WhatsApp Webhook Forwarding

Connect your WhatsApp Business messages and events to powerful automation tools like N8N, Zapier, Make.com, or any custom webhook endpoint.

What is Webhook Forwarding?

Webhook forwarding allows you to automatically send WhatsApp events (like new messages, delivery statuses, read receipts) to external platforms in real-time. This enables you to:

🤖 Automate responses - Trigger workflows when messages arrive
📊 Track analytics - Send data to your analytics tools
💾 Sync data - Keep external databases updated
🔔 Get notifications - Alert your team on other platforms
🔗 Integrate systems - Connect WhatsApp with your CRM, help desk, or custom apps

Getting Started

Prerequisites

Before you begin, you'll need:

A WhatsApp Business account connected to your application
A webhook endpoint URL (from N8N, Zapier, Make.com, or your custom server)
Access to Settings in your account

Quick Setup (5 minutes)

Follow these simple steps to start forwarding WhatsApp events:

Step 1: Enable Webhook Forwarding

Log in to your account
Navigate to Settings → WhatsApp → Webhooks
Find the "Enable Webhooks Resend" toggle
Turn it ON (green)

Step 2: Enter Your Webhook URL

In the "WhatsApp Received Data Resend To" field
Paste your webhook URL
- Example: https://your-n8n-instance.com/webhook/whatsapp
- Example: https://hooks.zapier.com/hooks/catch/123456/abcdef/
- Example: https://your-domain.com/api/webhooks/whatsapp

TIP

Make sure your URL starts with https:// for security. HTTP URLs will work but are not recommended for production.

Step 3: Choose HTTP Method

Select how data should be sent:

POST (Recommended) - Sends data in the request body
GET - Sends data as URL parameters

TIP

Most platforms like N8N and Zapier expect POST requests. Use POST unless your endpoint specifically requires GET.

Step 4: Select Event Types

Choose which WhatsApp events you want to forward:

Message Events:

✉️ Messages - When customers send you messages
📤 Message Echoes - When you send messages
✅ Message Status - Delivery confirmations and read receipts

Account & Business Events:

🔔 Account Alerts - Important notifications about your account
📋 Account Updates - Changes to your account settings
🏢 Business Updates - Updates to your business profile

Template Events:

📝 Template Status - When message templates are approved/rejected
⭐ Template Quality - Quality score changes for templates

Phone Number Events:

📱 Phone Quality Updates - Quality rating changes
🏷️ Phone Name Updates - Display name changes

Best Practice

Start with just Messages selected. Once you confirm it's working, add more event types as needed.

Step 5: Save Settings

Click the "Save Changes" button at the bottom of the page.

✅ You're all set! Your WhatsApp events will now be forwarded automatically.

Using with Popular Platforms

N8N (Recommended)

N8N is a powerful open-source automation platform that works perfectly with webhook forwarding.

Setup in N8N:

Create a New Workflow
- Open your N8N instance
- Click "New Workflow"
Add Webhook Trigger
- Click the "+" button
- Search for "Webhook"
- Select "Webhook" node
Configure the Webhook
- HTTP Method: POST
- Path: Choose a path like /whatsapp-events
- Authentication: None (we include signature for verification)
- Response: Respond Immediately
Get Your Webhook URL
- Click "Test URL" or "Production URL"
- Copy the full URL shown
- It will look like: https://your-n8n.app/webhook/whatsapp-events
Paste URL in Settings
- Go back to your WhatsApp webhook settings
- Paste the N8N URL
- Save settings
Activate the Workflow
- In N8N, click "Active" toggle to turn it ON

TIP

Use the Production URL for live use, not the Test URL. Test URLs expire.

Example N8N Workflow Ideas:

New WhatsApp Message
    ↓
Save to Google Sheets
    ↓
Send Email Notification
    ↓
Post to Slack Channel

Message Delivered
    ↓
Update Customer Record
    ↓
Send Thank You Email

Zapier

Create a Zap
- Go to zapier.com
- Click "Make a Zap"
Choose Trigger
- Search for "Webhooks by Zapier"
- Select "Catch Hook"
- Copy the webhook URL provided
Configure in Your App
- Paste Zapier webhook URL in settings
- Method: POST
- Select event types
- Save settings
Test the Integration
- Send a test WhatsApp message
- Check if Zapier receives the data
- Continue building your Zap

Make.com (formerly Integromat)

Create a Scenario
- Log in to Make.com
- Click "Create a new scenario"
Add Webhook Module
- Click the "+" button
- Search for "Webhooks"
- Select "Custom webhook"
- Click "Add"
Copy Webhook Address
- Make.com will generate a webhook URL
- Copy this URL
Configure in Your App
- Paste Make.com webhook URL
- Method: POST
- Select events
- Save
Activate Scenario
- Send a test message
- Make.com will capture the data structure
- Continue building your automation

Custom Applications

If you're sending webhooks to your own server, you'll receive data in this format:

json

{
  "event": {
    "id": "evt_1234567890_abc123",
    "type": "whatsapp.message.received",
    "timestamp": "2026-01-01T10:30:00Z"
  },
  "tenant": {
    "id": 123,
    "name": "Your Company"
  },
  "data": {
    "resource": {
      "type": "message",
      "id": "wamid.xxx",
      "attributes": {
        "message_id": "wamid.xxx",
        "from": "919876543210",
        "timestamp": "1735728600",
        "type": "text",
        "text": "Hello, I need help!"
      }
    },
    "relationships": {
      "contact": {
        "wa_id": "919876543210",
        "name": "John Doe"
      },
      "metadata": {
        "phone_number_id": "1234567890",
        "display_phone_number": "919123456789"
      }
    }
  }
}

Click to see all fields explained

event.id - Unique identifier for this webhook event
event.type - Type of event (message.received, message.delivered, etc.)
event.timestamp - When the event occurred (ISO 8601 format)
tenant.id - Your account/tenant ID
tenant.name - Your company/account name
data.resource.type - Resource type (message, status, etc.)
data.resource.id - WhatsApp message ID
data.resource.attributes - Event details (message content, sender, etc.)
data.relationships.contact - Information about the customer
data.relationships.metadata - WhatsApp account information

Understanding Events

Message Events

whatsapp.message.received

Triggered when a customer sends you a message.

When to use:

Auto-respond to customer inquiries
Log all incoming messages
Notify your support team
Trigger chatbot workflows

Example payload:

json

{
  "event": {
    "type": "whatsapp.message.received"
  },
  "data": {
    "resource": {
      "attributes": {
        "from": "919876543210",
        "type": "text",
        "text": "I have a question about pricing"
      }
    }
  }
}

whatsapp.message.delivered

Triggered when your message is delivered to the customer's device.

When to use:

Track message delivery rates
Update delivery status in your CRM
Confirm important messages reached customers

whatsapp.message.read

Triggered when the customer reads your message.

When to use:

Track engagement rates
Know when customers have seen important updates
Follow up on unread messages

whatsapp.message.sent

Triggered when you successfully send a message.

When to use:

Log all outgoing messages
Track sent message count
Backup message history

whatsapp.message.failed

Triggered when a message fails to send.

When to use:

Alert your team about failed messages
Retry sending automatically
Investigate delivery issues

Account & Business Events

whatsapp.account.alert

Important notifications about your WhatsApp Business account.

Examples:

Account verification status changes
Account restrictions or warnings
Important compliance notifications

whatsapp.business.status_updated

Changes to your business account status.

When to use:

Monitor account health
Get notified about status changes
Track account issues

Template Events

whatsapp.template.status_updated

When your message templates are approved or rejected by WhatsApp.

When to use:

Get notified when templates are approved
Track rejected templates
Monitor template submission status

whatsapp.template.quality_updated

When the quality rating of your template changes.

When to use:

Monitor template performance
Get alerts for low-quality templates
Improve message quality

Common Use Cases

1. Auto-Save Messages to Google Sheets

Scenario: Keep a backup of all customer conversations.

Setup:

Enable webhook forwarding
Select "Messages" event type
Connect to N8N/Zapier
Add Google Sheets action
Map fields: Customer Phone, Message, Timestamp

Result: Every message automatically appears in your spreadsheet.

2. Notify Team on Slack

Scenario: Alert your support team when customers message you.

Setup:

Forward "Messages Received" events
In N8N/Zapier, filter for specific keywords
Add Slack action
Post to your support channel

Result: Team gets instant Slack notifications for customer messages.

3. CRM Integration

Scenario: Update customer records when messages are sent/received.

Setup:

Forward message and status events
Use N8N to process the webhook
Look up customer in your CRM
Update last contact date, message count, etc.

Result: Your CRM stays automatically updated with WhatsApp activity.

4. Analytics Dashboard

Scenario: Track WhatsApp metrics in real-time.

Setup:

Forward all message events
Send to your analytics database
Calculate: message volume, response time, delivery rates

Result: Real-time WhatsApp performance dashboard.

5. Multi-Channel Support

Scenario: Route WhatsApp messages to your existing ticketing system.

Setup:

Forward "Messages Received" events
Use webhook to create ticket in your help desk
Include customer info and message content

Result: WhatsApp messages become support tickets automatically.

Security

Signature Verification

Every webhook includes a security signature to verify authenticity.

How it works:

We generate a unique signature for each webhook
The signature is sent in the X-Webhook-Signature header
Your endpoint can verify this signature
This prevents unauthorized/fake webhooks

For developers: See the Advanced Section below for implementation details.

TIP

When using N8N, Zapier, or Make.com, signature verification is handled automatically. You only need to implement this for custom endpoints.

Best Practices

✅ Do:

Use HTTPS URLs (not HTTP)
Keep your webhook URL private
Monitor webhook logs regularly
Test with a few events before enabling all
Implement signature verification for custom endpoints

❌ Don't:

Share your webhook URL publicly
Use HTTP in production
Forward more events than you need
Ignore failed webhook notifications

Troubleshooting

Webhooks Not Arriving

Problem: Your endpoint isn't receiving webhooks.

Solutions:

Check if forwarding is enabled
- Go to Settings → WhatsApp → Webhooks
- Verify toggle is ON (green)
Verify the URL
- Check for typos in the webhook URL
- Make sure URL is accessible from the internet
- Test the URL with a tool like Postman or curl
Check event selection
- Ensure you've selected at least one event type
- Verify the events you're waiting for are selected
Test the endpoint
- Send a test message in WhatsApp
- Check if webhook is triggered
- Look for any error messages
Check endpoint logs
- In N8N: Check execution logs
- In Zapier: Check Task History
- In Make.com: Check execution history

Some Events Not Forwarding

Problem: Only some webhooks are received, not all.

Solutions:

Verify event selection
- Go to webhook settings
- Check which events are selected
- Add missing event types
Check event field mapping
- Different events have different field names
- Ensure your selection includes the right fields

Webhooks Timing Out

Problem: Webhooks fail with timeout errors.

Solutions:

Optimize your endpoint
- Process webhooks quickly
- Use background jobs for heavy processing
- Return response immediately
Check server resources
- Ensure your server isn't overloaded
- Monitor response times

Duplicate Webhooks

Problem: Receiving the same webhook multiple times.

Solutions:

Our system prevents duplicates automatically
If you still see duplicates, implement idempotency checks using the event.id field
Store received event IDs and skip duplicates

Testing Your Setup

Step 1: Enable Webhook Forwarding

Make sure forwarding is enabled with a valid URL.

Step 2: Select Test Events

Start with just "Messages" selected for simplicity.

Step 3: Send a Test Message

Send a WhatsApp message to your connected number
Use a simple text message like "Test"

Step 4: Check Your Endpoint

For N8N:

Go to your workflow
Check "Executions" tab
You should see a new execution with the webhook data

For Zapier:

Go to your Zap
Check "Task History"
Look for the latest task

For Make.com:

Open your scenario
Check execution history
View the received data

Step 5: Verify Data

Check that you received:

Event type: whatsapp.message.received
Message text: "Test"
Sender phone number
Timestamp

Step 6: Add More Events

Once basic messages work, add other event types one at a time.

Monitoring & Maintenance

Regular Checks

Weekly:

Review webhook success/failure rates
Check for any error notifications
Verify all expected events are forwarding

Monthly:

Review which events you're using
Disable unused event types
Update webhook URLs if needed

Performance Tips

Be selective with events
- Only forward events you actually use
- More events = more bandwidth
Optimize your endpoint
- Return responses quickly
- Process data asynchronously
- Use queues for heavy tasks
Monitor costs
- Some platforms charge per webhook execution
- Only enable necessary events

FAQ

Q: How quickly are webhooks delivered?

A: Webhooks are sent in real-time, typically within 1-2 seconds of the WhatsApp event occurring.

Q: What happens if my endpoint is down?

A: Currently, webhooks are sent once. If your endpoint is down, the webhook will fail. We recommend implementing retry logic on your end.

Q: Can I forward to multiple URLs?

A: Currently, you can configure one webhook URL. If you need multiple destinations, use N8N or Zapier to fan out to multiple services.

Q: Is there a webhook limit?

A: There's no artificial limit. You'll receive a webhook for every selected event type that occurs.

Q: Can I test without sending real messages?

A: There's no built-in test feature currently. We recommend sending actual test messages to verify setup.

Q: What if I change my webhook URL?

A: Simply update the URL in settings and save. All future webhooks will go to the new URL immediately.

Q: Do webhooks work for all WhatsApp message types?

A: Yes! You'll receive webhooks for text, images, videos, documents, audio, locations, and all other WhatsApp message types.

Q: Can I see webhook history?

A: Check your endpoint platform's logs:

N8N: Executions tab
Zapier: Task History
Make.com: Execution History
Custom: Check your server logs

Q: Are webhooks included in my plan?

A: Webhook forwarding is included at no extra cost. However, destination platforms (N8N, Zapier) may have their own pricing.

Q: Can I transform the data before forwarding?

A: The data is sent in a standardized format. Use N8N, Zapier, or Make.com to transform data after receiving it.

Advanced: Developer Notes

For Developers

This section contains technical details for developers building custom integrations. If you're using N8N, Zapier, or Make.com, you can skip this section.

Webhook Signature Verification

All webhooks include an HMAC-SHA256 signature for verification.

Headers sent with each webhook:

X-Webhook-Signature: <hmac-sha256-hash>
X-Webhook-Event: whatsapp.message.received
X-Webhook-Timestamp: 2026-01-01T10:30:00Z
X-Webhook-Format: n8n
User-Agent: whatsmark-Webhook/1.0
Content-Type: application/json

Verify signature in Node.js:

javascript

const crypto = require('crypto');

function verifyWebhookSignature(payload, signature, secret) {
  const expectedSignature = crypto
    .createHmac('sha256', secret)
    .update(JSON.stringify(payload))
    .digest('hex');

  // Use timing-safe comparison
  return crypto.timingSafeEqual(
    Buffer.from(signature),
    Buffer.from(expectedSignature)
  );
}

// In your webhook handler
app.post('/webhook/whatsapp', (req, res) => {
  const signature = req.headers['x-webhook-signature'];
  const secret = process.env.WEBHOOK_SECRET;

  if (!verifyWebhookSignature(req.body, signature, secret)) {
    return res.status(403).json({ error: 'Invalid signature' });
  }

  // Process webhook...
  res.status(200).json({ received: true });
});

Verify signature in PHP:

php

function verifyWebhookSignature($payload, $signature, $secret) {
    $expectedSignature = hash_hmac('sha256', json_encode($payload), $secret);
    return hash_equals($signature, $expectedSignature);
}

// In your webhook handler
$payload = json_decode(file_get_contents('php://input'), true);
$signature = $_SERVER['HTTP_X_WEBHOOK_SIGNATURE'];
$secret = getenv('WEBHOOK_SECRET');

if (!verifyWebhookSignature($payload, $signature, $secret)) {
    http_response_code(403);
    echo json_encode(['error' => 'Invalid signature']);
    exit;
}

// Process webhook...

Verify signature in Python:

python

import hmac
import hashlib
import json

def verify_webhook_signature(payload, signature, secret):
    expected_signature = hmac.new(
        secret.encode('utf-8'),
        json.dumps(payload).encode('utf-8'),
        hashlib.sha256
    ).hexdigest()

    return hmac.compare_digest(signature, expected_signature)

# In your Flask webhook handler
@app.route('/webhook/whatsapp', methods=['POST'])
def webhook_handler():
    signature = request.headers.get('X-Webhook-Signature')
    secret = os.getenv('WEBHOOK_SECRET')

    if not verify_webhook_signature(request.json, signature, secret):
        return jsonify({'error': 'Invalid signature'}), 403

    # Process webhook...
    return jsonify({'received': True}), 200

Getting the Secret Key

Contact your system administrator or check your application configuration for the webhook signing secret. This is typically configured in your environment variables or configuration files.

Implementing Idempotency

To handle duplicate webhooks (network retries, etc.), implement idempotency:

javascript

// Using Redis
const processedEvents = new Set();

async function handleWebhook(webhook) {
  const eventId = webhook.event.id;

  // Check if already processed
  if (await redis.get(`webhook:${eventId}`)) {
    console.log('Duplicate webhook, skipping');
    return;
  }

  // Process webhook
  await processWebhookData(webhook);

  // Mark as processed (expire after 24 hours)
  await redis.setex(`webhook:${eventId}`, 86400, '1');
}

Event Type Reference

All possible event types you might receive:

typescript

type WhatsAppEventType =
  // Message events
  | 'whatsapp.message.received'
  | 'whatsapp.message.sent'
  | 'whatsapp.message.delivered'
  | 'whatsapp.message.read'
  | 'whatsapp.message.failed'

  // Status events
  | 'whatsapp.status.updated'

  // Account events
  | 'whatsapp.account.alert'
  | 'whatsapp.account.review_updated'
  | 'whatsapp.account.updated'

  // Business events
  | 'whatsapp.business.capability_updated'
  | 'whatsapp.business.status_updated'

  // Template events
  | 'whatsapp.template.status_updated'
  | 'whatsapp.template.quality_updated'

  // Phone events
  | 'whatsapp.phone.quality_updated'
  | 'whatsapp.phone.name_updated'

  // Other events
  | 'whatsapp.call.received'
  | 'whatsapp.flow.event';

Complete Payload Schema

typescript

interface WebhookPayload {
  event: {
    id: string; // Unique event ID
    type: WhatsAppEventType; // Event type
    timestamp: string; // ISO 8601 timestamp
    version: string; // Format version (currently "1.0")
  };
  tenant: {
    id: number; // Tenant/account ID
    name: string; // Tenant/company name
  };
  data: {
    resource: {
      type: string; // Resource type (message, status, etc.)
      id: string | null; // Resource ID (message ID, etc.)
      attributes: Record<string, any>; // Resource-specific data
    };
    relationships: Record<string, any>; // Related entities
  };
  whatsapp: {
    original_payload: any; // Complete original WhatsApp payload
  };
  metadata: {
    source: 'whatsapp_webhook_forward';
    environment: string; // 'production', 'staging', etc.
    request_id: string; // Request trace ID
  };
}

Rate Limiting Considerations

If you're receiving high volumes of webhooks:

Use a queue system (Redis, RabbitMQ, AWS SQS)
Process asynchronously - Don't block the webhook response
Return 200 immediately - Process in background
Implement backpressure - Throttle if overwhelmed

Example with queue:

javascript

app.post('/webhook/whatsapp', async (req, res) => {
  // Verify signature
  if (!verifySignature(req.body, req.headers['x-webhook-signature'])) {
    return res.status(403).send('Invalid signature');
  }

  // Add to queue immediately
  await queue.add('whatsapp-webhook', req.body, {
    attempts: 3,
    backoff: {
      type: 'exponential',
      delay: 2000,
    },
  });

  // Respond immediately
  res.status(200).json({ received: true });
});

// Process queue separately
queue.process('whatsapp-webhook', async (job) => {
  const webhook = job.data;
  await processWebhook(webhook);
});

Technical Documentation

For more technical details, see:

Support

Need help? Here's how to get support:

Check this documentation - Most questions are answered here
Review the FAQ section - Common issues and solutions
Check platform documentation:
Contact support - Reach out to your account manager or support team

Summary

Webhook forwarding is a powerful feature that connects your WhatsApp Business to the world of automation and integration. With just a few simple steps, you can:

✅ Automate customer responses
✅ Integrate with your existing tools
✅ Build custom workflows
✅ Track and analyze WhatsApp data
✅ Create seamless multi-channel experiences

Start with a simple integration (like saving messages to Google Sheets) and gradually build more complex automations as you get comfortable with the feature.

Next Steps:

Enable webhook forwarding in Settings
Choose an automation platform (N8N recommended)
Create your first simple workflow
Test with a few messages
Expand to more event types
Build more advanced automations

Happy automating! 🚀

WhatsApp Webhook Forwarding ​

What is Webhook Forwarding? ​

Getting Started ​

Prerequisites ​

Quick Setup (5 minutes) ​

Step 1: Enable Webhook Forwarding ​

Step 2: Enter Your Webhook URL ​

Step 3: Choose HTTP Method ​

Step 4: Select Event Types ​

Step 5: Save Settings ​

Using with Popular Platforms ​

N8N (Recommended) ​

Zapier ​

Make.com (formerly Integromat) ​

Custom Applications ​

Understanding Events ​

Message Events ​

whatsapp.message.received ​

whatsapp.message.delivered ​

whatsapp.message.read ​

whatsapp.message.sent ​

whatsapp.message.failed ​

Account & Business Events ​

whatsapp.account.alert ​

whatsapp.business.status_updated ​

Template Events ​

whatsapp.template.status_updated ​

whatsapp.template.quality_updated ​

Common Use Cases ​

1. Auto-Save Messages to Google Sheets ​

2. Notify Team on Slack ​

3. CRM Integration ​

4. Analytics Dashboard ​

5. Multi-Channel Support ​

Security ​

Signature Verification ​

Best Practices ​

Troubleshooting ​

Webhooks Not Arriving ​

Some Events Not Forwarding ​

Webhooks Timing Out ​

Duplicate Webhooks ​

Testing Your Setup ​

Step 1: Enable Webhook Forwarding ​

Step 2: Select Test Events ​

Step 3: Send a Test Message ​

Step 4: Check Your Endpoint ​

Step 5: Verify Data ​

Step 6: Add More Events ​

Monitoring & Maintenance ​

Regular Checks ​

Performance Tips ​

FAQ ​

Q: How quickly are webhooks delivered? ​

Q: What happens if my endpoint is down? ​

Q: Can I forward to multiple URLs? ​

Q: Is there a webhook limit? ​

Q: Can I test without sending real messages? ​

Q: What if I change my webhook URL? ​

Q: Do webhooks work for all WhatsApp message types? ​

Q: Can I see webhook history? ​

Q: Are webhooks included in my plan? ​

Q: Can I transform the data before forwarding? ​

Advanced: Developer Notes ​

Webhook Signature Verification ​

Implementing Idempotency ​

Event Type Reference ​

Complete Payload Schema ​

Rate Limiting Considerations ​

Technical Documentation ​

Support ​

Summary ​

WhatsApp Webhook Forwarding

What is Webhook Forwarding?

Getting Started

Prerequisites

Quick Setup (5 minutes)

Step 1: Enable Webhook Forwarding

Step 2: Enter Your Webhook URL

Step 3: Choose HTTP Method

Step 4: Select Event Types

Step 5: Save Settings

Using with Popular Platforms

N8N (Recommended)

Zapier

Make.com (formerly Integromat)

Custom Applications

Understanding Events

Message Events

whatsapp.message.received

whatsapp.message.delivered

whatsapp.message.read

whatsapp.message.sent

whatsapp.message.failed

Account & Business Events

whatsapp.account.alert

whatsapp.business.status_updated

Template Events

whatsapp.template.status_updated

whatsapp.template.quality_updated

Common Use Cases

1. Auto-Save Messages to Google Sheets

2. Notify Team on Slack

3. CRM Integration

4. Analytics Dashboard

5. Multi-Channel Support

Security

Signature Verification

Best Practices

Troubleshooting

Webhooks Not Arriving

Some Events Not Forwarding

Webhooks Timing Out

Duplicate Webhooks

Testing Your Setup

Step 1: Enable Webhook Forwarding

Step 2: Select Test Events

Step 3: Send a Test Message

Step 4: Check Your Endpoint

Step 5: Verify Data

Step 6: Add More Events

Monitoring & Maintenance

Regular Checks

Performance Tips

FAQ

Q: How quickly are webhooks delivered?

Q: What happens if my endpoint is down?

Q: Can I forward to multiple URLs?

Q: Is there a webhook limit?

Q: Can I test without sending real messages?

Q: What if I change my webhook URL?

Q: Do webhooks work for all WhatsApp message types?

Q: Can I see webhook history?

Q: Are webhooks included in my plan?

Q: Can I transform the data before forwarding?

Advanced: Developer Notes

Webhook Signature Verification

Implementing Idempotency

Event Type Reference

Complete Payload Schema

Rate Limiting Considerations

Technical Documentation

Support

Summary