Imagine you have a Python project that automatically sends WhatsApp messages, be it a birthday wish, an important reminder, or a business update, everything is automated. Even if you don’t have any advanced coding knowledge for this project, you can build your own automation tool with the help of Python scripts that will schedule messages and deliver them automatically without your manual effort. In this blog, I will guide you step by step on how you can create an automated WhatsApp message sender, in today’s blog, we will see which Python libraries and tools to use, how to handle user input such as messages, date, time and how to prepare a professional project that will work in the real world and will be used by more people. This can be a problem solving project for you. You can showcase this project for your portfolio or use it to complete your daily life tasks and yes it is very good for beginners and you can do this as your first project. If you are a beginner or expert in Python development and want to build your own automation project then this blog is just for you. So let’s start building a powerful automated project using Python.
First install Python on your system the download link is given above and you can use VS Code as a code editor whose download link is given above apart from that you can use any code editor of your choice.
You are wondering why we are using Python to do this project, you know that Python is a programming language, it is beginner friendly, easy programming language that anyone can learn, this is a different recipe. But you will understand the magic of Python when you use it to solve real and real problems. The advantage of Python is that it has a treasure trove of libraries and modules. Which automates our repeated work, that’s why we will use Python for this WhatsApp project and Python is not for WhatsApp messages, but for data analysis, AI, automation. If you want to message your client at a specific time and you don’t want to get bored, then this Python project is very important for you.
To run this Python script, you need to install a library, the name of that library is Twilio.
- Create a Python file called automation.py and run it. There will be no code written, just run it.
- Then the terminal will open in vs code and you will need to type "pip3 install twilio" and hit enteer.
Pip is Python’s package manager that installs libraries and Twilio will provide the feature to send WhatsApp Message Automatically. What the Twilio and how to use it, I have already told you in the previous step.
You open any of your browsers and search for Twilio and open the first website. Twilio is basically a platform that provides the facility to developer to send SMS, Call, WhatsApp Message. You can directly integrate Twilio with WhatsApp, this is the official method. So imagine that you are an app developer who sends real-time notifications to thee user, like you have seen on Amazon, Flipkart, sending notifications whether there will be a sale or an offer, what kind of offer is going on, you can use Twilio to send all these notifications in real time. I am telling you how to setup Twilio.
- First of all, you have to login to this website:-
After completing these steps, you will see an interface like this:-
When you click on Account Info at the bottom, you will get the account SID and Auth Token, which we will use to send a WhatsApp Message. You need to save these two codes and do not share these two codes with anyone.
- On the account dashboard on the left side, click on the messaging option --- click try out --- click send the whatsapp message.
So basically what you have to do is active the WhatsApp send box. Which is for testing, now a qr will be shown in front of you, scan it, it will take you to WhatsApp and there will be a message written, you have to send it.
Now you can use WhatsApp service. You have to do this on the device that you want to send message to, either your client or someone else, i.e. on the sender’s phone. That was our Twilio job.
Now we have to go to the code editor and code understand how to prepare the script. Which libraries and modules will use to build this project. We will use three things.
1. Twilio Library:- Twilio connects to Whatsapp API and its client class will be useful for sending messages directly. You have to write a single line of code and your message will be sent.
2. Date Time Module:- Date Time Module will be used to calculate the difference between future and current time. Another function of this is to convert user input to format.
3. Time Module:- If you have any task to execute with time delay, such as sending a message after 5 minutes or 50 minutes, we will use the sleep function of the time module.
I will divide the code that will be yours into 4 steps. To create a professional level project, you have to divide the code into parts. If you try to code it all at once, it may not be possible to code, so we will code in 4 steps.
1. Twilio Client Setup:- First of all, we will create a client object using the credentials of Twilio and this client will use responsive logos to send message to us.
2. User Inputs:- Then we will take input from the user such as WhatsApp number, message content to send , and at what time to send and use the inputs dynamically in the script.
3. Scheduling Logic:- The message has to be scheduled. Here, we will calculate the difference between the current time and the scheduling time and prepare the script to send the message at the exit time.
4. Send Message:- Finally, I will send the message using Twilio. If everything is correct, the message will be sent at the scheduled time.
Let’s Get Started:-
from twilio.rest import Client
from datetime import datetime, timedelta
import time
# Step-2 Twilio credentials
account_sid = 'AC97debf8a698e27465cc1fce915bee129'
auth_token = 'f32b556de914e19cd528320e1139f0f0'
client = Client(account_sid, auth_token)
# Step-3 Define send message function
def send_whatsapp_message(recipient_number, message_body):
try:
message = client.messages.create(
from_='whatsapp:+14155238886',
body=message_body,
to=f'whatsapp:{recipient_number}'
)
print(f'Message sent successfully! Message SID: {message.sid}')
except Exception as e:
print('An error occurred:', e)
# Step-4 User input
name = input('Enter the Recipient Name: ')
recipient_number = input('Enter the Recipient WhatsApp Number with Country Code (e.g., +12345): ')
message_body = input(f'Enter the Message you want to send to {name}: ')
# Step-5 Parse date/time and calculate delay
date_str = input('Enter the Date to send the message (YYYY-MM-DD): ')
time_str = input('Enter the time to send the message (HH:MM in 24-hour format): ')
# Combine date and time to create a datetime object
schedule_datetime = datetime.strptime(f'{date_str} {time_str}', "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M")
current_datetime = datetime.now()
# Calculate delay
time_difference = schedule_datetime - current_datetime
delay_seconds = time_difference.total_seconds()
if delay_seconds <= 0:
print('This specified time is in the past. Please enter a future date and time.')
else:
print(f'Message scheduled to be sent to {name} at {schedule_datetime}.')
# Wait until the scheduled time
time.sleep(delay_seconds)
# Send the message
send_whatsapp_message(recipient_number, message_body)
This explanation about Twilio and its integration with WhatsApp is quite insightful. It’s fascinating how developers can leverage Twilio to send real-time notifications seamlessly. The step-by-step guide makes it easier to understand, especially for beginners. I appreciate the emphasis on not sharing the account SID and Auth Token, as security is crucial. However, I’m curious about the cost implications of using Twilio for such integrations—are there any hidden fees? Also, how scalable is this solution for high-volume messaging? It would be great to know if there are any limitations or challenges developers might face during implementation. Overall, this seems like a powerful tool for app developers, but I’d love to hear more about its practical use cases beyond notifications. What other creative ways have you seen Twilio being used? Can’t wait to explore this further!
Thanks for the insightful explanation on Twilio and WhatsApp integration. It’s impressive how developers can send real-time notifications so seamlessly using Twilio. The step-by-step guide makes it beginner-friendly, and I appreciate the emphasis on not sharing Account SID and Auth Token—security is crucial.
That said, I’m curious about the actual cost of using Twilio for such integrations. Are there any hidden fees, especially when scaling up? Also, how scalable is this solution for high-volume messaging? It would be helpful to understand the technical limitations or challenges developers might face during implementation.
Beyond notifications, I’d love to explore more practical or creative use cases where Twilio shines. Have you seen Twilio used in unique ways—for example, for appointment reminders, chatbots, two-factor authentication, or voice call automation?
Overall, Twilio feels like a powerful tool for app developers, but knowing its full potential and best practices for high-scale, cost-effective usage would be valuable. Looking forward to diving deeper!
Twilio seems like a powerful tool for automating WhatsApp messages, and the step-by-step guide makes it easier to understand. It’s impressive how seamlessly it integrates with Python and other platforms. I like how the explanation is broken into manageable parts, which helps in grasping the process without feeling overwhelmed. The idea of using it for real-time notifications in apps is intriguing and opens up a lot of possibilities. However, I’m curious if there are any limitations or costs associated with using Twilio, especially for large-scale projects. Can you share more about how to optimize Twilio for performance and cost-efficiency? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this!
Yes, Twilio is undoubtedly a powerful platform for WhatsApp automation. It works seamlessly with various languages and frameworks, including Python, which is very convenient for developers.
However, there are some limitations and costs to consider for large projects. Twilio follows a pay-as-you-go model, meaning you pay per message. The WhatsApp API has specific template rules and a 24-hour response window. API rate limits and latency become important issues when using it at scale.
To keep performance and costs under control, message queuing (such as RabbitMQ), batching, and rate throttling are required. In addition, using fewer templates, real-time monitoring, and backup channels (such as SMS fallback) help balance costs and reliability.
In summary, Twilio is scalable and reliable, but it is important to have a strategy in place from the start to use it cost-effectively.
Let me know if you need more help!
Twilio seems like a powerful tool for developers to send real-time notifications via WhatsApp. I appreciate the step-by-step guide on how to set it up, especially the part about saving the account SID and Auth Token securely. The idea of scanning a QR code to activate the WhatsApp send box is quite innovative and user-friendly. However, I’m curious about the potential limitations or costs associated with using Twilio for large-scale applications. How does Twilio handle high volumes of messages, and are there any rate limits? Also, could you elaborate on the specific libraries and modules used in the script? This seems like a great way to enhance user engagement, but I’d love to hear more about the practical challenges you’ve faced while implementing it.
Absolutely, thanks so much for your thoughtful comment!
You’re right—Twilio offers a very intuitive way to integrate real-time WhatsApp messaging, and the QR code activation definitely makes onboarding smoother for developers and users alike.
Regarding your question about limitations and costs, yes, Twilio does come with some important considerations for large-scale use:
Pricing is based on a pay-per-message model, and costs can add up quickly depending on the country and message volume.
Twilio enforces rate limits to prevent spam and ensure delivery reliability. These limits vary based on your account’s trust level and the WhatsApp Business API guidelines.
For high volumes, Twilio uses message queues and provides webhooks for delivery status. Scaling efficiently often requires implementing retry logic and monitoring tools to handle throughput gracefully.
As for the libraries/modules, a typical implementation involves:
Twilio’s official Node.js SDK (twilio) for sending messages.
dotenv for managing environment variables like SID and Auth Token securely.
If using Express, you might also use body-parser and cors for handling API routes and requests.
In terms of challenges, a few practical ones include:
Managing user opt-ins to comply with WhatsApp’s policies.
Handling delivery failures and expired sessions.
Ensuring your messaging strategy avoids being flagged as spam, especially with promotional content.
It’s definitely a powerful tool when used right, and it’s awesome to hear that you’re thinking critically about both the potential and the pitfalls. Let me know if you’d like a sample implementation or help scaling one—happy to share more!
Twilio is a cloud communications platform that allows developers to send SMS, calls, and WhatsApp messages programmatically. In this setup, you’ll be using Twilio to send WhatsApp messages automatically. Here’ step you need to follow:
1. **Set Up Twilio**:
– Go to a browser and search for Twilio and open the first website.
– Create an account in Twilio.
– After signing up, you’ receive a Twilio Account SID and Auth Token. Save these codes and don’ share them with anyone.
2. **Activate the WhatsApp Send Box**:
– In Twilio, activate the WhatsApp sandbox for testing.
– Then a QR code will be displayed in front of you, scan it with the device you want to send messages to (either your client or someone else) which also happens on the sender’ phone.
3. **Code the Script**:
– To create a professional-level project, split the code into four parts.
– Wait To see the code being split into four parts.
4. **Use Twilio** to send WhatsApp messages programmatically to a device of your choosing.
Approach Twilio with the idea as if it were the only way forward. Use Twilio to send WhatsApp messages programmatically.