Integrate Your Web App to WhatsApp Without the Official API

Nowadays most small businesses rely on WhatsApp to connect with their customer or suppliers, As developers we often get requirements to send messages or documents on WhatsApp.

Yes, there is a WhatsApp business API but it has been developed and structured in a way that helps medium to large scale businesses.

Limitation Of WhatsApp API

There are certain limitations but here I am highlighting only two which are major for small businesses.

• Cost — WhatsApp API is not free, it is charged based on conversion, and it's not suitable for businesses not having an excessive flow of conversation
• Phone Number — for opt-in WhatsApp API you have to provide a dedicated phone number, you can not use that number for the WhatsApp app or WhatsApp business app. In short, you can use that number for other purposes like texting or calling but not for WhatsApp.
  Check the official doc for more information on the phone number

Solution

Most small business uses WhatsApp on their desktop via WhatsApp Web or WhatsApp Desktop.

For Mobile and Desktop

If customers use WhatsApp Desktop or Mobile, it is easy to share content from your web application to WhatsApp Desktop or mobile using WebShare API. Please check the Article on WebShare API for more.

For WhatsApp Web

If the customer is using WhatsApp web, it's a bit tricky to share content from the web application to WhatsApp web.

You can use the WhatsApp-web-bridge Google Chrome extension, this extension exposes the javascript function that your web application can consume to send messages to WhatsApp web. You can send text and multimedia messages both.

This extension is open-source and well-documented, Please visit the GitHub repository for how to use this extension.
https://github.com/naranarethiya/whatsapp-web-interaction-suite