WhatsApp LID (@lid)

What the lid identifier means and how Whapi.Cloud works with it

@lid is a unique identifier generated by WhatsApp to represent a contact without directly exposing the phone number. This is part of WhatsApp’s gradual move toward stronger privacy and reduced phone number visibility.

In practice, WhatsApp may send @lid instead of a phone number in chats, messages, or contacts. This behavior is controlled entirely by WhatsApp and applies even if the user did not explicitly enable phone number hiding.

Whapi.Cloud works with the identifiers exactly as WhatsApp provides them and automatically resolves @lid to a phone number whenever WhatsApp supplies enough data to do so.

What Is a LID (@lid) and How It Appears in the API

A LID is an internal WhatsApp identifier associated with a user or chat. Instead of a numeric phone number, it appears as a string ending with @lid, for example:

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@lid

At the moment, Whapi.Cloud does not expose a separate lid or chat_lid field. You will see either a phone number or an @lid value in existing fields such as chat_id, message sender IDs, or contact identifiers.

If @lid is present, it means WhatsApp sent the identifier in that format.

WhatsApp Direction: Why LID Matters Long-Term

WhatsApp is gradually moving toward a model where phone numbers are no longer the primary visible identifier, especially in contexts such as groups, communities, and Ads.

This means:

  • phone numbers may be hidden more often,

  • @lid identifiers will appear more frequently.

Integrations must stop assuming that a phone number is always available.

Developers should already adapt their systems to work with @lid as a first-class identifier rather than treating it as an exception.

How Whapi.Cloud Handles @lid

When Whapi.Cloud receives an @lid, it attempts to resolve it automatically.

Internally, the platform analyzes WhatsApp socket data associated with the event. If the phone number is present in the incoming technical payload, Whapi.Cloud replaces @lid with the phone number across all available fields.

If the phone number is not available at that moment, Whapi.Cloud returns the @lid unchanged.

We are increasingly encountering the following behavior after connecting a number to our API:

  • a chat or contact initially appears as @lid,

  • after a new incoming or outgoing message, the phone number becomes available,

  • Whapi.Cloud then replaces @lid with the resolved phone number.

This behavior depends entirely on when WhatsApp provides the underlying data.

Working with @lid as a Full Identifier

A LID is a fully valid WhatsApp identifier.

You can:

  • send messages to @lid the same way as to a phone number,

  • receive messages from @lid,

  • handle group events, join requests, and membership updates involving @lid,

  • reject calls associated with @lid.

Messages sent to a LID are delivered normally to the corresponding WhatsApp account. From an integration perspective, @lid should be treated exactly like a regular chat identifier.

This makes it essential to store and work with LID values, not ignore or discard them.

Phone Number ↔ LID Conversion

Converting @lid to a Phone Number

WhatsApp does not provide a public or official way to directly convert @lid to a phone number. This limitation exists by design and is tied to WhatsApp’s privacy model.

Most providers do not offer any solution for this.

Whapi.Cloud is actively developing an internal mechanism that can recognize phone numbers associated with LIDs when this information is technically available. A dedicated endpoint for @lid → phone conversion is planned and will be announced once ready.

Until then, @lid values should be stored and treated as valid identifiers.

Converting a Phone Number to @lid

Whapi.Cloud already provides endpoints that allow retrieving the LID for a given contact.

Get LID for a single contact

Documentation: https://whapi.readme.io/reference/getlidbyid

Get LIDs for multiple contacts

Documentation: https://whapi.readme.io/reference/getlidbyids

These endpoints allow you to build and store a phone ↔ LID mapping in your system.

Recommendations for Integrations

To ensure long-term stability:

  • treat all identifiers,

  • do not assume a phone number will always be present,

  • store both phone numbers and LIDs when available,

  • use LID as a stable identifier in chats, messages, and groups,

  • design systems that can work with @lid immediately, without waiting for phone number resolution.

WhatsApp is clearly moving toward LID-based identification. Systems that adapt early will require fewer changes in the future.

Whapi.Cloud is preparing updates that will introduce explicit LID-related fields for chats, messages, and contacts. These fields will allow clearer and more stable linkage between phone numbers and LIDs while remaining fully backward-compatible.

All changes will be announced in advance with detailed documentation.

Summary

@lid is a WhatsApp privacy identifier and an intentional part of the platform’s evolution. It is not an error and not a temporary anomaly.

Whapi.Cloud automatically resolves @lid to a phone number whenever possible, supports full interaction with LIDs, and provides tools to retrieve LIDs from phone numbers. Additional API features for explicit LID handling and conversion are actively being developed.

Integrations should already treat @lid as a core identifier and design their logic accordingly.

PreviousChat ID. What is it and how to get it?NextWhy do I see status "pending" after sending message?

Last updated

Was this helpful?