Why do I see status "pending" after sending message?

When you send a message through the Whapi API, the response always includes "status": "pending" first. This is normal — it means the API accepted the request and passed it to WhatsApp. The status then updates to delivered, or read as WhatsApp processes delivery.

To track status changes in real time, enable the statuses.post webhook event. You can also check the current status manually using the Get message method.

If the status stays pending and never changes — the message did not reach the recipient. Below are the most common reasons, in order of likelihood.

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1. Wrong recipient ID, or the number is not on WhatsApp

This is the most frequent cause. First, make sure you are using the correct Chat ID format:

• Personal chat: phone number in international format, digits only, no + or leading zeros — e.g. 5561982198228

• Group: ID ending in @g.us

• Community: send to individual groups within it, not to the community ID itself. All posting happens through the announcement group inside the community — it has a separate @g.us ID. Use the Get community groups method to retrieve the correct ID.

Some countries (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina) use non-obvious number formats — a single extra or missing digit silently prevents delivery, and you cannot spot it by eye. So before sending to a new contact, always validate the number with the Check phones method. One call answers both questions at once:

• The number is not registered on WhatsApp → the response returns invalid. A message sent to it will stay pending indefinitely.

• The number is registered → the response returns the exact Chat ID WhatsApp recognizes. Send to that value, not to the raw number from your CRM or contact list.

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2. No permission to send to this chat

Some chat types restrict who can send messages:

• Groups with admin-only posting enabled — non-admin members cannot send; messages stay pending.

• WhatsApp Channels (newsletters) — only the channel admin or creator can publish posts. A message from anyone else stays pending and is never published.

To check your role in a channel, use the Get newsletter information method and look at the "role" field — it must be "admin" or "creator".

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If you have checked all of the above and the message is still not delivered after a few minutes, contact the Whapi support team for diagnostics.