How to Create and Send a Contact Request Component on WhatsApp in Blip – Blip | Blip Help

Blip allows you to interact more intelligently with your customers using native WhatsApp features. The Contact Request functionality lets you send a structured message with a specific button provided by Meta so that the contact can share their contact information with your intelligent contact in a simple, automatic, and secure way.

In this article, you will learn how to create this component in a message template and in interactive messages, as well as how to send it through different channels of our API and directly through Blip Studio/Builder.

How to Send as a Message Template

1. Creating the Template

To create the template, you must make an HTTP request using the command below:

{
   "id":"{{$guid}}",
   "from":"{{$botIdentity}}",
   "method":"set",
   "type":"application/json",
   "to":"postmaster@wa.gw.msging.net",
   "uri":"/message-templates",
   "resource":{
      "name":"{{message template name}}",
      "components":[
         {
            "type":"BUTTONS",
            "buttons":[
               {
                  "type":"REQUEST_CONTACT_INFO",
                  "text":"Share Contact Info"
               }
            ]
         },
         {
            "type":"BODY",
            "text":"{{Message body text}}"
         }
      ],
      "language":"pt_BR",
      "category":"{{UTILITY or MARKETING}}"
   }
}

2. Important Meta Limitations When Using the Component

Since this is a native feature of Meta's ecosystem, there are specific rules that must be strictly followed to avoid rejection or failure in sending the component:

Fixed structure: The request MUST have exactly the JSON structure described above. Any missing or modified property outside the standard will cause immediate failure.
Button Component: The object inside buttons must mandatorily contain the values "type":"REQUEST_CONTACT_INFO" and "text":"Share Contact Info". Do not change these texts or types, as they are requirements imposed by Meta for this feature. The button text translation is automatically handled by Meta.
What can be customized: the only flexibility allowed in creation is the "text" field inside the "BODY" component (where the main message the user will read is), the language definition ("language"), and the category ("category"), which can be set as UTILITY or MARKETING (subject to later review by Meta).

Use of Variables: You can use dynamic variables (like {{1}}, {{2}}) normally within the body text (BODY). To learn more about approval and best practices for variables, check out our Guide to Creating and Approving Message Templates on WhatsApp.

How to Send via API

If you prefer to send directly to a specific contact using the traditional message sending API, format the payload according to the structured model below:

{
   "id":"{{$guid}}",
   "to":"{{$userIdentity}}@wa.gw.msging.net",
   "type":"application/json",
   "content": {
        "type": "template",
        "template": {
            "language": {
                "policy": "deterministic",
                "code": "pt_BR"
            },
            "name": "{{message template name}}",
            "components": []
        },
        "templateContent": {
            "name": "{{message template name}}",
            "language": "pt_BR",
            "category": "{{UTILITY or MARKETING}}"
        }
    }
}

How to Use Inside Blip Studio/Builder

It is also possible to include this request component in a conversation flow of your intelligent contact using Blip Studio/Builder. For this, you need to use the Dynamic Content block.

If you are not yet familiar with this type of component, we recommend reading the article How to Use Dynamic Content first.

Step-by-Step in Builder

In the desired block of your flow, add a new content component of the type Dynamic Content.

Set the Type field to application/json.
In the Content Value field, fill in the following JSON:

{
        "recipient_type":"individual",
        "type":"interactive",
        "interactive": {
            "type": "request_contact_info",
            "body": {
                "text": "Please share your contact so we can continue our conversation."
            },
            "action": {
                "name": "request_contact_info"
            }
        }
}

Meta Limitations for Dynamic Content

Just like with the API, there are immutable properties according to Meta's specifications:

The value of "type" inside "interactive" must be strictly "request_contact_info".
The value of "name" inside "action" must mandatorily be "request_contact_info".
Free modification is allowed only in the "text" field contained in the "body" object, which represents the descriptive text sent to the contact.

Need more help? Explore our content at the Blip Academy or Blip Community, watch tutorials on our YouTube channel, or get your questions answered in our support channel 😃