> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.botpenguin.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.botpenguin.com/api-documentation/contacts-and-chats-apis/post-add-whatsapp-contact.md).

# POST — Add WhatsApp Contact

Import one or more WhatsApp contacts into BotPenguin. Use this API to create new contacts or update existing ones with profile details including name, email, phone, tags, and custom attributes.

### Overview

| Property          | Details                                            |
| ----------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| **Method**        | `POST`                                             |
| **Endpoint**      | `https://api.v7.botpenguin.com/inbox/users/import` |
| **Base URL**      | `https://api.v7.botpenguin.com`                    |
| **API Version**   | v7                                                 |
| **Auth Required** | Yes — Bearer Token                                 |
| **Content-Type**  | `application/json`                                 |

***

### Authentication

| Header          | Required | Value                   |
| --------------- | -------- | ----------------------- |
| `Authorization` | ✅ Yes    | `Bearer [MASKED_TOKEN]` |
| `authtype`      | ✅ Yes    | `Key`                   |

***

### Request

#### Headers

| Header          | Required | Value                   |
| --------------- | -------- | ----------------------- |
| `Authorization` | ✅ Yes    | `Bearer [MASKED_TOKEN]` |
| `authtype`      | ✅ Yes    | `Key`                   |
| `Content-Type`  | ✅ Yes    | `application/json`      |

***

#### Request Body

The request body is a **JSON array** of contact objects. Each object represents one contact to import. Multiple contacts can be imported in a single request.

```json
[
  {
    "profile": {
      "userDetails": {
        "userProvidedName": "John Doe",
        "contact": {
          "email": "john@example.com",
          "phone": {
            "number": "9876543210",
            "prefix": "91"
          }
        },
        "tags": ["lead", "demo"],
        "attributes": [
          { "key": "plan", "value": "pro" }
        ]
      }
    }
  }
]
```

**Body Fields**

The body is an **array** — wrap even a single contact in `[]`.

| Field                                      | Type     | Required | Description                                                                                   |
| ------------------------------------------ | -------- | -------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `profile`                                  | `object` | ✅ Yes    | Wrapper object for the contact's profile data.                                                |
| `profile.userDetails`                      | `object` | ✅ Yes    | Contact details object.                                                                       |
| `profile.userDetails.userProvidedName`     | `string` | ✅ Yes    | Full name of the contact.                                                                     |
| `profile.userDetails.contact`              | `object` | ✅ Yes    | Contact information wrapper.                                                                  |
| `profile.userDetails.contact.email`        | `string` | ✅ Yes    | Email address of the contact. Pass `""` if not available.                                     |
| `profile.userDetails.contact.phone`        | `object` | ✅ Yes    | Phone number object.                                                                          |
| `profile.userDetails.contact.phone.number` | `string` | ✅ Yes    | Phone number without country code.                                                            |
| `profile.userDetails.contact.phone.prefix` | `string` | ✅ Yes    | Country dial code without `+`. Example: `91` for India, `1` for USA.                          |
| `profile.userDetails.tags`                 | `array`  | ✅ Yes    | Labels to assign to the contact. Pass `[]` if none.                                           |
| `profile.userDetails.attributes`           | `array`  | ✅ Yes    | Custom key-value pairs. Each entry must contain `key` and `value` strings. Pass `[]` if none. |

***

#### Example Request

```bash
curl 'https://api.v7.botpenguin.com/inbox/users/import' \
  -X POST \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer [MASKED_TOKEN]' \
  -H 'authtype: Key' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data-raw '[
    {
      "profile": {
        "userDetails": {
          "userProvidedName": "John Doe",
          "contact": {
            "email": "john@example.com",
            "phone": {
              "number": "9876543210",
              "prefix": "91"
            }
          },
          "tags": ["lead", "demo"],
          "attributes": [
            { "key": "plan", "value": "pro" }
          ]
        }
      }
    }
  ]'
```

***

### Response

#### Success — `200 OK`

```json
{
  "success": true,
  "message": "success",
  "code": 200
}
```

**Response Fields**

| Field     | Type      | Description                                              |
| --------- | --------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| `success` | `boolean` | `true` if the import was accepted.                       |
| `message` | `string`  | Status message. Value: `"success"` on successful import. |
| `code`    | `number`  | HTTP status code echo. `200` on success.                 |

***

### HTTP Status Codes

| Code  | Status                | Meaning                                                |
| ----- | --------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| `200` | OK                    | Import accepted successfully.                          |
| `400` | Bad Request           | Malformed request body or missing required fields.     |
| `401` | Unauthorized          | Bearer token is missing, invalid, or expired.          |
| `429` | Too Many Requests     | Rate limit exceeded. Retry after the indicated window. |
| `500` | Internal Server Error | Server-side error. Contact support if it persists.     |

***

### Error Handling

All errors return a consistent structure:

```json
{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": "UNAUTHORIZED",
    "message": "Bearer token is invalid or has expired.",
    "statusCode": 401
  }
}
```

***

### Rate Limits

This endpoint is limited to **100 requests per minute** per token, across all plans. Exceeding this returns `429 Too Many Requests`. Use the `Retry-After` response header (in seconds) to schedule your retry.

***

*For questions or issues, contact* [*support@botpenguin.com*](mailto:support@botpenguin.com)