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An audio message sends a playable audio clip to a recipient. OGG files encoded with the Opus codec render as a native WhatsApp voice note with a waveform. Other formats render as a playable audio file. Audio messages have no caption field. Provide the file via URL or media ID — see Media by URL vs Media ID.

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Send by URL

{
  "messaging_product": "whatsapp",
  "to": "919959623255",
  "type": "audio",
  "audio": {
    "link": "https://example.com/voice-note.ogg"
  }
}

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Send by Media ID

{
  "messaging_product": "whatsapp",
  "to": "919959623255",
  "type": "audio",
  "audio": {
    "id": "1234567890"
  }
}

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Supported formats

FormatMIME typeMax size
AACaudio/aac16 MB
MP4 audioaudio/mp416 MB
MPEGaudio/mpeg16 MB
AMRaudio/amr16 MB
OGG (Opus)audio/ogg; codecs=opus16 MB
OGG with Opus codec renders as a WhatsApp voice note with waveform. All other formats render as a generic audio player. Audio messages do not support a caption field.

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Frequently asked

Set type to "audio" and use audio.link (URL) or audio.id (media ID). For a native voice note with waveform, use OGG format with Opus codec.
AAC, MP4 audio, MPEG, AMR, and OGG (Opus). All under 16 MB.
No. Audio messages have no caption field. Send a text message before or after if you need to add context.

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Gotchas & common mistakes

  • No caption — unlike image/video/document, audio has no caption field.
  • OGG without Opus — plain OGG without Opus codec will not show a voice note waveform. Ensure the codec is Opus when encoding.
  • Over 16 MB — compress or trim the audio before sending.