Complete guide to sending WhatsApp notifications from Payload CMS. Learn how to enable jobs, create tasks, and automate messaging workflows

Enable Jobs in Payload Config

Payload has a built-in Jobs Queue system

payload.config.ts

import { buildConfig } from 'payload/config'

export default buildConfig({
  collections: [...],
  
  jobs: {
    tasks: [], // we will add tasks later
  },
})

Create a WhatsApp Task

A task is the actual worker function that sends the message.

/src/jobs/sendWhatsApp.ts

import type { TaskHandler } from 'payload/config'

export const sendWhatsAppTask: TaskHandler = async ({ input, req }) => {
  try {
    const { phone, message } = input

    // Example: Call your WhatsApp API (custom or third-party)
    const response = await fetch('https://botify.codenik.in/send-message', {
      method: 'POST',
      headers: {
        'Content-Type': 'application/json',
        Authorization: `Your API key`,
      },
      body: JSON.stringify({
        to: phone,
        message,
      }),
    })

    const data = await response.json()

    return {
      output: data,
    }
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('WhatsApp Task Error:', error)

    throw error
  }
}

Register Task in Payload Config

👉 update payload.config.ts

import { sendWhatsAppTask } from './jobs/sendWhatsApp'

export default buildConfig({
 collections: [...],

 jobs: {
   tasks: [
     {
       slug: 'send-whatsapp',
       handler: sendWhatsAppTask,
     },
   ],
 },
})

Create a Collection (Trigger Point)

You need a collection where event happens (e.g. Orders, Leads, Users).

👉 Example: leads collection

import { CollectionConfig } from 'payload/types'

export const Leads: CollectionConfig = {
  slug: 'leads',

  fields: [
    {
      name: 'name',
      type: 'text',
    },
    {
      name: 'phone',
      type: 'text',
      required: true,
    },
  ],

  hooks: {
    afterChange: [
      async ({ doc, req, operation }) => {
        if (operation === 'create') {
          // create job here
          await req.payload.jobs.queue({
            task: 'send-whatsapp',
            input: {
              phone: doc.phone,
              message: `Hello ${doc.name}, thanks for your interest!`,
            },
          })
        }
      },
    ],
  },
}

Run Worker (VERY IMPORTANT)

Jobs won’t run unless the worker is running.

👉 Start worker

payload jobs:run