# WhatsApp message status webhooks

Each change in an outbound message's [status](/docs/guides/whatsapp/events/message-status) can be pushed to your endpoint as it happens. Every payload uses the [WhatsApp event envelope](/docs/guides/whatsapp/webhooks#the-event-envelope) and carries the [fields every message event carries](/docs/guides/whatsapp/webhooks#fields-every-message-event-carries).

## Delivery events

`whatsapp.accepted`, `whatsapp.sent`, `whatsapp.delivered`, and `whatsapp.read` carry only the fields every message event carries. [Lifecycle events](/docs/guides/whatsapp/events/message-status#lifecycle-events) gives what each one means and when `whatsapp.delivered` is skipped.

```json
{
  "data": {
    "direction": "outbound",
    "from": { "phone_number": "+13124495569" },
    "metadata": { "session_id": "sess_4821" },
    "tags": [{ "name": "flow", "value": "login-otp" }],
    "to": { "phone_number": "+14155550100" },
    "whatsapp_id": "wam_01ky7qbvswf3fvyaw3az90391c",
    "workspace_id": "ws_01ky7m235keycbnwyajabe1a6b"
  },
  "timestamp": "2026-07-23T14:51:39.913Z",
  "type": "whatsapp.delivered"
}
```

`whatsapp.failed` and `whatsapp.rejected` also carry an `error` object with a stable Bird `code`, a human-readable `description`, an optional `meta_error_code`, and `occurred_at`. See [failure events](/docs/guides/whatsapp/events/message-status#failure-events) for what separates the two. On a failure WhatsApp reported, `description` is WhatsApp's own explanation. A service message whose customer service window closed between accept and dispatch fails like this:

```json
{
  "data": {
    "direction": "outbound",
    "error": {
      "code": "service_window_expired",
      "description": "Message failed to send because more than 24 hours have passed since the customer last replied to this number.",
      "meta_error_code": "131047",
      "occurred_at": "2026-07-23T14:51:40.201Z"
    },
    "from": { "phone_number": "+13124495569" },
    "metadata": null,
    "tags": null,
    "to": { "phone_number": "+14155550100" },
    "whatsapp_id": "wam_01ky7qbvswf3fvyaw3az90391c",
    "workspace_id": "ws_01ky7m235keycbnwyajabe1a6b"
  },
  "timestamp": "2026-07-23T14:51:40.201Z",
  "type": "whatsapp.failed"
}
```

[Marking an inbound message as read](/docs/guides/whatsapp/mark-message-as-read) records `whatsapp.read` in the message's timeline but does not emit a webhook.

## Next steps

- [Inbound message webhooks](/docs/guides/whatsapp/webhooks/messages): the `whatsapp.received` payload for a message a contact sends you
- [Reaction webhooks](/docs/guides/whatsapp/webhooks/reactions): a contact's reactions arrive separately
- [Message status events](/docs/guides/whatsapp/events/message-status): read a message's timeline back through the API

## Related resources

- [Connecting WhatsApp to Bird: from buying a number to a live channel](/learn/whatsapp/connecting-whatsapp-to-bird) (video)
- [What is the 24-hour customer service window on WhatsApp?](/explained/whatsapp/what-is-the-24-hour-customer-service-window) (answer)
- [WhatsApp message builder](/tools/whatsapp-message-builder) (tool)
- [WhatsApp](/whatsapp-api) (product)

[Get an implementation brief](/learn/workspace?topic=whatsapp)