Installation & Setup - Me SDK Docs

Prerequisites

Before installing the SDK, make sure you have:

Node.js 16 or higher

The SDK requires Node.js version 16 or higher. Check your version:

node --version

WhatsApp Business Account

A verified WhatsApp Business account with API access through Meta Business.

Meta Developer Account

Access to Meta for Developers to create an app and get API credentials.

Package Installation

Install the SDK using your preferred package manager:

npm
yarn
pnpm
bun

npm install whatsapp-client-sdk

yarn add whatsapp-client-sdk

pnpm add whatsapp-client-sdk

bun add whatsapp-client-sdk

TypeScript Support

The SDK is built with TypeScript and includes complete type definitions out of the box. No additional @types packages are needed.

TypeScript 4.5+ is recommended for the best experience with the SDK’s advanced type features.

Getting API Credentials

To use the WhatsApp Business API, you need to obtain credentials from Meta:

1. Create a Meta Developer Account

Go to Meta for Developers
Create an account or log in with your existing Facebook account
Complete the developer verification process

2. Create a New App

Navigate to My Apps in the developer console
Click Create App
Choose Business as the app type
Fill in your app details and create the app

3. Add WhatsApp Product

In your app dashboard, click Add Product
Find WhatsApp and click Set up
Choose WhatsApp Business API

4. Get Your Credentials

After setting up WhatsApp, you’ll need these credentials:

Access Token

Found in the WhatsApp > Getting Started section of your app dashboard. This token authenticates your requests to the WhatsApp API.

Phone Number ID

Found in the WhatsApp > API Setup section. This identifies your WhatsApp Business phone number.

Webhook Verify Token

You create this token when setting up webhooks. Used to verify webhook endpoints during setup.

Business Account ID

Found in the WhatsApp > API Setup section. Optional, but useful for advanced business features.

Environment Variables

Set up your environment variables to securely store your credentials:

# Required credentials
WHATSAPP_ACCESS_TOKEN=your_access_token_here
WHATSAPP_PHONE_NUMBER_ID=your_phone_number_id_here

# Optional but recommended
WHATSAPP_WEBHOOK_TOKEN=your_webhook_verify_token_here
WHATSAPP_BUSINESS_ID=your_business_account_id_here

# Optional API configuration
WHATSAPP_API_VERSION=v23.0
WHATSAPP_BASE_URL=https://graph.facebook.com

# For Next.js projects, use .env.local
WHATSAPP_ACCESS_TOKEN=your_access_token_here
WHATSAPP_PHONE_NUMBER_ID=your_phone_number_id_here
WHATSAPP_WEBHOOK_TOKEN=your_webhook_verify_token_here

# Create this file for your team (without real values)
WHATSAPP_ACCESS_TOKEN=your_access_token_here
WHATSAPP_PHONE_NUMBER_ID=your_phone_number_id_here
WHATSAPP_WEBHOOK_TOKEN=your_webhook_verify_token_here
WHATSAPP_BUSINESS_ID=your_business_account_id_here

Never commit your actual credentials to version control. Always use environment variables and add .env to your .gitignore file.

Basic Initialization

Create your first WhatsApp client instance:

import { WhatsAppClient } from 'whatsapp-client-sdk';

const client = new WhatsAppClient({
  accessToken: process.env.WHATSAPP_ACCESS_TOKEN!,
  phoneNumberId: process.env.WHATSAPP_PHONE_NUMBER_ID!,
  webhookVerifyToken: process.env.WHATSAPP_WEBHOOK_TOKEN,
});

// Test the connection
const isConnected = await client.testConnection();
console.log('WhatsApp API connected:', isConnected);

import { WhatsAppClient } from 'whatsapp-client-sdk';

const client = new WhatsAppClient({
  accessToken: process.env.WHATSAPP_ACCESS_TOKEN,
  phoneNumberId: process.env.WHATSAPP_PHONE_NUMBER_ID,
  webhookVerifyToken: process.env.WHATSAPP_WEBHOOK_TOKEN,
});

// Test the connection
const isConnected = await client.testConnection();
console.log('WhatsApp API connected:', isConnected);

const { WhatsAppClient } = require('whatsapp-client-sdk');

const client = new WhatsAppClient({
  accessToken: process.env.WHATSAPP_ACCESS_TOKEN,
  phoneNumberId: process.env.WHATSAPP_PHONE_NUMBER_ID,
  webhookVerifyToken: process.env.WHATSAPP_WEBHOOK_TOKEN,
});

// Test the connection (using .then() for older Node.js)
client.testConnection().then(isConnected => {
  console.log('WhatsApp API connected:', isConnected);
});

Verification Steps

After installation, verify everything is working correctly:

1. Test API Connection

import { WhatsAppClient } from 'whatsapp-client-sdk';

async function verifySetup() {
  try {
    const client = new WhatsAppClient({
      accessToken: process.env.WHATSAPP_ACCESS_TOKEN!,
      phoneNumberId: process.env.WHATSAPP_PHONE_NUMBER_ID!,
    });

    // Test API connectivity
    const isConnected = await client.testConnection();
    
    if (isConnected) {
      console.log('✅ WhatsApp API connection successful');
      
      // Get client configuration (access token will be masked)
      const config = client.getConfig();
      console.log('📋 Configuration:', config);
      
    } else {
      console.log('❌ WhatsApp API connection failed');
    }
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('🚨 Setup error:', error.message);
  }
}

verifySetup();

2. Send a Test Message

async function sendTestMessage() {
  try {
    const client = new WhatsAppClient({
      accessToken: process.env.WHATSAPP_ACCESS_TOKEN!,
      phoneNumberId: process.env.WHATSAPP_PHONE_NUMBER_ID!,
    });

    // Replace with your WhatsApp number (include country code)
    const testNumber = '+1234567890';
    
    const response = await client.sendText(
      testNumber,
      '🎉 Hello from WhatsApp Client SDK!'
    );
    
    console.log('✅ Test message sent:', response.messages[0].id);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('❌ Failed to send test message:', error.message);
  }
}

// sendTestMessage();

Uncomment the sendTestMessage() call only after you’ve added your test phone number to the WhatsApp Business account’s recipients list.

Common Installation Issues

Module not found errors

Make sure you’re using the correct import syntax for your environment:

ES6 modules: import { WhatsAppClient } from 'whatsapp-client-sdk'
CommonJS: const { WhatsAppClient } = require('whatsapp-client-sdk')

TypeScript compilation errors

Ensure your tsconfig.json includes:

{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "target": "ES2020",
    "module": "commonjs",
    "esModuleInterop": true,
    "allowSyntheticDefaultImports": true
  }
}

Environment variable not loaded

For Node.js projects, install and configure dotenv:

npm install dotenv

Then in your main file:

require('dotenv').config();
// or for ES6:
import 'dotenv/config';

API connection fails

Check that:

Your access token is valid and not expired
Your phone number ID is correct
You have proper internet connectivity
Your Meta Developer account is in good standing

Next Steps

Quick Start Guide

Send your first message in under 5 minutes

Configuration Options

Explore advanced configuration options

Message Types

Learn about all supported message types

Webhook Setup

Set up webhooks to receive messages

Need Help?

Join our community

Get help from the community or reach out for support

​Prerequisites

​Package Installation

​TypeScript Support

​Getting API Credentials

​1. Create a Meta Developer Account

​2. Create a New App

​3. Add WhatsApp Product

​4. Get Your Credentials

​Environment Variables

​Basic Initialization

​Verification Steps

​1. Test API Connection

​2. Send a Test Message

​Common Installation Issues

​Next Steps

Quick Start Guide

Configuration Options

Message Types

Webhook Setup

​Need Help?

Join our community

Prerequisites

Package Installation

TypeScript Support

Getting API Credentials

1. Create a Meta Developer Account

2. Create a New App

3. Add WhatsApp Product

4. Get Your Credentials

Environment Variables

Basic Initialization

Verification Steps

1. Test API Connection

2. Send a Test Message

Common Installation Issues

Next Steps

Need Help?