# Messaging Guide
Complete guide to sending and managing messages with WAHA MCP.
## Sending Messages
### Text Messages
Send a simple text message:
```bash
mcporter call 'waha-mcp.waha_send_text(
chatId: "1234567890@c.us",
text: "Hello from WAHA MCP!"
)'
```
#### With Mentions
Tag users in groups:
```bash
mcporter call 'waha-mcp.waha_send_text(
chatId: "1234567890-1234567890@g.us",
text: "@1234567890 Hello there!",
mentions: ["1234567890@c.us"]
)'
```
#### Rich Formatting
WhatsApp supports basic formatting:
```bash
mcporter call 'waha-mcp.waha_send_text(
chatId: "1234567890@c.us",
text: "*Bold* _Italic_ ~Strike~ ```Monospace```"
)'
```
---
## Media Messages
### Images
Send images from local files or URLs:
**From URL:**
```bash
mcporter call 'waha-mcp.waha_send_image(
chatId: "1234567890@c.us",
imageUrl: "https://example.com/photo.jpg",
caption: "Beautiful sunset!"
)'
```
**From Local File:**
```bash
mcporter call 'waha-mcp.waha_send_image(
chatId: "1234567890@c.us",
imagePath: "/path/to/photo.jpg",
caption: "Check this out"
)'
```
### Videos
Send videos with auto-conversion to WhatsApp format:
```bash
mcporter call 'waha-mcp.waha_send_video(
chatId: "1234567890@c.us",
videoPath: "/path/to/video.mp4",
caption: "Amazing moment!"
)'
```
Disable auto-conversion:
```bash
mcporter call 'waha-mcp.waha_send_video(
chatId: "1234567890@c.us",
videoPath: "/path/to/video.mp4",
convert: false
)'
```
### Voice Messages
Send voice notes (auto-converts audio files):
```bash
mcporter call 'waha-mcp.waha_send_voice(
chatId: "1234567890@c.us",
audioPath: "/path/to/audio.mp3"
)'
```
### Documents/Files
Send any file type:
```bash
mcporter call 'waha-mcp.waha_send_file(
chatId: "1234567890@c.us",
filePath: "/path/to/document.pdf",
caption: "Here's the report"
)'
```
Supported file types: PDF, DOCX, XLSX, ZIP, and 50+ more.
---
## Location Sharing
Send a location pin:
```bash
mcporter call 'waha-mcp.waha_send_location(
chatId: "1234567890@c.us",
latitude: 31.7683,
longitude: 35.2137,
name: "Jerusalem"
)'
```
---
## Contact Cards
Send a contact vCard:
```bash
mcporter call 'waha-mcp.waha_send_contact(
chatId: "1234567890@c.us",
contactId: "9876543210@c.us"
)'
```
Or send multiple contacts:
```bash
mcporter call 'waha-mcp.waha_send_contact(
chatId: "1234567890@c.us",
contactIds: ["111@c.us", "222@c.us", "333@c.us"]
)'
```
---
## Polls
Create interactive polls:
```bash
mcporter call 'waha-mcp.waha_send_poll(
chatId: "1234567890@g.us",
question: "What should we do this weekend?",
options: ["Beach", "Mountains", "City Tour", "Stay Home"]
)'
```
Multiple choice poll:
```bash
mcporter call 'waha-mcp.waha_send_poll(
chatId: "1234567890@g.us",
question: "Which toppings do you want?",
options: ["Cheese", "Pepperoni", "Mushrooms", "Olives"],
multipleChoice: true
)'
```
---
## Reactions
React to messages with emojis:
```bash
mcporter call 'waha-mcp.waha_react_to_message(
chatId: "1234567890@c.us",
messageId: "3EB0...",
reaction: "👍"
)'
```
Popular reactions: 👍 ❤️ 😂 😮 😢 🙏
Remove a reaction:
```bash
mcporter call 'waha-mcp.waha_react_to_message(
chatId: "1234567890@c.us",
messageId: "3EB0...",
reaction: ""
)'
```
---
## Message Management
### Retrieve Messages
Get recent messages from a chat:
```bash
mcporter call 'waha-mcp.waha_get_messages(
chatId: "1234567890@c.us",
limit: 50
)'
```
With pagination:
```bash
mcporter call 'waha-mcp.waha_get_messages(
chatId: "1234567890@c.us",
limit: 20,
offset: 40
)'
```
### Edit Messages
Edit a sent message (within 15 minutes):
```bash
mcporter call 'waha-mcp.waha_edit_message(
chatId: "1234567890@c.us",
messageId: "3EB0...",
text: "Updated message text"
)'
```
### Delete Messages
Delete a message for everyone:
```bash
mcporter call 'waha-mcp.waha_delete_message(
chatId: "1234567890@c.us",
messageId: "3EB0..."
)'
```
### Forward Messages
Forward a message to another chat:
```bash
mcporter call 'waha-mcp.waha_forward_message(
chatId: "1234567890@c.us",
messageId: "3EB0...",
toChatId: "9876543210@c.us"
)'
```
### Mark as Read
Mark messages as read:
```bash
mcporter call 'waha-mcp.waha_mark_as_read(
chatId: "1234567890@c.us",
messageIds: ["3EB0...", "3EB1..."]
)'
```
### Star Messages
Star important messages:
```bash
mcporter call 'waha-mcp.waha_star_message(
chatId: "1234567890@c.us",
messageId: "3EB0...",
star: true
)'
```
Unstar:
```bash
mcporter call 'waha-mcp.waha_star_message(
chatId: "1234567890@c.us",
messageId: "3EB0...",
star: false
)'
```
---
## Best Practices
### Rate Limiting
- **Don't spam:** Wait 1-2 seconds between messages
- **Batch operations:** Use bulk methods when available
- **Monitor responses:** Check for rate limit errors
### Message Formatting
- **Keep it clean:** Avoid excessive emojis in business contexts
- **Use mentions wisely:** Only tag when necessary
- **Test formatting:** Verify how special characters appear
### Media Guidelines
- **Image:** Max 5MB, JPG/PNG recommended
- **Video:** Max 16MB, MP4 recommended
- **Voice:** Auto-converts to OGG Opus
- **Files:** Max 100MB
---
## Troubleshooting
### "Message not sent" Error
1. Verify chat ID format
2. Check session is authenticated
3. Ensure recipient exists on WhatsApp
### Media Upload Fails
1. Check file size limits
2. Verify file path is absolute
3. Ensure file is readable
### Reactions Not Showing
1. Only works on recent messages
2. Some emojis may not be supported
3. Check recipient's WhatsApp version
See [Complete Troubleshooting Guide](./15-troubleshooting.md).
---
## Next Steps
- [Learn about Media Handling](./08-media.md)
- [Explore Group Management](./09-groups.md)
- [View Examples Collection](./18-examples.md)
