whatsapp-cloud-api-setup-step-by-step-php-webhook

🚀 What Is WhatsApp Cloud API?

The WhatsApp Cloud API is the official API provided by Meta Platforms for businesses to send and receive WhatsApp messages programmatically.

Common use cases:

• CRM integration
• Chatbots
• Customer support
• Lead management
• Automated notifications

📋 Prerequisites

Before starting, you need:

✔ Meta Developer Account
✔ Meta Business Manager
✔ WhatsApp Business Account
✔ PHP Hosting / Server
✔ HTTPS Domain
✔ Webhook URL

🔥 Step 1: Create Meta Developer App

Go to Meta Developers.

Create a new app.

Choose:

Business

Enter:

• App Name
• Email
• Business Account

After creation, open the dashboard.

🔥 Step 2: Add WhatsApp Product

Inside your app:

Click:

Add Product

Choose:

WhatsApp

Setup the product.

Meta will provide:

✔ Temporary Access Token
✔ Phone Number ID
✔ Test Number
✔ WhatsApp Business Account ID

Save these.

🔥 Step 3: Create PHP Config File

Create:

config.php

<?php

$token = "YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN";
$phone_number_id = "YOUR_PHONE_NUMBER_ID";
$verify_token = "anjok_verify_token";
?>

🔥 Step 4: Create Webhook Verification File

Create:

webhook.php

<?php

include "config.php";

$mode = $_GET['hub.mode'] ?? '';
$token = $_GET['hub.verify_token'] ?? '';
$challenge = $_GET['hub.challenge'] ?? '';

if ($mode === 'subscribe' && $token === $verify_token) {
    echo $challenge;
    exit;
}

http_response_code(403);
?>

This verifies your webhook with Meta.

🔥 Step 5: Configure Webhook in Meta

Inside WhatsApp dashboard:

Open:

Configuration

Enter:

Callback URL

Example:

https://yourdomain.com/webhook.php

Verify Token

Example:

anjok_verify_token

Click:

Verify and Save

If successful:

✔ Webhook connected

🔥 Step 6: Receive Incoming Messages

Extend webhook to capture POST payload.

<?php

$data = file_get_contents("php://input");

file_put_contents("log.txt", $data . PHP_EOL, FILE_APPEND);
?>

Whenever a message arrives, Meta sends JSON data.

Example payload:

{
  "entry": [
    {
      "changes": [
        {
          "value": {
            "messages": [
              {
                "from": "919999999999",
                "text": {
                  "body": "Hello"
                }
              }
            ]
          }
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

🔥 Step 7: Parse Incoming Message

Example PHP:

$data = json_decode(file_get_contents("php://input"), true);

$message = $data['entry'][0]['changes'][0]['value']['messages'][0]['text']['body'] ?? '';

if ($message) {
    file_put_contents("messages.txt", $message . PHP_EOL, FILE_APPEND);
}

🔥 Step 8: Send WhatsApp Message Using PHP

Create:

send.php

<?php

include "config.php";

$url = "https://graph.facebook.com/v22.0/$phone_number_id/messages";

$data = [
    "messaging_product" => "whatsapp",
    "to" => "919999999999",
    "type" => "text",
    "text" => [
        "body" => "Hello from Anjok Technologies!"
    ]
];

$ch = curl_init($url);

curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, [
    "Authorization: Bearer $token",
    "Content-Type: application/json"
]);

curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POST, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, json_encode($data));
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);

$response = curl_exec($ch);
curl_close($ch);

echo $response;
?>

🔥 Step 9: Test Sending Messages

Run:

https://yourdomain.com/send.php

If configured correctly:

✔ WhatsApp message delivered

⚠️ Common Errors

Webhook Verification Failed

Check:

✔ Verify token
✔ HTTPS
✔ Correct response

Invalid Token

Temporary token may expire.

Use permanent token for production.

Permission Error

Ensure required permissions:

✔ WhatsApp Business Messaging
✔ WhatsApp Business Management

🔐 Production Best Practices

Never store secrets in public code.

Use:

✔ Environment variables
✔ HTTPS
✔ Permanent access token
✔ Secure server

🏢 WhatsApp Cloud API Setup by Anjok Technologies

Anjok Technologies helps businesses with:

✔ WhatsApp Cloud API Setup
✔ PHP Integration
✔ Webhook Configuration
✔ CRM Integration
✔ Automation Setup
✔ Multi-Agent WhatsApp CRM

📞 Need Help With Setup?

📱 +91 80729 70517

🌐 https://www.anjoktechnologies.in

👉 Message: WhatsApp Cloud API PHP Setup

🧠 Final Thoughts

Setting up WhatsApp Cloud API with PHP is straightforward once you understand the workflow:

1. Create Meta App
2. Add WhatsApp Product
3. Configure Webhook
4. Verify Webhook
5. Receive Messages
6. Send Messages

Once completed, you can build powerful business applications using WhatsApp automation.