How to Send Document Messages Using the WhatsApp Official API

Bot Automation
Apr 8
3 min read

Businesses often need to send invoices, reports, brochures, contracts, and order confirmations directly to customers on WhatsApp. With the WhatsApp Official API, you can send these files as Document Messages, making it easy for users to download and view them instantly.

At Hibot, Document Messages help businesses automate important customer communication while keeping everything simple and professional.

What Are WhatsApp Document Messages?

Document Messages are WhatsApp messages that display a document icon along with a downloadable file. When a customer taps the message, the document is downloaded directly inside WhatsApp.

This is ideal for sending:

Invoices
Order confirmations
Product catalogs
Contracts
Reports
Presentations
Price lists
Excel sheets
PDF guides

For example, an ecommerce business can automatically send a PDF invoice after an order is placed, while a real estate company can share a property brochure instantly.

Why Businesses Use Document Messages

Using Document Messages through Hibot and the WhatsApp Official API gives businesses several advantages:

Faster communication with customers
Professional document delivery inside WhatsApp
Higher engagement compared to email attachments
Instant sharing of invoices, quotations, and reports
Better customer experience without leaving the chat

Since customers already use WhatsApp daily, document delivery becomes much easier and more convenient.

How to Send a Document Message with the WhatsApp API

To send a document message, use the following API endpoint:

POST /<WHATSAPP_BUSINESS_PHONE_NUMBER_ID>/messages

You need to include:

Your WhatsApp Business Phone Number ID
The customer’s WhatsApp number
The document type
Either an uploaded media ID or a hosted file URL

Example API request:

curl 'https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/<WHATSAPP_BUSINESS_PHONE_NUMBER_ID>/messages' \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-H 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN' \
-d '
{
  "messaging_product": "whatsapp",
  "recipient_type": "individual",
  "to": "<CUSTOMER_PHONE_NUMBER>",
  "type": "document",
  "document": {
    "id": "<MEDIA_ID>",
    "filename": "invoice.pdf",
    "caption": "Your invoice is ready"
  }
}'

Important Document Parameters

When sending a document message, you can include the following fields:

Parameter	Description
id	Media ID of an uploaded file. Recommended for better performance.
link	Public URL of the file if it is hosted on your server.
filename	The name of the file shown to the customer.
caption	A short description displayed below the document.

Recommended Approach

Hibot recommends uploading the file first and then using the media ID instead of a public link. This ensures:

Faster delivery
Better reliability
Improved file security

Supported File Types on WhatsApp

The WhatsApp Official API officially supports the following document formats:

File Type	Extension	Maximum Size
Text File	.txt	100 MB
Excel File	.xls, .xlsx	100 MB
Word Document	.doc, .docx	100 MB
PowerPoint Presentation	.ppt, .pptx	100 MB
PDF Document	.pdf	100 MB

Although other file formats may sometimes work, WhatsApp only guarantees proper display and download for these supported types.

Example: Sending a PDF Invoice

Here is a simple example of sending a PDF invoice to a customer:

curl 'https://graph.facebook.com/v25.0/106540352242922/messages' \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-H 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN' \
-d '
{
  "messaging_product": "whatsapp",
  "recipient_type": "individual",
  "to": "+16505551234",
  "type": "document",
  "document": {
    "id": "1376223850470843",
    "filename": "order_abc123.pdf",
    "caption": "Your order confirmation (PDF)"
  }
}'

If the request is successful, WhatsApp returns a message ID confirming that the document was sent.

Example response:

{
  "messaging_product": "whatsapp",
  "contacts": [
    {
      "input": "+16505551234",
      "wa_id": "16505551234"
    }
  ],
  "messages": [
    {
      "id": "wamid.HBgLMTY0NjcwNDM1OTUVAgARGBI1RjQyNUE3NEYxMzAzMzQ5MkEA"
    }
  ]
}

Best Practices for Sending Document Messages

To get the best results, follow these tips:

Keep filenames simple and easy to understand.
- Good example: invoice-march-2026.pdf
- Avoid: file123_final_v2_latest.pdf
Add a helpful caption.Customers are more likely to open the document if they know what it contains.
Use PDFs whenever possible.PDF files work well across devices and are the most commonly used format.
Avoid very large files.While WhatsApp supports up to 100 MB, smaller files load much faster.
Upload files to WhatsApp before sending.Using a media ID provides better performance than using a hosted link.

Common Use Cases for Businesses

Ecommerce

Send invoices, shipping labels, and order confirmations.

Healthcare

Share reports, prescriptions, and appointment documents.

Real Estate

Send brochures, floor plans, and agreements.

Education

Deliver study materials, certificates, and presentations.

Finance

Share account statements, KYC forms, and payment receipts.

Send WhatsApp Documents Easily with Hibot

With Hibot’s WhatsApp Official API platform, you can automate document sharing and send files to customers in just a few clicks.

Whether you need to send invoices, reports, contracts, or catalogs, Hibot helps you:

Upload and manage documents
Automate document delivery
Send files instantly through WhatsApp
Improve customer communication

Start using Hibot today and make document sharing on WhatsApp faster, easier, and more professional.