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Laravel WhatsApp: Send Messages via Meta Cloud API and whatsapp-web.js Behind One Facade [Laravel](https://www.msaied.com/public/articles?category=laravel) [Composer Pacakge](https://www.msaied.com/public/articles?category=composer-pacakge) Laravel WhatsApp: Send Messages via Meta Cloud API and whatsapp-web.js Behind One Facade ========================================================================================= The laravel-whatsapp package lets you send and receive WhatsApp messages through Meta's official Cloud API or an unofficial whatsapp-web.js sidecar — both accessible through a single WhatsApp:: facade. ![](https://cdn.msaied.com/01M22N44A70A5MC2S599JP0MPH.webp) [Mohamed Said](https://www.msaied.com/public#person) Published 26 Jun 2026 · Updated 29 Jun 2026 · 4 min read ShareCopy linkCopied ![Laravel WhatsApp: Send Messages via Meta Cloud API and whatsapp-web.js Behind One Facade](https://cdn.msaied.com/322/aba494fddab4c6e7874cd0ca99a5abc9.png) On this page +1. [Overview](#overview) 2. [Two Backends, One Facade](#two-backends-one-facade) 3. [Sending Messages](#sending-messages) 4. [Queued Sends and Inbound Events](#queued-sends-and-inbound-events) 5. [Optional Admin UI and Persistence](#optional-admin-ui-and-persistence) 6. [Getting Started](#getting-started) 7. [Key Takeaways](#key-takeaways) Overview -------- [Laravel WhatsApp](https://github.com/kstmostofa/laravel-whatsapp) is a package by Md Mostafijur Rahman that integrates WhatsApp messaging into Laravel applications. Its defining feature is a dual-backend architecture: Meta's official Cloud API for business messaging, and an unofficial Node-based [whatsapp-web.js](https://github.com/pedroslopez/whatsapp-web.js) sidecar that drives a headless Chromium instance to communicate via the WhatsApp Web protocol. Both backends sit behind the same `WhatsApp::` facade, so your application code stays consistent regardless of which transport is in use. The package supports Laravel 11, 12, and 13 on PHP 8.2 or higher. Two Backends, One Facade ------------------------ The Cloud API and the web sidecar serve different use cases, and the package is transparent about the trade-offs: | Capability | Cloud API | Web Sidecar | |---|---|---| | QR pairing | No | Yes | | Groups | No | Yes | | Free-form messaging | 24h template window | Yes | | Business templates | Yes | No | | Official support | Yes | Unofficial | The Cloud API is the right choice for templated business messages with official backing. The web sidecar removes the 24-hour reply window restriction and adds group management and status updates, but it operates against a personal account without Meta's official support. Sending Messages ---------------- Routing is determined by the recipient format. An E.164 phone number targets the Cloud API; a `@c.us` identifier targets the web sidecar: ```php WhatsApp::send('+14155550123', 'Your order has shipped.'); WhatsApp::send('14155550123@c.us', 'Thanks for your message!'); ``` For business templates, use the Cloud API's `sendTemplate` method directly: ```php WhatsApp::messages()->sendTemplate('+14155550123', 'order_update', 'en_US', [ ['type' => 'body', 'parameters' => [['type' => 'text', 'text' => 'Order #1042']]], ]); ``` The web sidecar supports named sessions, so you can run multiple personal accounts simultaneously: ```php WhatsApp::web('main')->groups()->create('Team Leads', ['14155550123@c.us']); WhatsApp::web('main')->messages()->sendImage('14155550123@c.us', [ 'url' => 'https://example.com/report.png', 'caption' => 'Q2 summary' ]); ``` Queued Sends and Inbound Events ------------------------------- Outbound messages can be dispatched as queued jobs to keep sending off the request cycle: ```php SendMessage::dispatch('+14155550123', 'Your invoice is ready.'); ``` Inbound messages from the sidecar are bridged into Laravel's event system via a long-running listener process. You subscribe to typed events like any other Laravel event: ```php use \Kstmostofa\LaravelWhatsApp\Events\Web\MessageReceived; Event::listen(MessageReceived::class, function ($event) { Log::info('Message received', ['from' => $event->from(), 'body' => $event->body()]); }); ``` Cloud API inbound traffic is handled through webhooks with HMAC signature verification using your Meta app secret. Optional Admin UI and Persistence --------------------------------- Installing the optional Livewire and Flux dependencies mounts an admin interface at `/whatsapp` with a dashboard, messaging screen, conversation views, and pages for groups, contacts, and webhook logs. Adding Laravel Reverb enables real-time conversation updates. Persistence is opt-in via three Eloquent models — `WaSession`, `WaMessage`, and `WaContact` — which can be placed on a separate database connection to keep WhatsApp data isolated from your primary schema. Getting Started --------------- ```bash composer require kstmostofa/laravel-whatsapp php artisan vendor:publish --tag=laravel-whatsapp-config php artisan vendor:publish --tag=laravel-whatsapp-migrations php artisan migrate ``` Add your Meta credentials to `.env` for the Cloud API path, then install and start the sidecar for the web backend: ```bash php artisan whatsapp:sidecar:install php artisan whatsapp:sidecar:start php artisan whatsapp:web:listen main & ``` Key Takeaways ------------- - A single `WhatsApp::` facade abstracts both the Meta Cloud API and the whatsapp-web.js sidecar. - Recipient format (E.164 vs `@c.us`) determines which backend handles each message. - The web sidecar supports groups, QR pairing, and free-form messaging; the Cloud API provides official business template support. - Outbound messages can be queued; inbound sidecar messages fire typed Laravel events. - An optional Livewire-based admin UI and opt-in Eloquent persistence layer are available. - Requires Laravel 11–13 and PHP 8.2+. --- *Source: [Laravel WhatsApp: Two Backends Behind One Facade — Laravel News](https://laravel-news.com/laravel-whatsapp-two-backends-behind-one-facade)* - [Laravel](https://www.msaied.com/public/articles?search=Laravel) - [WhatsApp](https://www.msaied.com/public/articles?search=WhatsApp) - [Composer Package](https://www.msaied.com/public/articles?search=Composer%20Package) - [Meta Cloud API](https://www.msaied.com/public/articles?search=Meta%20Cloud%20API) - [whatsapp-web.js](https://www.msaied.com/public/articles?search=whatsapp-web.js) Frequently asked questions --------------------------- What is the difference between the Cloud API and the web sidecar in laravel-whatsapp?The Cloud API is Meta's official channel for business messaging. It supports templated messages but restricts free-form replies to a 24-hour window and does not support groups. The web sidecar uses whatsapp-web.js with headless Chromium to connect via the WhatsApp Web protocol, enabling free-form messaging, group creation, and QR pairing, but it operates against a personal account without official Meta support. How does laravel-whatsapp decide which backend to use when sending a message?The recipient format determines the backend. Passing an E.164 phone number (e.g., '+14155550123') routes the message through the Cloud API. Passing a '@c.us' identifier (e.g., '14155550123@c.us') routes it through the web sidecar session. Does laravel-whatsapp support receiving inbound WhatsApp messages?Yes. Inbound messages from the web sidecar are bridged into Laravel's event system via a long-running 'whatsapp:web:listen' artisan process, firing typed events such as MessageReceived. Inbound Cloud API traffic is handled through webhooks with HMAC signature verification. ![Mohamed Said](https://cdn.msaied.com/01M22N44A70A5MC2S599JP0MPH.webp)About the author ---------------- [Mohamed Said](https://www.msaied.com/public#person)Senior Backend Engineer specializing in Laravel, scalable SaaS platforms, APIs, and cloud infrastructure. I build secure, high-performance web applications that help businesses grow. [About](https://www.msaied.com/public#about) [GitHub ↗](https://github.com/EG-Mohamed) [LinkedIn ↗](https://www.linkedin.com/in/msaiedm/) [WhatsApp ↗](https://wa.me/201094619204) [Email Address ↗](mailto:hello@msaied.com) [My CV ↗](https://drive.google.com/file/u/0/d/1MF20IPRJyzfy32mhEutjL5EpSls0w2Q8/view) [Previous articleLaravel Service Container: Contextual Binding, Tagging, and Method Injection](https://www.msaied.com/public/articles/laravel-service-container-contextual-binding-tagging-and-method-injection-1) [Next articleUSAIGE: Track Token Usage and Costs for Laravel AI SDK Requests](https://www.msaied.com/public/articles/usaige-track-token-usage-and-costs-for-laravel-ai-sdk-requests) On this page ------------- 1. [Overview](#overview) 2. [Two Backends, One Facade](#two-backends-one-facade) 3. [Sending Messages](#sending-messages) 4. [Queued Sends and Inbound Events](#queued-sends-and-inbound-events) 5. [Optional Admin UI and Persistence](#optional-admin-ui-and-persistence) 6. [Getting Started](#getting-started) 7. [Key Takeaways](#key-takeaways) ### Have a technical challenge? Tell me what you’re building. I reply within two working days. 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