Make WhatsApp message status changes visible on Ably
Share real-time status events with the systems that need to know whether a WhatsApp message changed status.
Trigger
Message Status Updated
Triggers when a WhatsApp message status changes. IMPORTANT LIMITATION: WhatsApp Cloud API does not provide a native polling endpoint for message status. Status updates are ONLY delivered via webhooks in real-time. This trigger cannot directly poll the WhatsApp API for status updates. This trigger will return empty results as WhatsApp does not support this operation. To track message status updates, you must: 1. Set up a webhook endpoint to receive status notifications from WhatsApp 2. Store the webhook data in your own database 3. Use a different mechanism to query your stored webhook data For more information, see: - https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/cloud-api/webhooks
Action
Publish Message to Channel
This tool will allow users to publish a message to a specified ably channel using a post request. it covers the essentials like channel name, message data, optional event name/type, and additional metadata for push notifications. it is an independent and fundamental operation within ably's real-time messaging platform.
Why this helps
Without timely status visibility, teams may miss the moment to investigate or follow up on a message.
- Publish status changes as they arrive.
- Give connected agents a shared event to react to.
- Reduce manual checking for message progress.
Setup
Build it in a few focused steps.
- 1Connect WhatsApp and Ably once in the Notis portal.
- 2Create an automation in Automations, New Automation, and name it for message status updates.
- 3Tell Notis to publish each WhatsApp message status change to the Ably channel your systems monitor.
- 4Pick the Message Status Updated trigger and choose where run reports should go.
- 5Test with one real status update delivered by the WhatsApp webhook.
Questions about this workflow
Can this workflow poll WhatsApp for status changes?
No. WhatsApp Cloud API does not provide a native polling endpoint for message status. This trigger receives real-time status updates via webhooks.
What does Ably receive?
Notis publishes the status update details available from the trigger to the Ably channel you specify in your instruction.
When this happens · Trigger
Do this · Action
Supported Triggers and Actions
Notis builds workflows that link Whatsapp to Ably. A trigger fires from one place; an action lands in another.
Whatsapp triggers
Ably actions
Recurring trigger
Notis starts this workflow on a schedule, such as daily, weekly, or during business hours.
Query Batch Presence
This tool enables querying the presence states of multiple channels in a single api request. the api retrieves the member presence details of the specified channels in parallel.
Webhook trigger
Notis starts this workflow when an external tool or custom backend sends an HTTP request.
Query Batch Presence History
This tool enables querying presence history for multiple channels in a single api request. it uses the get endpoint at https://rest.ably.io/presence to retrieve the member presence history details of the specified channels in parallel.
Message Status Updated
Triggers when a WhatsApp message status changes. IMPORTANT LIMITATION: WhatsApp Cloud API does not provide a native polling endpoint for message status. Status updates are ONLY delivered via webhooks in real-time. This trigger cannot directly poll the WhatsApp API for status updates. This trigger will return empty results as WhatsApp does not support this operation. To track message status updates, you must: 1. Set up a webhook endpoint to receive status notifications from WhatsApp 2. Store the webhook data in your own database 3. Use a different mechanism to query your stored webhook data For more information, see: - https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/cloud-api/webhooks
Create Ably Channel
Creates a new channel or retrieves an existing channel in ably. this tool allows you to programmatically create and initialize channels for real-time messaging. since ably creates channels implicitly when first used, this action publishes an empty initialization message to create/activate the channel.
New Message Received
Triggered in real time when your WhatsApp Business number receives an inbound message from a customer (text, media, location, or contact). Delivered via the Cloud API webhook.
Delete Channel Subscription
This tool allows you to unsubscribe devices or clients from push notifications for specific channels. the operation is asynchronous, so immediate requests after deletion may briefly still return the subscription.
Interactive Reply Received
Triggered when a customer taps a quick-reply button or selects an option from an interactive list message you sent.
Get Channel Details
This tool retrieves metadata and details for a specific channel in ably. it returns a channeldetails object containing information about the channel's status, occupancy, and other metadata. the endpoint provides visibility into channel activity, including metrics such as connections, presence, publishers, and subscribers, and requires appropriate permissions.
Message Template Status Update
Triggered when the review status of a WhatsApp message template changes — for example approved, rejected, or flagged — on your WhatsApp Business Account.
Get Channel History
This tool retrieves the message history for a specified ably channel. it uses the get /channels/{channelid}/messages endpoint to return a paginated list of messages in chronological order, subject to parameters such as 'channelid', 'limit', 'direction', 'start', and 'end'. the tool is useful for auditing, recovering missed messages, analyzing channel activity, and debugging message flows. authentication is required via basic or token authentication.
Get Channel Presence History
This tool retrieves the history of presence messages for a specified channel in ably. it allows you to query presence events on a channel within a given time period.
Get Ably Service Time
This tool retrieves the current server time from ably's service in milliseconds since the epoch. it is particularly useful for time synchronization and generating valid tokenrequest timestamps to prevent replay attacks. the endpoint supports multiple content types, handles http errors, network issues, and is a fundamental tool for ensuring accurate timing in ably applications.
Connect any two apps with Notis in the middle.
Whatsapp and Ably, or any other combination from 1,000+ integrations.
When this happens · Trigger
Do this · Action
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