Hibot WhatsApp Business API: Audio and Voice Messages Complete Guide

Bot Automation
Apr 8
4 min read

Hibot WhatsApp Business API allows businesses to send both basic audio files and voice messages directly to customers on WhatsApp.

Voice messages are ideal for personal communication, appointment reminders, support updates, and spoken instructions. Businesses can also send normal audio files such as music, podcasts, recordings, or announcements.

Starting March 17, 2026, WhatsApp voice messages will support a new “played” status webhook. Businesses will be notified the first time a customer listens to a voice message.

Voice Message vs Basic Audio Message

Hibot supports two types of audio messaging:

Type	Best For	Appearance
Voice Message	Human voice recordings, support updates, spoken messages	Shows microphone icon and business profile photo
Basic Audio Message	Music, recordings, announcements, podcasts	Shows music icon and download button

Voice messages provide a more natural WhatsApp experience and look similar to regular voice notes sent by users.

New Played Status Webhook

From March 17, 2026, when a customer plays a voice message for the first time, WhatsApp sends a new status webhook.

This helps businesses:

Track whether customers listened to the message
Measure engagement
Follow up if a customer did not listen
Improve campaign performance

Example use case:

Send a voice reminder for an appointment
Receive a “played” webhook when the customer listens
Automatically stop follow-up reminders

What Makes Voice Messages Different?

Voice messages include special WhatsApp features:

Automatic download on supported devices
Business profile photo appears next to the message
Microphone icon instead of music icon
Optional automatic voice transcription
New “played” status tracking

These features are not available in basic audio messages.

Voice Message Requirements

To send a voice message, your audio file must:

Use the .ogg file format
Be encoded using the OPUS codec
Be mono audio
Be 16 MB or smaller

If you upload a different format or an OGG file without the OPUS codec:

The message may fail
Voice transcription will not work
The message may appear as a normal audio file instead

Play Icon Size Limit

Voice messages show the normal WhatsApp play button only if the file size is 512 KB or smaller.

File Size	Result
512 KB or less	Play icon appears immediately
Larger than 512 KB	Download icon appears instead

For the best customer experience, keep short voice messages below 512 KB.

Voice Message Transcription

If the customer has enabled WhatsApp voice transcription, the voice message can automatically display text.

Possible customer settings:

Customer Setting	What Customer Sees
Automatic	Transcribed text appears automatically
Manual	“Transcribe” button appears
Never	No transcription shown

Transcription only works for .ogg files using the OPUS codec.

Supported Audio Formats

Hibot WhatsApp Business API supports the following audio formats:

Format	Extension	MIME Type	Max Size
AAC	.aac	audio/aac	16 MB
AMR	.amr	audio/amr	16 MB
MP3	.mp3	audio/mpeg	16 MB
MP4 Audio	.m4a	audio/mp4	16 MB
OGG Audio	.ogg	audio/ogg (OPUS only)	16 MB

Important: OGG files must use the OPUS codec. Standard OGG audio without OPUS is not supported.

Send a Voice Message

Use the /messages endpoint and set voice: true.

curl 'https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/<PHONE_NUMBER_ID>/messages' \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-H 'Authorization: Bearer <ACCESS_TOKEN>' \
-d '
{
  "messaging_product": "whatsapp",
  "recipient_type": "individual",
  "to": "+919876543210",
  "type": "audio",
  "audio": {
    "id": "1013859600285441",
    "voice": true
  }
}'

In this request:

id = uploaded media file ID
voice: true = tells WhatsApp to send it as a voice message

Send a Basic Audio Message

To send a normal audio file, simply omit voice or set it to false.

curl 'https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/<PHONE_NUMBER_ID>/messages' \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-H 'Authorization: Bearer <ACCESS_TOKEN>' \
-d '
{
  "messaging_product": "whatsapp",
  "recipient_type": "individual",
  "to": "+919876543210",
  "type": "audio",
  "audio": {
    "id": "1013859600285441"
  }
}'

This sends the file as a regular downloadable audio message.

Send Audio Using a Public URL

You can also send audio hosted on your own server using the link parameter.

curl 'https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/<PHONE_NUMBER_ID>/messages' \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-H 'Authorization: Bearer <ACCESS_TOKEN>' \
-d '
{
  "messaging_product": "whatsapp",
  "recipient_type": "individual",
  "to": "+919876543210",
  "type": "audio",
  "audio": {
    "link": "https://example.com/audio/welcome-message.ogg",
    "voice": true
  }
}'

However, Hibot recommends using uploaded media IDs instead of direct links because:

Faster delivery
Better reliability
More secure
Lower chance of media failure

Request Parameters

Parameter	Required	Description
messaging_product	Yes	Always set to whatsapp
recipient_type	Yes	Usually individual
to	Yes	Customer WhatsApp number
type	Yes	Must be audio
audio.id	Required if using uploaded media	Media ID from uploaded file
audio.link	Required if using hosted media	Public URL of audio file
audio.voice	Optional	Set to true for voice message

Example Successful Response

When the message is sent successfully, Hibot returns a message ID.

{
  "messaging_product": "whatsapp",
  "contacts": [
    {
      "input": "+919876543210",
      "wa_id": "919876543210"
    }
  ],
  "messages": [
    {
      "id": "wamid.HBgLMTY0NjcwNDM1OTUVAgARGBI1RjQyNUE3NEYxMzAzMzQ5MkEA"
    }
  ]
}

Store this wamid if you want to track delivery, read status, and played status later.

Common Errors

The most common audio message issues are:

1. Wrong MIME Type

Example:

File name says .mp3
But MIME type is audio/ogg

This mismatch can cause the upload or message send to fail.

2. Invalid OGG Codec

Only OGG files encoded with OPUS are supported.

Wrong:

sample.ogg using Vorbis codec

Correct:

sample.ogg using OPUS codec

3. File Too Large

Maximum supported file size is 16 MB.

4. Using voice:true with MP3

If you send:

"voice": true

But upload an MP3 file, WhatsApp may reject the request because voice messages only support OGG + OPUS.

Best Practices for Voice Messages

To improve delivery and engagement:

Keep voice messages under 30 seconds
Keep file size below 512 KB if possible
Always use OGG with OPUS codec
Use clear, human speech
Avoid loud background noise
Upload media first and use media ID instead of public links
Track played status to improve follow-up campaigns

Example business voice messages:

Order confirmation
Delivery update
Appointment reminder
Payment reminder
Support callback message

Example Use Cases

Ecommerce

“Hi Rahul, your order has been packed and will arrive tomorrow.”

Clinics

“Reminder: Your appointment is tomorrow at 11:00 AM.”

Support Teams

“Here is a quick explanation of how to solve your issue.”

Education

“Your class recording is ready. Please listen here.”

Why Use Hibot Voice Messages?

Voice messages feel more personal than text and often get better engagement.

With Hibot WhatsApp Business API, businesses can:

Send human-like communication
Increase customer response rates
Improve trust
Deliver updates faster
Track whether customers actually listened

For businesses that want a more personal WhatsApp experience, voice messages are one of the most powerful communication tools available.