WhatsApp Business Automation via Rube MCP

Automate WhatsApp Business operations through Composio's WhatsApp toolkit via Rube MCP.

Toolkit docs: composio.dev/toolkits/whatsapp

Prerequisites

• Rube MCP must be connected (RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS available)

• Active WhatsApp connection via RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS with toolkit whatsapp

• Always call RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS first to get current tool schemas

• WhatsApp Business API account required (not regular WhatsApp)

Setup

Get Rube MCP: Add https://rube.app/mcp as an MCP server in your client configuration. No API keys needed — just add the endpoint and it works.

• Verify Rube MCP is available by confirming RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS responds

• Call RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS with toolkit whatsapp

• If connection is not ACTIVE, follow the returned auth link to complete WhatsApp Business setup

• Confirm connection status shows ACTIVE before running any workflows

Core Workflows

1. Send a Text Message

When to use: User wants to send a text message to a WhatsApp contact

Tool sequence:

• WHATSAPP_GET_PHONE_NUMBERS

• List available business phone numbers [Prerequisite]

• WHATSAPP_SEND_MESSAGE

• Send a text message [Required]

Key parameters:

• to : Recipient phone number in international format (e.g., '+14155551234')

• body : Message text content

• phone_number_id : Business phone number ID to send from

Pitfalls:

• Phone numbers must be in international E.164 format with country code

• Messages outside the 24-hour window require approved templates

• The 24-hour window starts when the customer last messaged you

• Business-initiated conversations require template messages first

2. Send Template Messages

When to use: User wants to send pre-approved template messages for outbound communication

Tool sequence:

• WHATSAPP_GET_MESSAGE_TEMPLATES

• List available templates [Prerequisite]

• WHATSAPP_GET_TEMPLATE_STATUS

• Check template approval status [Optional]

• WHATSAPP_SEND_TEMPLATE_MESSAGE

• Send the template message [Required]

Key parameters:

• template_name : Name of the approved template

• language_code : Template language (e.g., 'en_US')

• to : Recipient phone number

• components : Template variable values and parameters

Pitfalls:

• Templates must be approved by Meta before use

• Template variables must match the expected count and format

• Sending unapproved or rejected templates returns errors

• Language code must match an approved translation of the template

3. Send Media Messages

When to use: User wants to send images, documents, or other media

Tool sequence:

• WHATSAPP_UPLOAD_MEDIA

• Upload media to WhatsApp servers [Required]

• WHATSAPP_SEND_MEDIA_BY_ID

• Send media using the uploaded media ID [Required] OR

• WHATSAPP_SEND_MEDIA

• Send media using a public URL [Alternative]

Key parameters:

• media_url : Public URL of the media (for SEND_MEDIA)

• media_id : ID from upload response (for SEND_MEDIA_BY_ID)

• type : Media type ('image', 'document', 'audio', 'video', 'sticker')

• caption : Optional caption for the media

Pitfalls:

• Uploaded media IDs are temporary and expire after a period

• Media size limits vary by type (images: 5MB, videos: 16MB, documents: 100MB)

• Supported formats: images (JPEG, PNG), videos (MP4, 3GPP), documents (PDF, etc.)

• SEND_MEDIA requires a publicly accessible HTTPS URL

4. Reply to Messages

When to use: User wants to reply to an incoming WhatsApp message

Tool sequence:

• WHATSAPP_SEND_REPLY
• Send a reply to a specific message [Required]

Key parameters:

• message_id : ID of the message being replied to

• to : Recipient phone number

• body : Reply text content

Pitfalls:

• message_id must be from a message received within the 24-hour window

• Replies appear as quoted messages in the conversation

• The original message must still exist (not deleted) for the quote to display

5. Manage Business Profile and Templates

When to use: User wants to view or manage their WhatsApp Business profile

Tool sequence:

• WHATSAPP_GET_BUSINESS_PROFILE

• Get business profile details [Optional]

• WHATSAPP_GET_PHONE_NUMBERS

• List registered phone numbers [Optional]

• WHATSAPP_GET_PHONE_NUMBER

• Get details for a specific number [Optional]

• WHATSAPP_CREATE_MESSAGE_TEMPLATE

• Create a new template [Optional]

• WHATSAPP_GET_MESSAGE_TEMPLATES

• List all templates [Optional]

Key parameters:

• phone_number_id : Business phone number ID

• template_name : Name for the new template

• category : Template category (MARKETING, UTILITY, AUTHENTICATION)

• language : Template language code

Pitfalls:

• New templates require Meta review before they can be used

• Template names must be lowercase with underscores (no spaces)

• Category affects pricing and approval criteria

• Templates have specific formatting requirements for headers, body, and buttons

6. Share Contacts

When to use: User wants to send contact information via WhatsApp

Tool sequence:

• WHATSAPP_SEND_CONTACTS
• Send contact cards [Required]

Key parameters:

• to : Recipient phone number

• contacts : Array of contact objects with name, phone, email details

Pitfalls:

• Contact objects must follow the WhatsApp Business API contact schema

• At least a name field is required for each contact

• Phone numbers in contacts should include country codes

Common Patterns

24-Hour Messaging Window

• Customers must message you first to open a conversation window

• Within 24 hours of their last message, you can send free-form messages

• After 24 hours, only approved template messages can be sent

• Template messages can re-open the conversation window

Phone Number Resolution

1. Call WHATSAPP_GET_PHONE_NUMBERS
2. Extract phone_number_id for your business number
3. Use phone_number_id in all send operations

Media Upload Flow

1. Call WHATSAPP_UPLOAD_MEDIA with the file
2. Extract media_id from response
3. Call WHATSAPP_SEND_MEDIA_BY_ID with media_id
4. OR use WHATSAPP_SEND_MEDIA with a public URL directly

Known Pitfalls

Phone Number Format:

• Always use E.164 format: +[country code][number] (e.g., '+14155551234')

• Do not include dashes, spaces, or parentheses

• Country code is required; local numbers without it will fail

Messaging Restrictions:

• Business-initiated messages require templates outside the 24-hour window

• Template messages cost money per conversation

• Rate limits apply per phone number and per account

Media Handling:

• Uploaded media expires; use promptly after upload

• Media URLs must be publicly accessible HTTPS

• Stickers have specific requirements (WebP format, 512x512 pixels)

Template Management:

• Template review can take up to 24 hours

• Rejected templates need to be fixed and resubmitted

• Template variables use double curly braces: {{1}}, {{2}}, etc.

Quick Reference

Task Tool Slug Key Params

Send message WHATSAPP_SEND_MESSAGE to, body

Send template WHATSAPP_SEND_TEMPLATE_MESSAGE template_name, to, language_code

Upload media WHATSAPP_UPLOAD_MEDIA (file params)

Send media by ID WHATSAPP_SEND_MEDIA_BY_ID media_id, to, type

Send media by URL WHATSAPP_SEND_MEDIA media_url, to, type

Reply to message WHATSAPP_SEND_REPLY message_id, to, body

Send contacts WHATSAPP_SEND_CONTACTS to, contacts

Get media WHATSAPP_GET_MEDIA media_id

List phone numbers WHATSAPP_GET_PHONE_NUMBERS (none)

Get phone number WHATSAPP_GET_PHONE_NUMBER phone_number_id

Get business profile WHATSAPP_GET_BUSINESS_PROFILE phone_number_id

Create template WHATSAPP_CREATE_MESSAGE_TEMPLATE template_name, category, language

List templates WHATSAPP_GET_MESSAGE_TEMPLATES (none)

Check template status WHATSAPP_GET_TEMPLATE_STATUS template_id

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