Reaction Messages

Reaction messages allow you to send emoji reactions to specific messages in a WhatsApp conversation. This is similar to how users can react to messages in the WhatsApp application.

Basic Usage

import WhatsApp from 'meta-cloud-api';

// Initialize client
const whatsapp = new WhatsApp({
  phoneNumberId: YOUR_PHONE_NUMBER_ID,
  accessToken: 'YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN'
});

// Send a reaction to a message
const response = await whatsapp.messages.reaction(
  "😊", // emoji
  "wamid.abcd1234...", // message ID to react to
  15551234567 // recipient
);

console.log(`Reaction message sent with ID: ${response.data.messages[0].id}`);

Parameters

The reaction() method accepts the following parameters:

Parameter	Type	Description
emoji	string	The emoji to use as a reaction
messageId	string	The ID of the message to react to
recipient	string or number	The recipient's phone number with country code

Examples

Reacting to a Message with an Emoji

const response = await whatsapp.messages.reaction(
  "👍",
  "wamid.HBgLMTY1MDUwNzY1MjAVAgARGBI5QTNDQTVCM0Q0Q0Q2RTY3RTcA",
  15551234567
);

Removing a Reaction

To remove a reaction, send an empty string as the emoji:

const response = await whatsapp.messages.reaction(
  "",
  "wamid.HBgLMTY1MDUwNzY1MjAVAgARGBI5QTNDQTVCM0Q0Q0Q2RTY3RTcA",
  15551234567
);

Common Emoji Reactions

Here are some commonly used emoji reactions:

Emoji	Unicode	Description
👍	U+1F44D	Thumbs up
❤️	U+2764 FE0F	Red heart
😂	U+1F602	Face with tears of joy
😮	U+1F62E	Face with open mouth
😢	U+1F622	Crying face
🙏	U+1F64F	Folded hands
🔥	U+1F525	Fire
👏	U+1F44F	Clapping hands

Error Handling

try {
  const response = await whatsapp.messages.reaction(
    "👍",
    "wamid.HBgLMTY1MDUwNzY1MjAVAgARGBI5QTNDQTVCM0Q0Q0Q2RTY3RTcA",
    15551234567
  );
  console.log("Reaction message sent successfully:", response.data);
} catch (error) {
  console.error("Error sending reaction message:", error);
  
  // Handle specific error cases
  if (error.response && error.response.data) {
    if (error.response.data.error.code === 131051) {
      console.log("Message to react to not found");
    } else {
      console.log("Error details:", error.response.data);
    }
  }
}

Limitations

• You can only react to messages that are still available in the chat history
• You can only use one emoji per reaction
• The message ID must be valid and accessible
• Not all emoji are supported as reactions

Best Practices

1. Use common emojis: Stick to commonly used reaction emojis for better compatibility.

2. React promptly: Reactions are most meaningful when sent promptly after receiving a message.

3. Use reactions appropriately: Choose reactions that make sense in the context of the conversation.

4. Don't overuse reactions: Use reactions sparingly and when they add value to the conversation.

5. Consider cultural context: Be aware that emoji meanings can vary across different cultures.

Related

• Text Messages - For sending text-based information
• Replying to Messages - For sending replies to messages
• Marking Messages as Read - For marking messages as read