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.

1. Verify Rube MCP is available by confirming RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS responds
2. Call RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS with toolkit whatsapp
3. If connection is not ACTIVE, follow the returned auth link to complete WhatsApp Business setup
4. 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:

1. WHATSAPP_GET_PHONE_NUMBERS – List available business phone numbers [Prerequisite]
2. 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:

1. WHATSAPP_GET_MESSAGE_TEMPLATES – List available templates [Prerequisite]
2. WHATSAPP_GET_TEMPLATE_STATUS – Check template approval status [Optional]
3. 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:

1. WHATSAPP_UPLOAD_MEDIA – Upload media to WhatsApp servers [Required]
2. WHATSAPP_SEND_MEDIA_BY_ID – Send media using the uploaded media ID [Required] OR
3. 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:

1. 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:

1. WHATSAPP_GET_BUSINESS_PROFILE – Get business profile details [Optional]
2. WHATSAPP_GET_PHONE_NUMBERS – List registered phone numbers [Optional]
3. WHATSAPP_GET_PHONE_NUMBER – Get details for a specific number [Optional]
4. WHATSAPP_CREATE_MESSAGE_TEMPLATE – Create a new template [Optional]
5. 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:

1. 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
2. Extract phone_number_id for your business number
3. Use phone_number_id in all send operations

Media Upload Flow

1. Call WHATSAPP_UPLOAD_MEDIA with the file
2. Extract media_id from response
3. Call WHATSAPP_SEND_MEDIA_BY_ID with media_id
4. 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, 512×512 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