Setting Up Your Environment for WhatsApp Webhooks

Tools and Libraries

To receive a webhook in Python, you can use popular web frameworks such as:

• Flask: Lightweight and beginner-friendly for handling APIs.

• FastAPI: Ideal for modern APIs with asynchronous support.

• Django: Suitable for enterprise-scale applications.

Installing Dependencies

Run the following command to install Flask (used in this guide):

bash

pip install flask  

Setting Up WhatsApp Configuration

Creating a Webhook Receiver in Python for WhatsApp APIs

Sample Code to Receive Webhooks

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from flask import Flask, request, jsonify  

app = Flask(__name__)  

@app.route(‘/webhook’, methods=[‘POST’])  

def whatsapp_webhook():  

    # Parse incoming webhook JSON payload  

    data = request.json  

    print(“Received Webhook:”, data)  

    # Respond with a success message  

    return jsonify({“status”: “Webhook received”}), 200  

if __name__ == ‘__main__’:  

    app.run(port=5000)  

Validating Webhook Requests

WhatsApp sends an X-Hub-Signature header with its requests. Always validate signatures to ensure data integrity and security.

Handling Webhook Payloads for CRM Integration

Parsing JSON Payloads

Extract details from the JSON payload as follows:

python

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data = request.json  

message_text = data.get(‘messages’)[0].get(‘text’).get(‘body’)  

sender_id = data.get(‘contacts’)[0].get(‘wa_id’)  

Mapping Data to CRM Fields

For example: Configure your backend to send the parsed data to a CRM like Salesforce, mapping message_text to “Last Communication” and sender_id to the “Customer ID” field.

Testing Your WhatsApp Webhook Receiver

Using Ngrok for Local Testing

Expose your local server online with Ngrok:

bash

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ngrok http 5000  

Simulating Webhooks

Use tools like Postman or curl to POST sample JSON payloads to your webhook URL:

bash

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curl -X POST -H “Content-Type: application/json” –data ‘{“message”: “Hello, World!”}’ http://localhost:5000/webhook  

Advanced Topics for Enterprise-Level Integration

• Securing Your Endpoint: Use HMAC or API keys to authenticate data.

• Reliability: Implement retry logic to handle WhatsApp’s repeated calls for failed deliveries.

• Logging: Record all incoming payloads in a