# Media Messages

{% hint style="info" %}
You can only send a text message up until 24 hours after receiving a message from the user. If you have not received a message from the user within this time, you will need to start a new conversation by sending a [Template Message](https://qikchat.gitbook.io/apidocs/quick-start).
{% endhint %}

Use the `messages` node to send messages containing audio, documents, images, stickers, or videos to your customers.

In essence, when you send a message that includes media, you must provide the link to the media in the request body. You must also specify the type of media that you are sending: `audio`, `document`, `image`, `sticker`, or `video`. When the request is received, the media is uploaded to the WhatsApp server and sent to the user indicated in the `to_contact` field.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Links** - To use a link, you supply an HTTP(S) link from which the application will download the media, saving you the step of uploading media yourself. Please make sure you are using a mp4 direct link.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="info" %}
You can provide a `link` parameter pointing to the media you want to send. Currently only HTTP/HTTPS links are supported. **You will need to use a link that directs to the mp4 file itself**, which might not be available if using basic video platforms. Some suggested platforms that offer this type of link are Google Cloud Storage Bucket, AWS S3 Bucket, Streamable.
{% endhint %}

## Send a media message

<mark style="color:green;">`POST`</mark> `https://api.qikchat.in/v1/messages`

To send a media message, use the request URL and the following body parameters.

#### Headers

| Name                                              | Type   | Description   |
| ------------------------------------------------- | ------ | ------------- |
| QIKCHAT-API-KEY<mark style="color:red;">\*</mark> | string | place API key |

#### Request Body

| Name                                              | Type   | Description                                       |
| ------------------------------------------------- | ------ | ------------------------------------------------- |
| to\_contact<mark style="color:red;">\*</mark>     | string | customer whatsapp number you want to send message |
| type<mark style="color:red;">\*</mark>            | string | audio \| document \| image \| video \| sticker    |
| SPECIFIC OBJECT<mark style="color:red;">\*</mark> | object |                                                   |

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="200: OK " %}
A successful response includes a `data object` with an ID for the message sent.

The relevant object (dictionary with “id”) is nested in array which itself is in other dict.

```json
{
    "status": true,
    "message": "Messages queued successfully",
    "data": [
        {
            "id": "52JH6WmuSruAVyXvBBYemd0Ia",
            "channel": "whatsapp",
            "from": "919099999916",
            "recipient": "+917904903575",
            "created_at": "2023-02-19T12:52:25.222Z",
            "status": "queued"
        }
    ]
}
```

{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

**Example**

The sample below shows multiple different objects such as `audio`, `document`, `image`, `sticker`, and `video` for illustration purposes only. A valid request body contains only one of them.

```
POST /v1/messages
{
  "to_contact": "whatsapp-id",
  "type": "audio" | "document" | "image" | "sticker" | "video",
  
  "audio": {
    "link": "http(s)://the-url",
  }
  
  "document": {
    "link": "http(s)://the-url.pdf",
    "caption": "your-document-caption",
    "filename": "your-document-filename"
  }
  
  "video": {
    "link": "http(s)://the-url",
    "caption": "your-video-caption"    
  }
  
  "image": {
    "link": "http(s)://the-url",
    "caption": "your-image-caption"
  }
  
  "sticker": {
    "link": "http(s)://the-url",
  }
}
```

#### Post-Processing Media Size <a href="#post-processing" id="post-processing"></a>

| Media Type | Size   |
| ---------- | ------ |
| audio      | 16 MB  |
| document   | 100 MB |
| image      | 5 MB   |
| sticker    | 100 KB |
| video      | 16 MB  |

#### Supported Content-Types

| Media    | Supported Content-Types                                                                                                                                               |
| -------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| audio    | <p>audio/aac, audio/mp4, audio/amr, audio/mpeg, audio/ogg; codecs=opus </p><p></p><p>Note: The base audio/ogg type is not supported.</p>                              |
| document | Any valid MIME-type.                                                                                                                                                  |
| image    | <p>image/jpeg, image/png                                   </p><p><br>Images with transparent backgrounds won't support.</p>                                          |
| sticker  | image/webp                                                                                                                                                            |
| video    | <p>video/mp4, video/3gpp</p><p></p><p>Notes:</p><p>Only H.264 video codec and AAC audio codec is supported. Only videos with a single audio stream are supported.</p> |