Generating an API token and sending your first message via the API

Zapini API overview

Zapini offers a REST API to integrate WhatsApp with your systems. With it you can send messages, media and audio, manage contacts and conversations, and control automation. Authentication uses a Bearer token, and each token is tied to a single WhatsApp instance.

Step 1 — Generate an API token

Go to the /tokens page in the panel, pick the instance you want, and generate a new token. The full token is shown only once at creation time, so copy and store it somewhere safe.

💡 Tip: treat the token like a password. Never expose it in frontend code, public repositories or URLs.

Step 2 — Authenticate your requests

Include the token in the Authorization header on every call:

Authorization: Bearer {token}
Content-Type: application/json

Step 3 — Send your first message

Use the send-message endpoint, providing the recipient in international format and the text:

curl -X POST https://zapini.app/api/v1/messages/send \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer {token}" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "recipient": "+5511999999999",
    "message": "Hello! This is my first message through the Zapini API."
  }'

A successful response returns the message identifier so you can track its status:

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "message_id": "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
    "status": "pending"
  }
}

Sending media

To send an image or document, use the media endpoint with the public URL of the file:

curl -X POST https://zapini.app/api/v1/messages/send-media \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer {token}" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "recipient": "+5511999999999",
    "media_url": "https://example.com/file.jpg",
    "media_type": "image",
    "caption": "Check out our latest update"
  }'

Usage limits

The API enforces rate limits to protect the platform. If you receive too-many-requests responses, space out your calls and implement a retry with progressive backoff. The full endpoint reference is on the public API documentation page.