> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.flowapt.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Send Typing Indicator > Show "typing…" in the customer's WhatsApp chat while you prepare a reply. WhatsApp attaches it to one message the customer sent: that message is marked read, and the indicator shows until you reply or about 25 seconds pass. Nothing is stored as a message. Needs the `send` permission. Show "typing…" in the customer's WhatsApp chat while your code prepares a reply, for example while it looks up an order or waits on an AI model. WhatsApp attaches the indicator to one message the customer sent: that message is **marked as read** (blue ticks), and "typing…" shows until you send your reply or about **25 seconds** pass, whichever comes first. Nothing is stored in the chat. ## Basic Usage ```bash theme={null} curl -X POST "https://api.flowiq.live/send-whatsapp" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer fiq_YOUR_API_KEY" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d '{ "phone_number": "+27123456789", "message_type": "typing" }' ``` Without a `message_id`, FlowIQ uses the customer's latest WhatsApp message. To answer a specific message, pass its id (the `whatsapp_message_id` of the [`message_received`](https://docs.flowapt.com/flowiq-api-reference/webhooks#message_received) webhook): ```json theme={null} { "phone_number": "+27123456789", "message_type": "typing", "typing": { "message_id": "wamid.HBgLMjc4MTIzNDU2NzgVAgASGBQzRUI..." } } ``` *** ## Request Body | Field | Type | Required | Description | | - | - | - | - | | `phone_number` | string | Yes | The customer's WhatsApp number with country code. The contact must exist in FlowIQ | | `message_type` | string | Yes | Must be `"typing"` | | `typing.message_id` | string | No | A message the customer sent (`wamid.…`). Default: their latest message | The API key needs the `send` permission. *** ## Response ### Success (200) ```json theme={null} { "success": true, "message": "Typing indicator shown to 27123456789 for up to 25 seconds or until you reply", "data": { "message_type": "typing", "contact_id": "4f1c2a3b-…", "whatsapp_id": "27123456789", "message_id": "wamid.HBgLMjc4MTIzNDU2NzgVAgASGBQzRUI...", "message_id_source": "latest_inbound", "marked_read": true, "expires_in_seconds": 25 } } ``` ### Errors | Status | When | | - | - | | `400` | `typing.message_id` is not a WhatsApp message id | | `403` | The API key has no `send` permission | | `404` | No contact with that number | | `409` | The customer has never sent you a WhatsApp message, so there is nothing to answer | | `502` | WhatsApp refused it (for example a message id it does not know); `message` and `meta_error_code` carry its reason | *** ## Integration Example Show the indicator as soon as a message arrives, then send the reply when it is ready: ```javascript theme={null} async function replyWithTyping(apiKey, phoneNumber, incomingMessageId, buildReply) { const headers = { Authorization: `Bearer ${apiKey}`, "Content-Type": "application/json" }; await fetch("https://api.flowiq.live/send-whatsapp", { method: "POST", headers, body: JSON.stringify({ phone_number: phoneNumber, message_type: "typing", typing: { message_id: incomingMessageId }, }), }); const text = await buildReply(); // keep it under ~25 seconds, or send typing again const response = await fetch("https://api.flowiq.live/send-whatsapp", { method: "POST", headers, body: JSON.stringify({ phone_number: phoneNumber, message_type: "text", text }), }); const data = await response.json(); if (!response.ok) throw new Error(data.message); return data; } ``` > [!NOTE] > > The indicator also marks the customer's message as read. Only send it when you are about to reply. ## OpenAPI ````yaml flowiq-api-reference/openapi-send-typing.json POST /send-whatsapp openapi: 3.1.0 info: title: FlowIQ - Send Typing Indicator version: 1.0.0 servers: - url: https://api.flowiq.live description: FlowIQ Production API security: - BearerAuth: [] paths: /send-whatsapp: post: tags: - Endpoints summary: Send Typing Indicator description: >- Show "typing…" in the customer's WhatsApp chat while you prepare a reply. WhatsApp attaches it to one message the customer sent: that message is marked read, and the indicator shows until you reply or about 25 seconds pass. Nothing is stored as a message. Needs the `send` permission. operationId: sendTypingIndicator requestBody: required: true content: application/json: schema: type: object properties: phone_number: type: string description: >- The customer's WhatsApp number with country code. The contact must exist in FlowIQ. example: '+27123456789' message_type: type: string enum: - typing description: Must be "typing" example: typing typing: type: object description: Optional. properties: message_id: type: string description: >- WhatsApp message ID (wamid.…) of a message the customer sent. Leave it out to use their latest message. required: - phone_number - message_type responses: '200': description: Typing indicator shown content: application/json: schema: type: object properties: success: type: boolean example: true message: type: string example: >- Typing indicator shown to 27123456789 for up to 25 seconds or until you reply data: type: object properties: message_type: type: string example: typing contact_id: type: string format: uuid whatsapp_id: type: string example: '27123456789' message_id: type: string description: >- The customer's message the indicator was attached to (now marked read). example: wamid.HBgLMjc4MTIzNDU2NzgVAgASGBQzRUI... message_id_source: type: string enum: - request - latest_inbound marked_read: type: boolean example: true expires_in_seconds: type: integer example: 25 '400': description: Bad Request content: application/json: schema: type: object properties: error: type: string message: type: string '401': description: Unauthorized content: application/json: schema: type: object properties: error: type: string message: type: string '403': description: The API key has no `send` permission content: application/json: schema: type: object properties: error: type: string message: type: string '404': description: Not Found content: application/json: schema: type: object properties: error: type: string message: type: string '409': description: The contact has never sent you a WhatsApp message content: application/json: schema: type: object properties: error: type: string message: type: string '500': description: Internal Server Error content: application/json: schema: type: object properties: error: type: string message: type: string '502': description: >- WhatsApp refused the indicator (for example a message id it does not know) content: application/json: schema: type: object properties: error: type: string message: type: string meta_error_code: type: - integer - 'null' security: - BearerAuth: [] components: securitySchemes: BearerAuth: type: http scheme: bearer description: >- Your FlowIQ API key (from Settings → Profile → API Keys), sent as a bearer token. Format: `Bearer fiq_YOUR_API_KEY` bearerFormat: fiq_ API key ```` This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.