Call Button Messages and Deep Links

Updated: Nov 14, 2025

Overview

After you adopt Cloud API Calling features, you can raise awareness with your customers in two core ways: Send them a message with a WhatsApp call button Embed a calling deep link into your brand surfaces (website, application, etc)

Send interactive message with a WhatsApp Call Button

Use this endpoint to send a free form interactive message with a WhatsApp call button during a customer service window or an open conversation window. When a WhatsApp user clicks the call button, it initiates a WhatsApp call to the business number that sent the message. A standard message status webhook will be sent in response to this message send.

Request Syntax

POST &lt;PHONE_NUMBER_ID&gt;/messages

Placeholder	Description	Sample Value
`<PHONE_NUMBER_ID>` Integer	Required The business phone number which you are sending messages from. Learn more about formatting phone numbers in Cloud API	`+12784358810`

Request Body

\{
  "messaging_product": "whatsapp",
  "recipient_type": "individual",
  "to": "14085551234",
  "type": "interactive",
  "interactive" : {
    "type" : "voice_call",
    "body" : {
      "text": "You can call us on WhatsApp now for faster service!"
    },
    "action": {
      "name": "voice_call",
      "parameters": {
        "display_text": "Call on WhatsApp",
        "ttl_minutes": 100,
        "payload": "payload data"
      }
    }
  }
}

Body Parameters

Learn more about sending interactive free form messages

Parameter	Description	Sample Value
`to` Integer	Required The phone number of the WhatsApp user you are messaging. Learn more about formatting phone numbers in Cloud API	`“17863476655”`
`type` String	Required The type of interactive message you are sending. In this case, you are sending a `voice_call`. Learn more about interactive messages	`“voice_call”`
`action` String	Required The action of your interactive message. Must be `voice_call`.	`"voice_call"`
`parameters` JSON Object	Optional Optional parameters for the WhatsApp calling button sent to the user. Contains three values: `display_text`, `ttl_minutes` and `payload` `display_text` — ( String) Optional The display text on the WhatsApp calling button sent to the user. Default is “Call Now” Max length: 20 characters `ttl_minutes` — ( Integer) Optional Time to live for the CTA button in minutes. Must be between 1 and 43200 (30 days) Default value is 10080 (7 days) `payload` — ( String) Optional An arbitrary string, useful for tracking. Any app subscribed to the `calls` webhook field on the WhatsApp Business Account can get this string, as it is included in the `connect` and `terminate` webhook payloads under the `cta_payload` field. Cloud API does not process this field, it just returns it as part of the webhooks. Maximum 512 characters. Payload is only available to WhatsApp client starting on version 2.25.27.	`<br />"parameters": {<br />"display_text": "Call on WhatsApp",<br />"ttl_minutes": 100,<br />"payload": "payload data"<br />}<br />`

Success response

Learn more about messaging success responses

Error response

Possible errors that can occur: Sending this message to users on older app versions will result in error webhook with error code 131026 View general Cloud API Error Codes here

Create and send WhatsApp call button template message

Use these endpoints to create and send a WhatsApp call button template message. Once your call button template message is created, your business can send a message to a WhatsApp user, inviting them to call your business. Learn more about creating and managing message templates

Create call button message template

Use this endpoint to create a call button message template.

Request syntax

POST/&lt;WHATSAPP_BUSINESS_ACCOUNT_ID&gt;/message_templates

Parameter	Description	Sample Value
`<WHATSAPP_BUSINESS_ACCOUNT_ID>` String	Required Your WhatsApp Business Account ID. Learn how to find your WABA ID	`“waba-90172398162498126”`

Request body

\{
  "name": "&lt;NAME&gt;",
  "category": "&lt;CATEGORY&gt;",
  "language": "&lt;LANGUAGE&gt;",
  "components": [\
    {\
      "type": "BODY",\
      "text": "You can call us on WhatsApp now for faster service!"\
    },\
    {\
      "type": "BUTTONS",\
      "buttons": [\
        {\
          "type": "voice_call",\
          "text": "Call Now"\
        },\
        {\
          "type": "URL",\
          "text": "Contact Support",\
          "url": "https://www.luckyshrub.com/support"\
        }\
      ]\
    }\
  ]
}

Body parameters

Creating and managing template messages can be done both through Cloud API and the WhatsApp Business Manager interface. When creating your call button template, ensure you configure type as voice_call. Learn more about creating and managing message templates

Parameter	Description	Sample Value
`type` String	Required The type of template message you are creating. In this case, you are creating a `voice_call`.	`“voice_call”`

Success response

\{
  "id": "&lt;ID&gt;",
  "status": "&lt;STATUS&gt;",
  "category": "&lt;CATEGORY&gt;"
}

Learn more about messaging success responses

Error response

Possible errors that can occur: Invalid whatsapp-business-account-id Permissions/Authorization errors Template structure/component validation alerts View general Cloud API Error Codes here

Send call button message template

Use this endpoint to send a call button message template. The following is a simplified sample of the send template message request, however you can learn more about how to send message templates here.

Request syntax

POST/&lt;PHONE_NUMBER_ID&gt;/messages

Parameter	Description	Sample Value
`<PHONE_NUMBER_ID>` String	Required The business phone number which you are sending a message from. Learn more about formatting phone numbers in Cloud API	`+18762639988`

Request body

\{
  "to": "14085551234",
  "messaging_product": "whatsapp",
  "type": "template",
  "recipient_type": "individual",
  "template": {
    "name": "wa_voice_call",
    "language": {
      "code": "en"
    },
    "components": [\
      {\
        "type": "button",\
        "sub_type" : "voice_call",\
        "parameters": [\
          {\
            "type": "ttl_minutes",\
            "ttl_minutes": 100\
          },\
          {\
            "type": "payload",\
            "payload": "payload data"\
          }\
        ]\
      }\
    ]
  }
}

Request parameters

Parameter	Description	Sample Value
`ttl_minutes` Integer	Optional Time to live for the CTA button in minutes. Must be between 1 and 43200 (30 days) Default value is 10080 (7 days)	`10800`
`payload` String	Optional An arbitrary string, useful for tracking. Any app subscribed to the `calls` webhook field on the WhatsApp Business Account can get this string, as it is included in the `connect` and `terminate` webhook payloads under the `cta_payload` field. Cloud API does not process this field, it just returns it as part of the webhooks. Maximum 512 characters. Payload is only available to WhatsApp client starting on version 2.25.27.	`payload data`

Success response

Learn more about messaging success responses

Calling deep links

Calling deep links are hyperlinks that route WhatsApp users to call your business. The process to create a calling deep link is the similar to a chat deep link, except the format for call deeplink is wa.me/call/<BUSINESS_PHONE_NUMBER> Note that deep links are not supported on WhatsApp desktop clients.

Embed calling deep links

You can use calling deep links to advertise WhatsApp calling for your business Use these links anywhere where calling can be useful, like your website, primary application, or even as a QR code to be shared.

Send calling deep links

You can also send messages to WhatsApp users with a calling deep link. Since deep links can be made per business phone number, you can use calling deep links to prompt WhatsApp users to contact a different phone number with voice enabled. The wa.me/call/<BUSINESS_PHONE_NUMBER> format is easy to copy, paste, and send, and does not require you to make a template in Business Manager.

Send payload data in call deeplink

You also have the option to send a payload with the deeplink. You can use the biz_payload query string when sending the call deeplink to any user (wa.me/call/<BUSINESS_PHONE_NUMBER>?biz_payload=payload). When a user calls using the provided deeplink with the biz_payload any app subscribed to the calls webhook field on the WhatsApp Business Account can get this string, as it is included in the connect and terminate webhook payloads under the deeplink_payload field. Payload in call deeplink is only available to WhatsApp client starting on version 2.25.27. Did you find this page helpful? Thumbs up icon

ON THIS PAGE Overview Send interactive message with a WhatsApp Call Button Request Syntax Request Body Body Parameters Success response Error response Create and send WhatsApp call button template message Create call button message template Request syntax Request body Body parameters Success response Error response Send call button message template Request syntax Request body Request parameters Success response Calling deep links Embed calling deep links Send calling deep links Send payload data in call deeplink

​Call Button Messages and Deep Links

​Overview

​Send interactive message with a WhatsApp Call Button

​Request Syntax

​Request Body

​Body Parameters

​Success response

​Error response

​Create and send WhatsApp call button template message

​Create call button message template

​Request syntax

​Request body

​Body parameters

​Success response

​Error response

​Send call button message template

​Request syntax

​Request body

​Request parameters

​Success response

​Calling deep links

​Embed calling deep links

​Send calling deep links

​Send payload data in call deeplink

Call Button Messages and Deep Links

Overview

Send interactive message with a WhatsApp Call Button

Request Syntax

Request Body

Body Parameters

Success response

Error response

Create and send WhatsApp call button template message

Create call button message template

Request syntax

Request body

Body parameters

Success response

Error response

Send call button message template

Request syntax

Request body

Request parameters

Success response

Calling deep links

Embed calling deep links

Send calling deep links

Send payload data in call deeplink