Location Request Messages

Send a message with a Send location button. When the contact taps it, WhatsApp opens the location picker and their answer arrives back in the conversation as a regular inbound location message. Use this instead of asking for an address in free text: you get exact coordinates rather than a string you have to geocode and correct.

Send a Location Request

The prompt goes in text. There is no content object — WhatsApp owns the button, so there is nothing to configure.

const message = await zavu.messages.send({
  to: "+14155551234",
  channel: "whatsapp",
  messageType: "location_request",
  text: "To finish your order, share the delivery address."
});

message = zavu.messages.send(
    to="+14155551234",
    channel="whatsapp",
    message_type="location_request",
    text="To finish your order, share the delivery address."
)

message = client.messages.send(
  to: "+14155551234",
  channel: "whatsapp",
  message_type: "location_request",
  text: "To finish your order, share the delivery address."
)

message, err := client.Messages.Send(context.TODO(), zavudev.MessageSendParams{
    To:          zavudev.String("+14155551234"),
    Channel:     zavudev.String("whatsapp"),
    MessageType: zavudev.String("location_request"),
    Text:        zavudev.String("To finish your order, share the delivery address."),
})

$message = $client->messages->send([
    'to' => '+14155551234',
    'channel' => 'whatsapp',
    'messageType' => 'location_request',
    'text' => 'To finish your order, share the delivery address.',
]);

curl -X POST https://api.zavu.dev/v1/messages \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer zv_live_xxx" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "to": "+14155551234",
    "channel": "whatsapp",
    "messageType": "location_request",
    "text": "To finish your order, share the delivery address."
  }'

Receiving the Answer

The reply is not a new message type. It arrives as a standard message.inbound webhook with messageType: "location", and content.replyToMessageId set to the ID of the request you sent. That is how you correlate the two.

{
  "type": "message.inbound",
  "data": {
    "messageId": "jd7x2k3m4n5p6q7r8s9t0",
    "from": "+14155551234",
    "channel": "whatsapp",
    "messageType": "location",
    "content": {
      "latitude": -33.4489,
      "longitude": -70.6693,
      "name": "Casa",
      "address": "Av. Providencia 1234, Santiago",
      "replyToMessageId": "jd6a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8i9",
      "replyToMessageType": "location_request"
    }
  }
}

name and address are optional — the contact only sends them if they pick a saved place instead of dropping a pin. Always read latitude and longitude; treat the other two as a bonus.

Store the ID returned when you send the request, then match it against content.replyToMessageId on the inbound event:

if (
  event.type === "message.inbound" &&
  event.data.messageType === "location" &&
  event.data.content?.replyToMessageId === pendingRequestId
) {
  const { latitude, longitude } = event.data.content;
  await saveDeliveryCoordinates(orderId, latitude, longitude);
}

Specifications

Property	Requirement
text	Required, max 1024 characters
content	Not used
channel	WhatsApp only
Button label	Fixed by WhatsApp, not customizable

Like every non-template message, a location request needs an open 24-hour conversation window. Outside the window, open the conversation with a template first.

Use Cases

Confirming a delivery address before dispatch
Sending a technician to a customer’s site
Finding the nearest branch or pickup point
Roadside assistance and field service
On-site check-ins

Getting Started

Concepts

Guides

Location Request Messages

Send a Location Request

Receiving the Answer

Specifications

Use Cases

​Send a Location Request

​Receiving the Answer

​Specifications

​Use Cases

Send a Location Request

Receiving the Answer

Specifications

Use Cases