Do you want your system to automatically send notifications via WhatsApp without paying per message? WuzAPI could be the answer. It is not an official service from WhatsApp, but for daily notifications, it is very helpful.
Why WhatsApp?
Customers and employees in Indonesia open WhatsApp faster than email. Bill reminders, order confirmations, or approval requests will be responded to more quickly if sent via WhatsApp.
WhatsApp actually has an official API, but there is a cost for each message and the registration process is quite lengthy. For small businesses or internal needs, this often feels excessive.
What is WuzAPI?
WuzAPI is a free and open-source application that serves as a "bridge" between your system and WhatsApp.
It works similarly to WhatsApp Web. You just scan the QR code from your phone, then your WhatsApp number is connected to WuzAPI. After that, your system (for example, Odoo) can instruct WuzAPI to send messages automatically at any time.
What can be sent:
- Text messages
- Documents such as PDF invoices
- Images, videos, and audio
- Location and contact
WuzAPI can also handle multiple WhatsApp numbers simultaneously and notify your system when there are incoming messages.
Usage Examples
- Finance: invoice reminders that are due, send PDF invoices
- Sales: order confirmations and tracking numbers
- HR: leave request notifications to supervisors
- Warehouse: low stock alerts
- IT: server issue alerts to the team group
Two Ways to Use WuzAPI
1. Use the ready-to-use service (easiest)
You do not need to set up your own server. WuzAPI is already available as a service on InfinysCloud and CloudKilat.
On InfinysCloud, the service is called WAPI – WhatsApp API Gateway, free for Infinys customers. One example can be seen at wapi.atisicloud.com.
Odoo users can directly install the module Infinys WhatsApp Gateway (Odoo 18, 19, 20). Once the module is connected to WAPI, notifications from Odoo can be sent directly without coding, and each message is logged. A complete explanation can be found in the article Infinys WhatsApp Gateway – Automated WhatsApp Notification Solution in Odoo.
2. Install it yourself on the server (for IT teams)
If you have your own server, WuzAPI can be installed with Docker in a few minutes:
git clone https://github.com/asternic/wuzapi.git cd wuzapi cp .env.sample .env # fill in admin token & Asia/Jakarta time zone docker compose up -d
After that, open the dashboard at http://server-address:8080/dashboard, create a user, then scan the QR code from your phone. Sending a message is as simple as one command:
curl -X POST http://server-address:8080/chat/send/text \
-H 'Token: YOUR_TOKEN' \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{"Phone":"6281234567890","Body":"Invoice INV/0123 due on Nov 10, 2026."}'
The destination number should be written with the prefix 62, without the + sign and without the leading 0.
What to Watch Out For
Because it is unofficial, there are several risks:
- The number can be blocked by WhatsApp if used for sending bulk messages or spam.
- It can suddenly disconnect if WhatsApp changes its system, until WuzAPI is updated.
- There is no official support from WhatsApp.
- The connection can drop if the main phone is not used for about 14 days.
Tips for Safety
- Use a special number, do not use personal or main office numbers.
- Only send to people who are indeed waiting for your message, such as customers or employees.
- Prioritize sending to numbers that are already in your WhatsApp contacts and are indeed familiar. Recipients who do not recognize the sender's number are more likely to block or report it as spam, and such reports are the main reason numbers get blocked by WhatsApp. Ask the recipient to save your notification number.
- Do not send hundreds of messages at once; give a few seconds pause between messages.
- Create personalized message content, for example with a name and document number.
- Regularly check that the WhatsApp connection is still active.
If notifications have become an important part of customer service and their volume is large, consider switching to the official WhatsApp Business API.
Conclusion
WuzAPI is a cost-effective way to add WhatsApp notifications to your business system. Choose a ready-to-use service like WAPI from InfinysCloud if you want convenience, or install it yourself if you have an IT team. Most importantly, use it wisely to keep your number safe.
Want to try WAPI, install Infinys WhatsApp Gateway in Odoo, or have other questions? Contact the InfinysCloud sales team at sales@isi.co.id.