send whatsapp message from angular 2 web app

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07-10-2024

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Sending WhatsApp Messages from Your Angular 2 Web App: A Step-by-Step Guide

Sending WhatsApp messages directly from your Angular 2 web application might seem like a challenging task, but it's actually quite achievable. This article will guide you through the process, providing a clear understanding and practical steps.

Understanding the Challenge:

WhatsApp doesn't offer an official API for sending messages directly from a web app. So, how can we accomplish this? The key lies in utilizing WhatsApp's own web interface and leveraging the power of browser automation.

The Solution:

We'll use a combination of the following:

1. A JavaScript library: We'll use a library like puppeteer to automate browser interactions.
2. WhatsApp Web: We'll leverage WhatsApp Web's interface to send messages.

Let's break it down:

1. Setting up Your Angular 2 Project:

• If you don't already have an Angular 2 project, create one using the Angular CLI.
• Install the puppeteer package:

  npm install puppeteer
  

• Import the necessary modules in your component file:

import { Component } from '@angular/core';
import puppeteer from 'puppeteer';

@Component({
  selector: 'app-whatsapp-sender',
  templateUrl: './whatsapp-sender.component.html',
  styleUrls: ['./whatsapp-sender.component.css']
})
export class WhatsappSenderComponent {
  message: string;
  phoneNumber: string;

  async sendWhatsappMessage() {
    try {
      const browser = await puppeteer.launch({ headless: false }); // Open browser in visible mode
      const page = await browser.newPage();

      // Navigate to WhatsApp Web
      await page.goto('https://web.whatsapp.com/');
      await page.waitForSelector('._2zC-R'); // Wait for the login QR code

      // (Optional) You can handle the login process here, for example,
      // by scanning the QR code manually and waiting for the WhatsApp Web UI to load.

      // Construct the WhatsApp message URL
      const url = `https://wa.me/${this.phoneNumber}?text=${encodeURIComponent(this.message)}`;

      // Navigate to the message URL
      await page.goto(url);
      await page.waitForSelector('._2zC-R'); // Wait for the chat window to load

      // Send the message using the WhatsApp Web interface
      await page.keyboard.type(this.message);
      await page.keyboard.press('Enter');

      // You can optionally wait for the message to be sent successfully.

      await browser.close();
    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Error sending WhatsApp message:', error);
    }
  }
}

2. Adding the UI:

• In your component's HTML, create a form for entering the phone number and message.
• Add a button to trigger the sendWhatsappMessage() function.

<form (ngSubmit)="sendWhatsappMessage()">
  <div>
    <label for="phoneNumber">Phone Number:</label>
    <input type="text" id="phoneNumber" [(ngModel)]="phoneNumber" required>
  </div>
  <div>
    <label for="message">Message:</label>
    <textarea id="message" [(ngModel)]="message" required></textarea>
  </div>
  <button type="submit">Send Message</button>
</form>

3. Understanding the Code:

• The code first launches a puppeteer instance and opens a new browser page.
• It then navigates to the WhatsApp Web login page.
• You can optionally include your own login logic if you want to automate the login process.
• The code constructs a WhatsApp message URL using the wa.me scheme. This URL will directly open the WhatsApp Web chat window for the specified phone number and message.
• It navigates to this URL, waits for the chat window to load, types the message, and presses 'Enter' to send it.
• Finally, the browser is closed.

Important Considerations:

• WhatsApp Web limitations: While this method works, be aware that WhatsApp Web can only be accessed on a single device at a time.
• Privacy: This approach involves automating a web browser, so be mindful of user privacy and avoid using user credentials directly in your code. Consider using a separate account for this purpose.
• Alternative solutions: If you need to send messages programmatically on a large scale or require more control over the messaging process, explore dedicated WhatsApp APIs like Twilio or other messaging services.

Next Steps:

• Implement error handling to gracefully deal with potential issues during the message sending process.
• Add UI elements to display feedback to the user, for example, a loading indicator or success/error messages.
• Explore advanced puppeteer features to further customize your WhatsApp automation.

By following these steps, you'll be able to create your own Angular 2 web app that can send WhatsApp messages!