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WhatsApp

How to send images, videos, audio, and documents on WhatsApp from a workflow

In Automation › Workflows, add the WhatsApp customer service window check action and, on the open branch, the WhatsApp media action. Pick the sending number and the media type, upload the file, and write a caption. It only works within 24 hours of the customer's last message.

Updated on

Before you start

  • WhatsApp must be connected in Settings › WhatsApp, and you need permission to create and publish workflows.
  • Files can only be sent while the 24-hour customer service window is open, meaning within 24 hours of the customer's last message to you. Outside it, the action fails.
  • Supported formats and sizes:
    • Images: JPEG or PNG, up to 5 MB.
    • Videos: MP4 or 3GP (H.264 video and AAC audio), up to 16 MB.
    • Audio: AAC, AMR, MP3, M4A, or OGG (OPUS), up to 16 MB.
    • Documents: TXT, PDF, DOC/DOCX, PPT/PPTX, XLS/XLSX, up to 100 MB.
  • Have the file ready on your computer or in Media Storage.
Where to find it

Automation › Workflows › + › WhatsApp: Media action

Step by step

Add the file send to the workflow

  1. Open Automation › Workflows and open the workflow (or create a new one with Create Workflow).
  2. Click the + where you want to send the file, search for WhatsApp, and add the WhatsApp: Customer Service Window Check action. It creates two branches: window open and window closed.
  3. On the open window branch, click + and add the WhatsApp: Media action.
  4. Under From number, pick the WhatsApp number the file is sent from.
  5. Under Media type, choose Image, Video, Audio, or Document.
  6. Upload the file or pick one already stored in Media Storage, keeping within the size limits.
  7. Write the caption (text that goes with the file). For audio, the caption is ignored.
  8. Click Save Action.

Handle the closed window case

  1. On the closed window branch, click + and add the WhatsApp action with an approved template.
  2. If you really need to send the file, use a template with an image, video, or document header (see the article on media templates).
  3. Click Save Action, switch the workflow to Publish, and click Save.

Tips

  • For catalogs, price lists, or instructions you send often, store the file in Media Storage and reuse it across workflows.
  • Tell the customer in the caption what to do with the file ("See the attached proposal and reply YES to move forward").
  • Files received from customers can be downloaded for 7 days; files your business sends, for 30 days. Save the important ones before the link expires.

Common problems

  • The action fails with a closed window error → The customer hasn't messaged you in the last 24 hours. Use the window check before sending and, on the closed branch, send an approved template.
  • The file is rejected on upload → The format isn't supported or it exceeds the limit (5 MB image, 16 MB video and audio, 100 MB document). Convert or shrink the file.
  • The audio caption never reaches the customer → That's expected: WhatsApp doesn't support captions on audio. Send the text in a separate WhatsApp action.
  • My number isn't listed under From number → Only numbers in connected status show up. Check Settings › WhatsApp.
  • An older file no longer opens → The link expired (7 days for received files, 30 days for sent files). Send it again, or save it to the contact's record when it arrives.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an extra cost for sending files inside the window?

No. Within the 24-hour window, images, videos, audio, and documents carry no additional cost, and there's no limit on how many you send.

Can I send several files in one action?

Each WhatsApp: Media action sends one file. To send several, add one action per file, one after the other.

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