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Connect n8n to WhatsApp

This guide shows you how to link n8n to the WhatsApp Business Cloud API, so a workflow can send WhatsApp messages.

VPS and Cloud Servers2 min read18 steps

What are n8n and the WhatsApp Cloud API?

n8n is a free tool, which you can run on your own server, that links apps together. You build a workflow, which is a chain of steps. Each step is a box called a node. Ask Hostvento support whether n8n is supported on your plan.

WhatsApp does not let programs use a normal personal account. Companies use the WhatsApp Business Cloud API from Meta. An API is a way for programs to talk to each other. You use it through a Meta developer account.

Meta controls the rules, limits and prices for this service. Read their pages for current details.

What you need

  • A Facebook account.
  • A Meta developer account.
  • A phone number for testing or for your business.
  • A working n8n that can be reached over https.

Part 1: Set up Meta

  1. Go to the Meta for Developers site and sign in.
  2. Click My Apps, then Create App.
  3. Choose a type that offers business messaging, and follow the screens.
  4. Add the WhatsApp product to the app.
  5. Open the WhatsApp API Setup page. It shows a test phone number, a Phone Number ID and a WhatsApp Business Account ID.
  6. Add the phone number that will receive test messages, and confirm it with the code sent.

Part 2: Get an access token

  1. The API Setup page shows a temporary token. It lasts only a short time.
  2. For long-term use, create a System User in Meta Business settings and make a permanent token with WhatsApp permissions.
  3. Copy the token and keep it private.

Part 3: Add it to n8n

  1. In n8n, open Credentials and click Create Credential.
  2. Search for WhatsApp Business Cloud. There is one for sending and one for receiving.
  3. Paste the access token and the Business Account ID, as the form asks.
  4. Click Save.

Part 4: Send a test message

  1. Create a workflow and add a WhatsApp Business Cloud node.
  2. Choose Send as the operation.
  3. Enter the Phone Number ID.
  4. Enter the receiver's number with the country code.
  5. Type the text and click Execute step.

WhatsApp has strict rules. To start a chat with a person, you usually need an approved message template. Free-form text is allowed only inside a short window after the person writes to you.

Tip: Test with Meta's test number first. Move to your own business number only when everything works.

Menus at Meta change often. Look for the closest name if a button looks different.

Quick recap

  • Use the WhatsApp Business Cloud API from Meta.
  • Get the Phone Number ID and an access token.
  • Save them as a credential in n8n.
  • Test with a WhatsApp node.
  • Follow Meta's template rules.