# WhatsApp inbound message webhooks

When a contact sends you a message, Bird pushes `whatsapp.received` to your endpoint. The 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).

## The received payload

`whatsapp.received` carries the message's content on top of the fields every message event carries, so an endpoint can act on an inbound message without reading it back. A tap on an interactive message arrives as `interactive_reply`, and `in_reply_to_message_id` names the message it answers:

```json
{
  "data": {
    "direction": "inbound",
    "from": {
      "display_name": "Alex Rivera",
      "phone_number": "+14155550100",
      "username": "alexr"
    },
    "in_reply_to_message_id": "wam_01ky7qbvswf3fvyaw3az90391c",
    "interactive_reply": {
      "list": {
        "description": "Next day to 2 days",
        "slug": "priority_express",
        "text": "Priority Mail Express"
      },
      "type": "list"
    },
    "metadata": null,
    "tags": null,
    "to": { "phone_number": "+13124495569" },
    "whatsapp_id": "wam_01ky8b3xq4gd7pmzn2ka51f7te",
    "workspace_id": "ws_01ky7m235keycbnwyajabe1a6b"
  },
  "timestamp": "2026-07-23T14:52:04.118Z",
  "type": "whatsapp.received"
}
```

The other content arms follow the same one-of-these shape: `text`, `image`, `video`, `audio`, `sticker`, `document`, `location`, `contact_cards`, and `unsupported` for a kind the API does not model. [`GET /v1/whatsapp/messages/{message_id}`](/docs/api/reference/get-whatsapp-message) documents each one.

## Next steps

- [Receiving WhatsApp messages](/docs/guides/whatsapp/receiving-whatsapp): every content arm and fetching inbound media
- [Reaction webhooks](/docs/guides/whatsapp/webhooks/reactions): a contact's reactions arrive separately
- [Message status webhooks](/docs/guides/whatsapp/webhooks/message-status): delivery and failure payloads for messages you send

## 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)