Chip warm-up
New numbers chat in a community before going into production, building natural history and reducing the risk of a ban.
WhatsApp API without the Meta paperwork
WhatsApp API with 150+ REST endpoints, webhooks and a flat price per number
Stop depending on people typing on a phone. Connect your number with a QR code, send and receive messages by API, and let warm-up and anti-ban best practices work for you. See how it works, official vs unofficial, and what it costs.
Updated October 27, 2026
WhatsApp API pricing
R$15 per active number per month, prepaid, with no per-message fee and no lock-in. You pay for the numbers you keep active, not for sending volume. In the first month of each number there is a provisioning fee, shown before you confirm.
- No per-message charge and no webhook charge.
- When you verify your phone at signup you receive welcome credit to test, with no deposit, one per phone, according to the current campaign.
Notice: the unofficial API goes against WhatsApp's Terms, and the number can be limited or banned. When the official API is the better choice is explained on WhatsApp Business API.
See all pricingWhatsApp Business API: official vs unofficial
Send a message by API
One POST with your credentials already sends a text. Replace {instanceId} with your instance ID.
POST /send/text
curl -X POST https://api.zapzapapi.com/api/v1/{instanceId}/send/text \
-H "x-api-key: YOUR_KEY" -H "x-api-secret: YOUR_SECRET" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"number":"5511999999999","text":"Hello!"}'What a WhatsApp API is
API means application programming interface. A WhatsApp API is the bridge that lets a system talk over WhatsApp without anyone typing on a phone. Instead of opening the app, your server makes a request and the message goes out. When someone replies, WhatsApp sends the event back to your application through a webhook.
In practice, it's what turns WhatsApp from a chat app into an operations channel: appointment confirmations that fire on their own, billing that goes out on the due date, support that answers instantly, leads that land straight in the CRM. All automated, with history and scale.
There are two ways to get there: Meta's official API and the unofficial, instance-based APIs. The choice changes cost, setup time and what you need to manage.
Comparison
Official or unofficial
Both get the job done, but they solve different problems. See where each one fits.
| Criterion | ZapZap (unofficial) | Official API (Meta) |
|---|---|---|
| Time to start | Minutes (QR code) | Days to weeks (verification) |
| Billing | Per active number/month | Per delivered message |
| Approved templates | Not required | Required to start a conversation |
| Warm-up and anti-ban | Included and automatic | On you |
| Number | Your regular number | Dedicated verified number |
| Risk to weigh | Unofficial: goes against WhatsApp's Terms and the number can be restricted or banned. We lower the risk with warm-up and pacing, no guarantee | Official: fixed rules, higher cost and paperwork |
| Best for | Scaling fast, campaigns, support | Large brand with approved volume |
How it works in practice
- 1
Create your account and add a number
Sign up, provision an instance and connect your number by scanning the QR code. In minutes the number is ready for the API.
- 2
Warm up before you send
Put new numbers into the warm-up community. They chat naturally and build history before going into production.
- 3
Integrate via API or no-code
Use the REST endpoints, the webhooks and the ready-made examples, or connect through n8n, Make and Zapier without writing code.
- 4
Send, receive and monitor
Send messages with humanized delays, receive replies through webhooks and track the status of each number with alerts.
Features
What comes with it
It's not just a pipe for messages. The ZapZap API bundles in what you'd otherwise have to build and maintain on your own.
Anti-ban
Automatic typing proportional to the message, humanized delays per instance and an anti-burst queue. Fewer mass-sending signals.
AI per instance
Support, qualification and automatic reactions with configurable models, turned on per number whenever you want.
Native webhooks
Receive every message, status and event in real time at your URL. Plug into n8n, Make, Zapier or your own backend.
REST at scale
Send text, media, buttons, lists and polls through a simple REST API, with a secure proxy that never exposes your token.
Monitoring
Connection status for each number, drop alerts and reports so you act before it becomes a problem.
Endpoints by category
153 REST operations in 17 categories, all described in the OpenAPI file and the Postman collection. Each endpoint has its own reference page with parameters, a sample request and a response.
| Category | Operations |
|---|---|
| Account and Instances | 12 |
| Send Messages | 12 |
| Conversations | 20 |
| Contacts and Profile | 8 |
| Groups | 19 |
| Newsletters and Channels | 26 |
| Campaigns | 7 |
| Calls | 2 |
| WhatsApp Business | 8 |
| Settings | 17 |
| Webhooks and Events | 5 |
| Async Queue | 2 |
| Chatbot and AI | 8 |
| CRM and Leads | 2 |
| Chatwoot Integration | 2 |
| Flows | 2 |
| Meta Tracking | 1 |
WhatsApp integration through an API
To integrate WhatsApp with your CRM, ERP or website you use two things: REST calls to send and a webhook to receive replies. No-code tools such as n8n, Make and Zapier connect through the same features (HTTP Request and Webhook).
For n8n there are 12 workflow templates to download and a community node, the n8n-nodes-zapzap package, published on npm. It is a community node, not a node verified by n8n.
Official or unofficial API
ZapZap is an unofficial, instance-based API: it connects a regular number by QR code, starts in minutes and costs a flat amount per number. In exchange, it goes against WhatsApp's Terms and the number can be restricted. Meta's official API bills per delivered message, requires verification and is the better choice for regulated operations, marketing at scale with recorded consent, or a number you cannot lose.
WhatsApp Business APIZapZap vs the official APIGuide: official vs unofficial
Go deeper by topic
Chip warm-up
How to prepare a new number and reduce the risk of a ban.
ViewAnti-ban
What reduces the risk of a ban when sending.
ViewBulk sending
How to send at volume without looking like spam.
ViewAI chatbot
Automated support that qualifies leads.
ViewWhatsApp Business API
The term, the costs and the options.
ViewFree tools
Link generator, QR Code and validator.
ViewFrequently asked questions
What is a WhatsApp API?
It's an interface that lets you send and receive WhatsApp messages through code instead of typing on a phone. With it, your system, CRM or automation talks to customers programmatically: it fires notifications, answers in support and connects WhatsApp to the rest of your operation.
What's the difference between the official and unofficial WhatsApp API?
The official API (Meta's Cloud API) requires business verification, template approval and charges per delivered message. The unofficial one, like ZapZap's, connects a regular number via QR code in minutes, with no pre-approved templates and billing per number, not per message. In exchange, you take on warm-up and anti-ban management, which ZapZap automates.
Do I need to know how to code to use it?
For API integration, yes, it helps to understand REST requests and webhooks. But ZapZap also offers a visual panel, a no-code Flow Builder and ready-made integrations with n8n, Make and Zapier for those who'd rather not write code.
How much does a WhatsApp API cost?
At ZapZap it's R$15 per active number per month, prepaid, with no per-message charge and no lock-in. You get welcome credit (subject to the current campaign) when you create your account to test before deciding. You can see it all working before you deposit.
Is it safe? Can my number get banned?
There is no guarantee. The unofficial API goes against WhatsApp's Terms, so the number can be limited or banned. ZapZap offers community chip warm-up, humanized delays per instance and sending that stays out of the mass-blast pattern, which help lower the risk, and you monitor each number's status with alerts. If losing the number is not acceptable, use the official API.
How many endpoints does the ZapZap API have?
150+ REST endpoints (153 operations in the OpenAPI file, in 17 categories), covering sending, conversations, groups, campaigns, webhooks, chatbot and more. The OpenAPI file and the Postman collection are available to download.
Can I integrate the WhatsApp API with n8n?
Yes. n8n connects through the HTTP Request and Webhook nodes, and there are 12 ready templates to download. There is also the community package n8n-nodes-zapzap on npm, which is a community node and not a node verified by n8n.
Start now
Create your account, connect a number in minutes and test the API with warm-up and anti-ban. R$15 per active number/month, prepaid, no lock-in.