Skip to main content

​
Group management

Updated: Nov 14, 2025

​
Overview

The Groups API gives you simple functions to control groups through their lifecycle. When you create a new group, an invite link is created for inviting participants to the group. Since you cannot manually add participants to the group, simply send a message with your invite link to WhatsApp users who you would like to join the group.

​
Group management features

Create and delete group Groups with join requests enabled Get and reset group invite link Send group invite link template message Remove group participants Get group info Get active groups Update group settings To learn how to message groups, view the Group Messaging reference.

​
Subscribe to groups metadata webhooks

In order to receive webhook notifications for metadata about your groups, please subscribe to the following webhook fields: group_lifecycle_update group_participants_update group_settings_update group_status_update For a full reference of webhooks for the Groups API, please visit our Webhooks for Groups API reference.

​
Create group

Use this endpoint to create a new group and generate a group invite link. Once the group is created, you will receive a webhook with an invite_link parameter that contains an invite link for the group. You can send this invite link to WhatsApp users interested in joining the group. Optionally, you can create a group that requires join approval. This means that if a WhatsApp user wants to join your group, you can approve or reject their request. Learn more about groups with join requests enabled.

​
Request syntax

Create a group with an initial group invite link: POST /<BUSINESS_PHONE_NUMBER_ID>/groups

​
Request body

\{
  "messaging_product": "whatsapp",
  "subject": "<GROUP_SUBJECT>",
  "description": "<GROUP_DESCRIPTION>",
  "join_approval_mode": "<JOIN_APPROVAL_MODE>"
}

​
Request parameters

PlaceholderDescriptionSample Value
<BUSINESS_PHONE_NUMBER_ID>
String		Required
Business phone number ID.		12784358810
<GROUP_SUBJECT>
String		Required
Group subject.
Maximum 128 characters. Whitespace is trimmed.		New Purchase Inquiry
<GROUP_DESCRIPTION>
String		Optional
Group description.
Maximum 2048 characters.		Jim, an existing client, would like to learn about new car purchase options for current year models.
<JOIN_APPROVAL_MODE>
String		Optional
Indicates if WhatsApp users who click the invitation link can join the group with or without being approved first.
Values can be:
approval_required — Indicates WhatsApp users must be approved via join request before they can access the group.
auto_approve — Indicates WhatsApp users can join the group without approval.
If omitted, join_approval_mode is set to auto_approve by default.		auto_approve

​
Webhooks

A group_lifecycle_update webhook is triggered.

​
Group create succeed

View the “Group create succeed” sample webhook

​
Group create fail

View the “Group create fail” sample webhook View the “User joins group using invite link” sample webhook

​
Groups with join requests

You can create groups that require join request approval. Once enabled, WhatsApp users who click the group invitation link can submit a request to join the group, or cancel a prior request: When a WhatsApp user joins the group using a join request, a [group_participants_update webhook for a user accepting the join request] (/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/groups/webhooks#user-accepts-or-cancels-join-request) is triggered. You can also get a list of open join requests via API. Use the contents of the webhook or API response to approve or reject requests.

​
Get join requests

​
Request syntax

GET /<GROUP_ID>/join_requests

​
Request parameters

PlaceholderDescriptionSample Value
<GROUP_ID>
String		Required.
Group ID.		Y2FwaV9ncm91cDoxNzA1NTU1MDEzOToxMjAzNjM0MDQ2OTQyMzM4MjAZD

​
Response syntax

Upon success: 
\{
  "data": [\
    {\
      "join_request_id": "<JOIN_REQUEST_ID>",\
      "wa_id": "<WHATSAPP_USER_ID>",\
      "creation_timestamp": "<JOIN_REQUEST_CREATION_TIMESTAMP">\
    },\
    //Additional join request objects would follow, if any\
  ],
  "paging": {
    "cursors": {
      "before": "&lt;BEFORE_CURSOR&gt;",
      "after": "&lt;AFTER_CURSOR&gt;"
    }
  }
}

​
Response parameters

PlaceholderDescriptionSample Value
&lt;JOIN_REQUEST_ID&gt;
String		Join request ID.MTY0NjcwNDM1OTU6MTIwMzYzNDA0Njk0MjMzODIw
&lt;WHATSAPP_USER_ID&gt;
String		WhatsApp user ID.16505551234
&lt;JOIN_REQUEST_CREATION_TIMESTAMP&gt;
Integer		Unix timestamp indicating when the join request was created.1755548877
&lt;BEFORE_CURSOR&gt;
String		Before cursor. See Paginated Results.eyJvZAmZAzZAXQiOjAsInZAlcnNpb25JZACI6IjE3NTU1NTM3MDUxNzUwNTQ1MTAifQZDZD
&lt;AFTER_CURSOR&gt;
String		After cursor. See Paginated Results.eyJvZAmZAzZAXQiOjAsInZAlcnNpb25JZACI6IjE3NTU1NTM3MDUxNzUwNTQ1MTAifQZDZD

​
Approve join requests

​
Request syntax

POST /&lt;GROUP_ID&gt;/join_requests

​
Request body

\{
  "messaging_product": "whatsapp",
  "join_requests": [\
    "&lt;JOIN_REQUEST_ID&gt;",\
    // Additional join request IDs would go here, if approving in bulk\
  ]
}

​
Request parameters

PlaceholderDescriptionSample Value
&lt;GROUP_ID&gt;
String		Required.
Group ID.		Y2FwaV9ncm91cDoxNzA1NTU1MDEzOToxMjAzNjM0MDQ2OTQyMzM4MjAZD

​
Response syntax

Upon success, the API will respond with the following JSON payload, and WhatsApp users whose join requests were approved will be able to access the group when tapping the invite link. 
\{
  "messaging_product": "whatsapp",
  "approved_join_requests": [\
    "&lt;JOIN_REQUEST_ID&gt;",\
    // Additional join request IDs would go here, it approved in bulk\
  ],

  //Only included if unable to approve one or more join requests

  "failed_join_requests": [\
    {\
      "join_request_id": "&lt;JOIN_REQUEST_ID&gt;",\
      "errors": [\
        {\
          "code": "&lt;ERROR_CODE&gt;",\
          "message": "&lt;ERROR_MESSAGE&gt;",\
          "title": "&lt;ERROR_TITLE&gt;",\
          "error_data": {\
            "details": "&lt;ERROR_DETAILS&gt;"\
          }\
        }\
      ]\
    }\
  ],
  "errors": [\
    {\
      "code": "&lt;ERROR_CODE&gt;",\
      "message": "&lt;ERROR_MESSAGE&gt;",\
      "title": "&lt;ERROR_TITLE&gt;",\
      "error_data": {\
        "details": "&lt;ERROR_DETAILS&gt;"\
      }\
    }\
  ]
}

​
Response parameters

PlaceholderDescriptionSample Value
&lt;JOIN_REQUEST_ID&gt;
String		ID of approved join request, or ID of failed join request, if we were unable to approve.MTY0NjcwNDM1OTU6MTIwMzYzNDA0Njk0MjMzODIw
&lt;ERROR_CODE&gt;
Integer		Error code, if unable to approve.131203
&lt;ERROR_MESSAGE&gt;
String		Error message, if unable to approve.(#131203) Recipient has not accepted our new Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
&lt;ERROR_TITLE&gt;
String		Error title, if unable to approve.Unable to add participant to group
&lt;ERROR_DETAILS&gt;
String		Error details, if unable to approve.Recipient has not accepted our new Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

​
Webhook

A group_participants_update webhook is triggered. View the “User accepts join request” sample webhook

​
Reject join requests

​
Request syntax

DELETE /&lt;GROUP_ID&gt;/join_requests

​
Request body

\{
  "messaging_product": "whatsapp",
  "join_requests": [\
    "&lt;JOIN_REQUEST_ID&gt;",\
    //Additional join request IDs would go here, it rejecting in bulk\
  ]
}

​
Request parameters

PlaceholderDescriptionSample Value
&lt;GROUP_ID&gt;
String		Required.
Group ID.		Y2FwaV9ncm91cDoxNzA1NTU1MDEzOToxMjAzNjM0MDQ2OTQyMzM4MjAZD
&lt;JOIN_REQUEST_ID&gt;
String		Required.
ID of join request to reject.		MTY0NjcwNDM1OTU6MTIwMzYzNDA0Njk0MjMzODIw

​
Response syntax

Upon success, the API will respond with the following JSON payload, and the WhatsApp user will see the Request to join button again when accessing the group invite link. 
\{
  "messaging_product": "whatsapp",
  "rejected_join_requests": [\
    "&lt;JOIN_REQUEST_ID&gt;",\
    //Additional join request IDs would go here, it rejecting in bulk\
  ],

  //Only included if unable to reject one or more join requests
  "failed_join_requests": [\
    {\
      "join_request_id": "&lt;JOIN_REQUEST_ID&gt;",\
      "errors": [\
        {\
          "code": "&lt;ERROR_CODE&gt;",\
          "message": "&lt;ERROR_MESSAGE&gt;",\
          "title": "&lt;ERROR_TITLE&gt;",\
          "error_data": {\
            "details": "&lt;ERROR_DETAILS&gt;"\
          }\
        }\
      ]\
    }\
  ],
  "errors": [\
    {\
      "code": "&lt;ERROR_CODE&gt;",\
      "message": "&lt;ERROR_MESSAGE&gt;",\
      "title": "&lt;ERROR_TITLE&gt;",\
      "error_data": {\
        "details": "&lt;ERROR_DETAILS&gt;"\
      }\
    }\
  ]
}

​
Response parameters

PlaceholderDescriptionSample Value
&lt;JOIN_REQUEST_ID&gt;
String		ID of rejected join request, or ID of failed join request, if we were unable to reject.MTY0NjcwNDM1OTU6MTIwMzYzNDA0Njk0MjMzODIw
&lt;ERROR_CODE&gt;
Integer		Error code, if unable to reject.131203
&lt;ERROR_MESSAGE&gt;
String		Error message, if unable to reject.(#131203) Recipient has not accepted our new Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
&lt;ERROR_TITLE&gt;
String		Error title, if unable to reject.Unable to add participant to group
&lt;ERROR_DETAILS&gt;
String		Error details, if unable to reject.Recipient has not accepted our new Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

​
Webhook

None. Once an invite link is reset, all previous invite links will become invalid. An invite link for the group is generated when the group is created. Use these endpoints to get and reset group invite links. For each endpoint, you will need your group ID in order to get or reset a link for the correct group as follows:
PlaceholderDescriptionSample Value
&lt;GROUP_ID&gt;
String		Required
The ID of the group you want to get or reset an invite link for.		Y2FwaV9ncm91cDoxOTUwNTU1MDA3OToxMjAzNjMzOTQzMjAdOTY0MTUZD

​
Request syntax

GET /&lt;GROUP_ID&gt;/invite_link

​
Response body

\{
  "messaging_product": "whatsapp",
  "invite_link": "https://chat.whatsapp.com/&lt;LINK_ID&gt;"
}
Note that invite_link always begins with the prefix https://chat.whatsapp.com/. The only variable portion is &lt;LINK_ID&gt;.

​
Request syntax

POST /&lt;GROUP_ID&gt;/invite_link

​
Request body

\{
  "messaging_product": "whatsapp",
}

​
Response body

\{
  "messaging_product": "whatsapp",
  "invite_link": "https://chat.whatsapp.com/&lt;LINK_ID&gt;"
}
Template Library contains a utility message template for sending group invite links to WhatsApp users. Use these pre-defined templates to send group invitations as utility messages. In order to keep the template priced as utility, you cannot modify it when you copy it from template library to your WABA. To send the template message: In WhatsApp Manager Navigate to Template Library On the left, click the Group invite link dropdown, then click the Group invite upon request checkbox. Select the template you want to use, give it a name, and click Submit. Via the API You can query template libraries applicable to group invite links using the request below: GET /message_template_library?category=utility&topic=group_invite_link&language=en Read more about finding and adding the template to your WABA via the api Template approval may require up to 24 hours. You’ll be able to send messages with this template after its approval.

​
Step 2. Send the template message

Send the template using the request syntax and body below, substituting your group id, the name you gave your template, and other applicable values. When you provide the group id in the api request, it will be automatically translated into the corresponding group invite link upon message delivery.

​
Request syntax

POST /&lt;BUSINESS_PHONE_NUMBER_ID&gt;/messages

​
Endpoint parameters

PlaceholderDescriptionSample Value
&lt;BUSINESS_PHONE_NUMBER_ID&gt;
Integer		Required
Business phone number ID.		13057863445

​
Request body

curl --location 'https://graph.facebook.com/&lt;API_VERSION&gt;/&lt;BUSINESS_PHONE_NUMBER_ID&gt;/messages?access_token=' \
      --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
      --data '{
        "messaging_product": "whatsapp",
        "to": "&lt;WHATSAPP_USER_PHONE_NUMBER&gt;",
        "type": "template",
        "template": {
          "name": "&lt;TEMPLATE_NAME&gt;",
          "language": {
            "code": "&lt;TEMPLATE_LANGUAGE&gt;"
          },
          "components": [\
            {\
              "type": "body",\
              "parameters": [\
                {\
                  "type": "group_id",\
                  "group_id": "&lt;GROUP_ID&gt;"\
                },\
                {\
                  ...additional parameters\
                }\
              ]\
            }\
          ]
        }
      }'
Learn more about Template Library

​
Webhooks

View the “User joins group using invite link” sample webhook

​
Delete group

This endpoint deletes the group and removes all participants, including the business. No request body is required.

​
Request Syntax

DELETE /&lt;GROUP_ID&gt;

​
Request properties

PlaceholderDescriptionSample Value
&lt;GROUP_ID&gt;
String		Required
The ID of the group you want to delete.		Y2FwaV9ncm91cDoxOTUwNTU1MDA3OToxMjAzNjMzOTQzMjAdOTY0MTUZD

​
Webhooks

A group_lifecycle_update webhook is triggered.

​
Delete group succeed

View the “Delete group succeed” sample webhook

​
Delete group fails

View the “Delete group fails” sample webhook

​
Remove group participants

Use this endpoint to remove participants from the group. Note: If a participant is removed from a group, they can no longer join the group via an invite link.

​
Request syntax

DELETE /&lt;GROUP_ID&gt;/participants

​
Request body

\{
  "messaging_product": "whatsapp",
  "participants": [\
    { "user": "&lt;WHATSAPP_USER_PHONE_NUMBER&gt; or &lt;WHATSAPP_USER_ID&gt;" },\
    { "user": "&lt;WHATSAPP_USER_PHONE_NUMBER&gt; or &lt;WHATSAPP_USER_ID&gt;"" },\
    ...\
  ]
}

​
Request properties

PlaceholderDescriptionSample Value
"participants": []
Array		Optional
Specifies an array of phone numbers or WhatsApp IDs of WhatsApp accounts. The business phone number used to create the group is always added to the group as the creator and admin.
Maximum 8 participants.
The array cannot be empty.		<br />{ "user": "+17865347866" },<br />{ "user": "+7669992245" },<br />...<br />

​
Webhooks

A group_participants_update webhook is triggered.

​
Group participant leaves

View the “Group participant leaves” sample webhook

​
Get group info

Use this endpoint to retrieve metadata about a single group. Note: Specifying no fields in the query parameters will just return the group ID and messaging product.

​
Request syntax

GET /&lt;GROUP_ID&gt;?fields=&lt;FIELDS&gt;

​
Endpoint parameters

PlaceholderDescriptionSample Value
&lt;GROUP_ID&gt;
String		Required
The ID of the group you are querying info from.		Y2FwaV9ncm91cDoxOTUwNTU1MDA3OToxMjAzNjMzOTQzMjAdOTY0MTUZD
&lt;FIELDS&gt;
String		Optional
A comma-separated list of fields to return. If no fields are passed in, only the group id is returned.		"subject,description,participants,join_approval_mode"
Learn more about Graph API fields here

​
Available fields

FieldDescriptionSample Return Value
join_approval_mode
String		Indicates if WhatsApp users who click the invitation link can join the group with or without being approved first.
Values can be:
approval_required — Indicates WhatsApp users must be approved via join request before they can access the group.
auto_approve — Indicates WhatsApp users can join the group without approval.		auto_approve
subject
String		The subject for the group."Artificial Intelligence Insights"
description
String		The group description, if set during creation time."Explore AI developments, share knowledge, and discuss the future of artificial intelligence with fellow enthusiasts and experts."
suspended
Boolean		Returns true if the group has been suspended by whatsapp.false
creation_timestamp
Integer		UNIX timestamp in seconds at which the group was created.683731200
participants
List		A list of objects {"wa_id": "&lt;WA_ID&gt;"}, where &lt;WA_ID&gt; is a participant in the group being queried.[{"wa_id": "2228675309"}, {"wa_id": "7693349922"}]
total_participant_count
Integer		The total number of participants in the group, excluding your business.6

​
Sample response

\{
  "messaging_product": "whatsapp",
  "id": "&lt;GROUP_ID&gt;",
  "subject": "&lt;SUBJECT&gt;",
  "creation_timestamp": "&lt;TIMESTAMP&gt;",
  "suspended": "&lt;SUSPENDED&gt;",
  "description": "&lt;DESCRIPTION&gt;",
  "total_participant_count": "&lt;TOTAL_PARTICIPANT_COUNT&gt;",
  "participants": [\
    {\
      "wa_id": "&lt;WA_ID&gt;"\
    },\
    {\
      "wa_id": "&lt;WA_ID&gt;"\
    }\
  ],
  "join_approval_mode": "&lt;JOIN_APPROVAL_MODE&gt;"
}

​
Get active groups

Use this endpoint to retrieve a list of active groups for a given business phone number.

​
Request syntax

GET /&lt;BUSINESS_PHONE_NUMBER_ID&gt;/groups

​
Query Parameters

?limit=&lt;LIMIT&gt;, // Optional
&after=&lt;AFTER_CURSOR&gt;, // Optional
&before=&lt;BEFORE_CURSOR&gt; // Optional
ParameterDescription
&lt;LIMIT&gt;
Optional		Number of groups to fetch in the request.
Min: 1 | Default: 25 | Max: 1024
&lt;BEFORE_CURSOR&gt;
Optional		Cursor that points to the beginning of a page of data. Learn more about Paginated Results in Graph API here
&lt;AFTER_CURSOR&gt;
Optional		Cursor that points to the end of a page of data. Learn more about Paginated Results in Graph API here

​
Response Object

\{
  "data": {
    "groups": [\
      {"id": "GROUP_ID", "subject": SUBJECT, "created_at": "TIMESTAMP"},\
      {"id": "GROUP_ID", "subject": SUBJECT, "created_at": "TIMESTAMP"}\
      …\
    ]
  },
  "paging": {
    "cursors": {
      "after": "MTAxNTExOTQ1MjAwNzI5NDE=",
      "before": "NDMyNzQyODI3OTQw"
    },
    "previous": "https://graph.facebook.com/VERSION/PHONE_NUMBER_ID/groups?limit=10&before=NDMyNzQyODI3OTQw",
    "next": "https://graph.facebook.com/VERSION/PHONE_NUMBER_ID/groups?limit=25&after=MTAxNTExOTQ1MjAwNzI5NDE="
  }
}

​
Response parameters

ParameterDescription
data[groups]
List		A list of groups, each containing the group id, group subject, and UNIX timestamp for group creation.
paging
Object		A pagination object.
Learn more about Paginated Results in Graph API here

​
Update group settings

Use this webhook to update your group’s subject, description, and photo.

​
Request syntax

POST /&lt;GROUP_ID&gt;

​
Request body

\{
  "messaging_product": "whatsapp",
  "subject": "&lt;GROUP_SUBJECT&gt;",
  "profile_picture_file": "&lt;FILE_PATH&gt;",
  "description": "&lt;GROUP_DESCRIPTION&gt;",
}

​
Request properties

Note
PlaceholderDescriptionSample Value
&lt;FILE_PATH&gt;
String		Optional
A path to an image file stored in your local directory.
To upload a file: Follow the same request structure as the Upload Media endpoint.
Sample file upload cURL:
<br />curl 'https://graph.facebook.com/v23.0/&lt;GROUP_ID&gt; \<br /> -X POST \<br /> -H 'Authorization: Bearer ...' \<br /> -F 'messaging_product=whatsapp' \<br /> -F 'file=@/media/pictures/square_pic.png'<br />
Group profile picture requirement:
Only support mime type image/jpeg
Maximum size: 5MB
Image should be in square, that is, height = width.
Minimum size: 192 x 192		/local/path/file.jpg
&lt;GROUP_SUBJECT&gt;
String		Optional
The new subject for the group.
Maximum length: 128 characters.
Must not be empty if provided.		"Watch Enthusiasts"
&lt;GROUP_DESCRIPTION&gt;
String		Optional
The new description for the group.
Max length: 2048 characters		"Join our community to discuss the latest timepieces, share watch reviews, and connect with fellow horology enthusiasts."

​
Webhooks

A group_settings_update webhook is triggered.

​
Group settings update succeed

View the “Group settings update succeed” sample webhook.

​
Group settings update partial fail

View the “Group settings update partial fail” sample webhook.

​
Group settings update total fail

View the “Group settings update total fail” sample webhook. Did you find this page helpful? Thumbs up icon Thumbs down icon ON THIS PAGE Overview Group management features Subscribe to groups metadata webhooks Create group Request syntax Request body Request parameters Webhooks Group create succeed Group create fail User joins group using invite link Groups with join requests Get join requests Request syntax Request parameters Response syntax Response parameters Approve join requests Request syntax Request body Request parameters Response syntax Response parameters Webhook Reject join requests Request syntax Request body Request parameters Response syntax Response parameters Webhook Get and reset group invite link Get group invite link Request syntax Response body Reset group invite link Request syntax Request body Response body Send group invite link template message Step 1. Add a group invite link template in Template Library to your account templates: Step 2. Send the template message Request syntax Endpoint parameters Request body Webhooks User joins group using invite link Delete group Request Syntax Request properties Webhooks Delete group succeed Delete group fails Remove group participants Request syntax Request body Request properties Webhooks Group participant leaves Get group info Request syntax Endpoint parameters Available fields Sample response Get active groups Request syntax Query Parameters Response Object Response parameters Update group settings Request syntax Request body Request properties Webhooks Group settings update succeed Group settings update partial fail Group settings update total fail