Console

Create or update business

.md

POST

https://whatsapp.paaltech.org/api/v1/businesses

Token ability: businesses.write · Authentication

Creates the business, or updates it when the external_id already exists. Call it when a customer signs up and whenever their name or contact details change. Safe to repeat.

Body parameters

external_id string required

Max 191 characters. Pattern ^[A-Za-z0-9._:-]+$.

name string required

Max 255 characters.

email string | null

Max 255 characters. Format email.

phone string | null

Max 32 characters.

timezone string

IANA time zone (default Africa/Accra), used for quiet hours.

Example Africa/Accra.

quiet_hours object | null

Non-urgent business-initiated messages wait until the end (local time of the contact, else the business). null switches them off.

start string quiet_hours.start

Pattern ^[0-2][0-9]:[0-5][0-9]$. Example 22:00.

end string quiet_hours.end

Pattern ^[0-2][0-9]:[0-5][0-9]$. Example 06:00.

retention object | null

How long PaalChat keeps message content, notes and media files for this business (7-3650 days; null = the default, 365).

message_content_days integer retention.message_content_days

Responses

200

Updated - the external_id already existed.

201

Created.

401

unauthenticated - missing, invalid, revoked or expired token

403

missing_ability, product_suspended or product_token_required

422

validation_failed - fields are invalid; see errors.

429

rate_limited - over 300 requests/minute for this product

Errors always look like {"error": {"code", "message"}} - see Errors and status codes.

Language

Credentials

Authorization Bearer $PAALCHAT_TOKEN

Request

cURL

curl --request POST \
  --url 'https://whatsapp.paaltech.org/api/v1/businesses' \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer $PAALCHAT_TOKEN" \
  --header 'Accept: application/json' \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data '{
  "external_id": "st-augustines",
  "name": "St. Augustine'\''s College",
  "email": "info@augustines.edu.gh"
}'

const response = await fetch('https://whatsapp.paaltech.org/api/v1/businesses', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.PAALCHAT_TOKEN}`,
    Accept: 'application/json',
    'Content-Type': 'application/json',
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    "external_id": "st-augustines",
    "name": "St. Augustine's College",
    "email": "info@augustines.edu.gh"
  }),
});

const data = await response.json();
console.log(response.status, data);

use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Http;

$response = Http::withToken(env('PAALCHAT_TOKEN'))
    ->acceptJson()
    ->post('https://whatsapp.paaltech.org/api/v1/businesses', [
        'external_id' => 'st-augustines',
        'name' => 'St. Augustine\'s College',
        'email' => 'info@augustines.edu.gh',
    ]);

$data = $response->json();

import os
import requests

response = requests.post(
    "https://whatsapp.paaltech.org/api/v1/businesses",
    headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['PAALCHAT_TOKEN']}", "Accept": "application/json"},
    json={
        "external_id": "st-augustines",
        "name": "St. Augustine's College",
        "email": "info@augustines.edu.gh",
    },
)

print(response.status_code, response.json())

require 'net/http'
require 'json'

uri = URI('https://whatsapp.paaltech.org/api/v1/businesses')
request = Net::HTTP::Post.new(uri)
request['Authorization'] = "Bearer #{ENV['PAALCHAT_TOKEN']}"
request['Accept'] = 'application/json'
request['Content-Type'] = 'application/json'
request.body = <<~JSON
  {
    "external_id": "st-augustines",
    "name": "St. Augustine's College",
    "email": "info@augustines.edu.gh"
  }
JSON

response = Net::HTTP.start(uri.hostname, uri.port, use_ssl: true) { |http| http.request(request) }
puts response.code, JSON.parse(response.body)

package main

import (
	"fmt"
	"io"
	"net/http"
	"os"
	"strings"
)

func main() {
	req, err := http.NewRequest("POST", "https://whatsapp.paaltech.org/api/v1/businesses", strings.NewReader(`{
  "external_id": "st-augustines",
  "name": "St. Augustine's College",
  "email": "info@augustines.edu.gh"
}`))
	if err != nil {
		panic(err)
	}
	req.Header.Set("Authorization", "Bearer "+os.Getenv("PAALCHAT_TOKEN"))
	req.Header.Set("Accept", "application/json")
	req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")

	res, err := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
	if err != nil {
		panic(err)
	}
	defer res.Body.Close()

	out, _ := io.ReadAll(res.Body)
	fmt.Println(res.StatusCode, string(out))
}

Try it with a test key

Only sk_test_ keys: requests reach your sandbox businesses, never real ones. The key is not saved.

Test key

JSON body

Response

Response

{
  "data": {
    "external_id": "st-augustines",
    "name": "St. Augustine's College",
    "email": "info@augustines.edu.gh",
    "phone": null,
    "status": "active",
    "whatsapp": {"status": "not_connected", "wabas": 0},
    "created_at": "2026-09-30T18:54:27+00:00"
  }
}

{
  "error": {"code": "unauthenticated", "message": "A valid product token is required."}
}

{
  "error": {
    "code": "missing_ability",
    "message": "This token does not have the ability this request needs."
  }
}

{
  "error": {
    "code": "validation_failed",
    "message": "The external id field format is invalid. (and 1 more error)"
  },
  "errors": {
    "external_id": ["The external id field format is invalid."],
    "name": ["The name field is required."]
  }
}

{
  "error": {
    "code": "rate_limited",
    "message": "Too many requests. Slow down and retry after the Retry-After header."
  }
}