payment method) or 141010 (business verification), the template is still created and the answer carries a warning: Meta may approve it, but you won't be able to send it until that's fixed.
# 1) The sample file Meta reviews (PDF, JPG/PNG or MP4) → its handle
HANDLE=$(curl -s -X POST https://api.waiaconnect.com/v1/templates/media -H "Authorization: Bearer wc_live_YOUR_API_KEY" -F file=@foto.png | jq -r .handle)
# 2) Validate: every error at once, nothing sent to Meta
BODY='{"connectionId":"conn_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX","name":"envio_factura","language":"es","category":"UTILITY","header":{"format":"IMAGE","handle":"HANDLE"},"body":{"text":"Hola {{1}}, tu factura *{{2}}* está lista.","examples":["María","A-1042"]},"footer":{"text":"Tu negocio"},"buttons":[{"type":"QUICK_REPLY","text":"Recibido"},{"type":"URL","text":"Ver factura","url":"https://your-site.example/f/{{1}}","example":"A-1042"},{"type":"PHONE_NUMBER","text":"Llamar","phoneNumber":"+5493511234567"}]}'
BODY=${BODY/HANDLE/$HANDLE}
curl -s -X POST https://api.waiaconnect.com/v1/templates/validate -H "Authorization: Bearer wc_live_YOUR_API_KEY" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d "$BODY"
# → { "ok": true, "errors": [], "warnings": [], "components": [...] }
# 3) Create it (born PENDING; template.status_changed tells you when Meta decides)
curl -s -X POST https://api.waiaconnect.com/v1/templates -H "Authorization: Bearer wc_live_YOUR_API_KEY" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d "$BODY"
# 4) The WhatsApp-style preview for your customer (self-contained HTML)
curl -s -X POST "https://api.waiaconnect.com/v1/templates/preview?format=html" -H "Authorization: Bearer wc_live_YOUR_API_KEY" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d "$BODY" > preview.html
import { readFile } from "node:fs/promises";
const H = { Authorization: "Bearer wc_live_YOUR_API_KEY" };
const J = { ...H, "Content-Type": "application/json" };
// 1) The sample file Meta reviews (PDF, JPG/PNG or MP4) → its handle
const form = new FormData();
form.append("file", new Blob([await readFile("foto.png")]), "foto.png");
const { handle } = await (await fetch("https://api.waiaconnect.com/v1/templates/media", { method: "POST", headers: H, body: form })).json();
const def = {
"connectionId": "conn_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX",
"name": "envio_factura",
"language": "es",
"category": "UTILITY",
"header": {
"format": "IMAGE",
"handle": handle
},
"body": {
"text": "Hola {{1}}, tu factura *{{2}}* está lista.",
"examples": [
"María",
"A-1042"
]
},
"footer": {
"text": "Tu negocio"
},
"buttons": [
{
"type": "QUICK_REPLY",
"text": "Recibido"
},
{
"type": "URL",
"text": "Ver factura",
"url": "https://your-site.example/f/{{1}}",
"example": "A-1042"
},
{
"type": "PHONE_NUMBER",
"text": "Llamar",
"phoneNumber": "+5493511234567"
}
]
};
// 2) Validate: every error at once, nothing sent to Meta
const v = await (await fetch("https://api.waiaconnect.com/v1/templates/validate", { method: "POST", headers: J, body: JSON.stringify(def) })).json();
if (!v.ok) throw new Error(v.errors.map(e => `${e.field}: ${e.message}`).join("\n"));
// 3) Create it (PENDING until Meta decides → template.status_changed)
const created = await (await fetch("https://api.waiaconnect.com/v1/templates", { method: "POST", headers: J, body: JSON.stringify(def) })).json();
// 4) The WhatsApp-style preview (self-contained HTML, show it in an <iframe sandbox>)
const html = await (await fetch("https://api.waiaconnect.com/v1/templates/preview?format=html", { method: "POST", headers: J, body: JSON.stringify(def) })).text();
console.log(created.template.status, created.warning?.message ?? "");
import requests
H = {"Authorization": "Bearer wc_live_YOUR_API_KEY"}
# 1) The sample file Meta reviews (PDF, JPG/PNG or MP4) -> its handle
handle = requests.post("https://api.waiaconnect.com/v1/templates/media", headers=H, files={"file": open("foto.png", "rb")}).json()["handle"]
definition = {"connectionId":"conn_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX","name":"envio_factura","language":"es","category":"UTILITY","header":{"format":"IMAGE","handle":handle},"body":{"text":"Hola {{1}}, tu factura *{{2}}* está lista.","examples":["María","A-1042"]},"footer":{"text":"Tu negocio"},"buttons":[{"type":"QUICK_REPLY","text":"Recibido"},{"type":"URL","text":"Ver factura","url":"https://your-site.example/f/{{1}}","example":"A-1042"},{"type":"PHONE_NUMBER","text":"Llamar","phoneNumber":"+5493511234567"}]}
# 2) Validate: every error at once, nothing sent to Meta
v = requests.post("https://api.waiaconnect.com/v1/templates/validate", headers=H, json=definition).json()
if not v["ok"]:
raise SystemExit("\n".join(f"{e['field']}: {e['message']}" for e in v["errors"]))
# 3) Create it (PENDING until Meta decides -> template.status_changed)
created = requests.post("https://api.waiaconnect.com/v1/templates", headers=H, json=definition).json()
# 4) The WhatsApp-style preview (self-contained HTML)
open("preview.html", "w").write(requests.post("https://api.waiaconnect.com/v1/templates/preview", params={"format": "html"}, headers=H, json=definition).text)
To change it later: PATCH /v1/templates/:id (approved, rejected or paused; an approved one once every 24 h and with the same category).
With 4 buttons or more, WhatsApp shows 2 and "See all options": the preview draws it the same way.