Wati API

Wati API: one API for WhatsApp, Instagram and your AI agent.

Message customers on WhatsApp and Instagram from your own product, or let an AI assistant do it through the Wati MCP server.

Channels

WhatsApp
Instagram
AI agents (MCP)
TikTok Coming soon
Messenger Coming soon

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Last updated 29 October 2026

16,000+businesses in 190+ countries
4.6/5average rating on G2
OfficialMeta Business Partner and WhatsApp BSP

One API. WhatsApp, Instagram and your AI assistant.

Reach customers on the apps they already use. Build it into your code, or hand it to an AI agent.

Two channels liveWhatsApp and Instagram today. TikTok and Messenger are coming soon.
Code or no codeCall the REST API from your product, or connect an AI assistant through the MCP server.
Your team stays in the loopConversations show up in the Wati team inbox, so a person can step in.

Channels

What the Wati API covers

Two messaging channels and an MCP server for AI agents are live. TikTok and Messenger are next.

Live
WhatsApp
Send approved templates to one customer or 10,000, reply in chat, start chatbots and get webhooks.
WhatsApp API
Live
Instagram
Reply to comments in public or in private with the REST API. Answer DMs through the MCP server.
Instagram API
Live
AI agents (MCP)
Connect an AI assistant with OAuth. Ask in plain English to send templates, reply to chats and update contacts.
MCP Server
Coming soon
TikTok
TikTok conversations in the same Wati API.
Coming soon
Messenger
Messenger conversations in the same Wati API. AI agents can already reply with text through the MCP server.

Explore

Pick the API for your job

Coverage

What works where

What you can do on each channel through the Wati API today, checked against the public docs.

Wati API capabilities by channel
Capability	WhatsApp	Instagram	Messenger	TikTok
Start a conversation with an approved template, for one person or up to 10,000	REST API and MCP	–	Coming soonAI agents can already reply with text through MCP.	Coming soon
Reply in an open chat	Text, media and buttons. REST API and MCP	MCPDM text replies
Reply to comments, in public or in private	–	REST API and MCP
Webhooks for new messages and delivery status	REST API	–
Start a Wati chatbot for a contact	REST API, Pro and Business plans	–

REST API: call it from your code with an API token. MCP: an AI assistant does it for you through the Wati MCP server. –: not in the API today. Full list in the API reference.

Get started

Live in three steps.

Sign up
Create your account
Sign up for Wati on the API sign-up page, then connect your WhatsApp number or Instagram account.
Get your key
Open the Developer Console
Create an API token and give it just the scopes you need. Keep it on your server.
Send
Send your first request
One call sends an approved template. Delivered and read updates arrive by webhook.

POST/api/ext/v3/messageTemplates/send

curl -X POST "https://live-mt-server.wati.io/api/ext/v3/messageTemplates/send" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $WATI_API_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "template_name": "order_update",
    "broadcast_name": "my_first_call",
    "recipients": [{ "phone_number": "14155552671",
      "custom_params": [{ "name": "name", "value": "Maya" }] }]
  }'

Use the name of a template Meta has approved in your account. More examples on the WhatsApp API page.

POST/api/ext/v3/comments/{comment_id}/privateReply

curl -X POST "https://live-mt-server.wati.io/api/ext/v3/comments/$COMMENT_ID/privateReply" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $WATI_API_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "channel": "yourbrand", "userId": "17841400000000000", "userName": "maya",
    "type": "text", "text": "Hi Maya, yes we do."
  }'

Take the comment ID and the commenter's details from the post's comment list. More on the Instagram API page.

Security and limits

Safe by default. Limits published.

24 h window

Templates first on WhatsApp

Free-form replies need an open 24-hour customer service window. Outside it, start with a template Meta has approved.

OAuth for MCP

No keys in your AI tool

AI clients sign in to the Wati MCP server in the browser. You don't paste an API key into the tool.

Scoped tokens

Just the access you grant

Each API token carries the scopes you pick and can have an expiry date. It is shown once, so keep it on your server.

30 to 100 per 10 s

Template sends

Depending on your plan. Go too fast and you get HTTP 429 with a Retry-After header.

Rate limits and plan availability in detail

Documented rate limits by plan
Endpoint	Growth	Pro	Business
`/addContact`, `/getContacts`	10 / 10 s	10 / 10 s	10 / 10 s
`/getMessages`	10 / 10 s	10 / 10 s	10 / 10 s
`/sendTemplateMessage`	30 / 10 s	60 / 10 s	100 / 10 s
`/sendTemplateMessages`	30 / 10 s	60 / 10 s	100 / 10 s

Limits as published on Errors & Rate Limits. Core messaging, template and contact endpoints are on every plan. Team assignment, chat status, chatbots and custom segments need Pro or Business. Endpoint availability by plan. For higher limits, talk to Wati about your use case.

FAQ

Questions people ask

The full API reference is public. Read the docs

What is the Wati API?

The Wati API lets your product send and receive customer messages through Wati. Today it covers WhatsApp and Instagram, plus an MCP server so an AI assistant can do the same work by chat. Your team can follow every conversation in the Wati team inbox.

Which channels does the Wati API support?

WhatsApp and Instagram. On WhatsApp you can send approved templates, reply in chat, start chatbots and receive webhooks. On Instagram the REST API covers comments: list posts and comments, reply in public and send a private reply. Instagram DMs work through the Wati MCP server.

TikTok and Messenger are coming soon.

Is TikTok or Messenger supported?

Not in the API yet. Both are coming soon. An AI agent connected to the Wati MCP server can already reply to Messenger chats with text, after signing in with a Wati account.

Do I need to code?

No. Connect an AI assistant that supports remote MCP, sign in with OAuth and ask in plain English, for example to list your templates or reply to a chat.

If you prefer code, the REST API uses one base URL and a bearer token, and AI app builders can write the calls for you.

Where are the docs?

The full reference is public at docs.wati.io: the API reference, the MCP server guide, rate limits and endpoint availability by plan. AI coding tools can read the whole index at docs.wati.io/llms.txt.

How do I get an API key?

Sign up at live.wati.io/start/api, then open the Developer Console in Wati and create an API token with just the scopes you need. The token is shown once, so store it on your server, never in a browser or mobile app.

How is this page different from the WhatsApp API page?

This page is the overview of every Wati API: the channels, what works where and how to start. The WhatsApp API page goes deeper on WhatsApp, with each endpoint group, code samples in several languages and the full limits.

What are the API rate limits?

Contact and message-history calls are limited to 10 requests per 10 seconds on every plan. Template sends are limited to 30, 60 or 100 requests per 10 seconds on Growth, Pro and Business. When you hit a limit you get HTTP 429 with a Retry-After header. For higher limits, contact Wati.