Chapter 46 · Part 5
Meta Messenger API
For developers: send text, files, and enabled template messages from your registered Facebook Page through one JSON endpoint — with webhooks for inbound messages and delivery status.
The essentials
One JSON endpoint
A single HTTP POST (Content-Type: application/json, UTF-8) handles all outbound types.
Up to 20 recipients
Send text and files to as many as 20 recipients per request.
Webhooks
Receive inbound messages and delivery-status updates on your own endpoint.
Three outbound types
- MESSAGEA free-form text reply, with an optional URL preview.
- FILEOne publicly accessible image or document URL per send.
- TEMPLATEAvailable only to accounts with an enabled Messenger template.
Two rules that catch developers out
- Recipients are PSIDs, not phone numbersMessenger uses Page-scoped IDs: a PSID belongs to one Facebook Page and must not be reformatted. Standard text and file sends should go out while the customer’s reply window is open.
- Don’t trust HTTP 200 aloneA request is accepted only when the response has
statusCode = 0and a non-emptymessageId. Always check both.
The full developer reference — endpoint URL, authentication, every parameter, response and error codes, and webhook payloads — is available in the portal’s Messenger API documentation. Contact us if you need API access enabled on your account.
Need help?
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