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Hi everyone! I have a question about ManyChat WhatsApp automation via API.

  • March 4, 2026
  • 1 comment
  • 9 views
jaopedrobf_

Context:
I run an app/website where users sign up and accept terms allowing us to contact them via WhatsApp. Their data is stored in my database (sometimes I can also feed contacts via Google Sheets).
What I need is: every time a new contact is created, ManyChat should automatically send a WhatsApp Message Template (Marketing or Utility) after a few hours/days (welcome/onboarding), without any manual importing/tagging.

Issue:
When I try to do this via API, ManyChat blocks it and says I need some kind of approval/permission, and that I have to do it manually. This doesn’t scale (I may get 10–50 new signups).

My questions:

  1. What exactly is the approval/permission I need to create/import WhatsApp contacts via API and then trigger automation? Is it plan-related, WhatsApp channel-related, or a feature that Support must enable?

  2. Is this the recommended approach?

    • API → createSubscriber (with whatsapp_phone) → contact is opted-in → “New contact” trigger → delay → send WhatsApp Message Template

  3. If the contact already exists, what’s the best way to avoid duplicates and still start the flow?

  4. For Google Sheets, is the best practice using Make/Zapier to call ManyChat API (create contact + tag) so the whole process is 100% automated?

Any guidance on the correct setup (and where/how to request that API enablement) would be greatly appreciated! 🙏

Note: I understand templates must be approved and sending templates uses wallet funds — that part is fine. My blocker is the API automation / permission so I don’t have to do manual work.

(References I found: ManyChat help docs on sending Message Templates via automation/broadcast; and the article about creating WhatsApp contacts via API says it’s available only on certain paid plans and may require Support to enable it.)

    1 reply

    Fabio Gaulke
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    • Fabio Gaulke
    • Community Moderator
    • March 4, 2026

    Hi, ​@jaopedrobf_!

     

    It is easy once you find out how to do it. 😅

    • To create new subscribers with only the WhatsApp number (ID) it's enough just have the params for first_name, whatsapp_phone and consent_phrase.
    • If a contact already exists with that WhatsApp ID, you get an error as response. Since there's no way to get a subscriber ID only with the whatsapp_phone, you need to duplicate the whatsapp_phone to an custom user field and use /fb/subscriber/findByCustomField to get the subscriber's ID in order to send a Flow
    • Once you have that, just set both ways to send a Flow using /fb/sending/sendFlow.

     

    All the waiting time and additional conditions you can set in this automation you're sending and let Manychat manage all that.

     


    PS: If you need some help with that, feel free to contact me: https://wa.me/5547936183266

    Inclusive, podes mandar as coisas em português por aqui! 😉

    @fabio.gaulke | @monada.ag
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