whatsapp-automation - Agent Skills

WhatsApp Business Automation via Rube MCP

Automate WhatsApp Business operations through Composio's WhatsApp toolkit via Rube MCP.

Prerequisites

Rube MCP must be connected (RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS available)

Active WhatsApp connection via RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS with toolkit whatsapp

Always call RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS first to get current tool schemas

WhatsApp Business API account required (not regular WhatsApp)

Setup

Get Rube MCP: Add https://rube.app/mcp as an MCP server in your client configuration. No API keys needed — just add the endpoint and it works.

Verify Rube MCP is available by confirming RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS responds

Call RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS with toolkit whatsapp

If connection is not ACTIVE, follow the returned auth link to complete WhatsApp Business setup

Confirm connection status shows ACTIVE before running any workflows

Core Workflows

1. Send a Text Message

When to use: User wants to send a text message to a WhatsApp contact

Tool sequence:

WHATSAPP_GET_PHONE_NUMBERS - List available business phone numbers [Prerequisite]

WHATSAPP_SEND_MESSAGE - Send a text message [Required]

Key parameters:

to: Recipient phone number in international format (e.g., '+14155551234')

body: Message text content

phone_number_id: Business phone number ID to send from

Pitfalls:

Phone numbers must be in international E.164 format with country code

Messages outside the 24-hour window require approved templates

The 24-hour window starts when the customer last messaged you

Business-initiated conversations require template messages first

2. Send Template Messages

When to use: User wants to send pre-approved template messages for outbound communication

Tool sequence:

WHATSAPP_GET_MESSAGE_TEMPLATES - List available templates [Prerequisite]

WHATSAPP_GET_TEMPLATE_STATUS - Check template approval status [Optional]

WHATSAPP_SEND_TEMPLATE_MESSAGE - Send the template message [Required]

Key parameters:

template_name: Name of the approved template

language_code: Template language (e.g., 'en_US')

to: Recipient phone number

components: Template variable values and parameters

Pitfalls:

Templates must be approved by Meta before use

Template variables must match the expected count and format

Sending unapproved or rejected templates returns errors

Language code must match an approved translation of the template

3. Send Media Messages

When to use: User wants to send images, documents, or other media

Tool sequence:

WHATSAPP_UPLOAD_MEDIA - Upload media to WhatsApp servers [Required]

WHATSAPP_SEND_MEDIA_BY_ID - Send media using the uploaded media ID [Required]

WHATSAPP_SEND_MEDIA - Send media using a public URL [Alternative]

Key parameters:

media_url: Public URL of the media (for SEND_MEDIA)

media_id: ID from upload response (for SEND_MEDIA_BY_ID)

type: Media type ('image', 'document', 'audio', 'video', 'sticker')

caption: Optional caption for the media

Pitfalls:

Uploaded media IDs are temporary and expire after a period

Media size limits vary by type (images: 5MB, videos: 16MB, documents: 100MB)

Supported formats: images (JPEG, PNG), videos (MP4, 3GPP), documents (PDF, etc.)

SEND_MEDIA requires a publicly accessible HTTPS URL

4. Reply to Messages

When to use: User wants to reply to an incoming WhatsApp message

Tool sequence:

WHATSAPP_SEND_REPLY - Send a reply to a specific message [Required]

Key parameters:

message_id: ID of the message being replied to

to: Recipient phone number

body: Reply text content

Pitfalls:

message_id must be from a message received within the 24-hour window

Replies appear as quoted messages in the conversation

The original message must still exist (not deleted) for the quote to display

5. Manage Business Profile and Templates

When to use: User wants to view or manage their WhatsApp Business profile

Tool sequence:

WHATSAPP_GET_BUSINESS_PROFILE - Get business profile details [Optional]

WHATSAPP_GET_PHONE_NUMBERS - List registered phone numbers [Optional]

WHATSAPP_GET_PHONE_NUMBER - Get details for a specific number [Optional]

WHATSAPP_CREATE_MESSAGE_TEMPLATE - Create a new template [Optional]

WHATSAPP_GET_MESSAGE_TEMPLATES - List all templates [Optional]

Key parameters:

phone_number_id: Business phone number ID

template_name: Name for the new template

category: Template category (MARKETING, UTILITY, AUTHENTICATION)

language: Template language code

Pitfalls:

New templates require Meta review before they can be used

Template names must be lowercase with underscores (no spaces)

Category affects pricing and approval criteria

Templates have specific formatting requirements for headers, body, and buttons

6. Share Contacts

When to use: User wants to send contact information via WhatsApp

Tool sequence:

WHATSAPP_SEND_CONTACTS - Send contact cards [Required]

Key parameters:

to: Recipient phone number

contacts: Array of contact objects with name, phone, email details

Pitfalls:

Contact objects must follow the WhatsApp Business API contact schema

At least a name field is required for each contact

Phone numbers in contacts should include country codes

Common Patterns

24-Hour Messaging Window

Customers must message you first to open a conversation window

Within 24 hours of their last message, you can send free-form messages

After 24 hours, only approved template messages can be sent

Template messages can re-open the conversation window

Phone Number Resolution

1. Call WHATSAPP_GET_PHONE_NUMBERS
Extract phone_number_id for your business number

Use phone_number_id in all send operations

Media Upload Flow

1. Call WHATSAPP_UPLOAD_MEDIA with the file
Extract media_id from response

Call WHATSAPP_SEND_MEDIA_BY_ID with media_id

OR use WHATSAPP_SEND_MEDIA with a public URL directly

Known Pitfalls

Phone Number Format:

Always use E.164 format: +[country code][number] (e.g., '+14155551234')

Do not include dashes, spaces, or parentheses

Country code is required; local numbers without it will fail

Messaging Restrictions:

Business-initiated messages require templates outside the 24-hour window

Template messages cost money per conversation

Rate limits apply per phone number and per account

Media Handling:

Uploaded media expires; use promptly after upload

Media URLs must be publicly accessible HTTPS

Stickers have specific requirements (WebP format, 512x512 pixels)

Template Management:

Template review can take up to 24 hours

Rejected templates need to be fixed and resubmitted

Template variables use double curly braces: {{1}}, {{2}}, etc.

Quick Reference

Task	Tool Slug	Key Params
Send message	WHATSAPP_SEND_MESSAGE	to, body
Send template	WHATSAPP_SEND_TEMPLATE_MESSAGE	template_name, to, language_code
Upload media	WHATSAPP_UPLOAD_MEDIA	(file params)
Send media by ID	WHATSAPP_SEND_MEDIA_BY_ID	media_id, to, type
Send media by URL	WHATSAPP_SEND_MEDIA	media_url, to, type
Reply to message	WHATSAPP_SEND_REPLY	message_id, to, body
Send contacts	WHATSAPP_SEND_CONTACTS	to, contacts
Get media	WHATSAPP_GET_MEDIA	media_id
List phone numbers	WHATSAPP_GET_PHONE_NUMBERS	(none)
Get phone number	WHATSAPP_GET_PHONE_NUMBER	phone_number_id
Get business profile	WHATSAPP_GET_BUSINESS_PROFILE	phone_number_id
Create template	WHATSAPP_CREATE_MESSAGE_TEMPLATE	template_name, category, language
List templates	WHATSAPP_GET_MESSAGE_TEMPLATES	(none)
Check template status	WHATSAPP_GET_TEMPLATE_STATUS	template_id