> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://apidoc.bulkneo.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Get a QR code
> GET /v1/instances/{id}/qr — a fresh pairing QR for a number.
Returns a pairing QR for this instance. Whoever holds the phone scans it from **WhatsApp → Settings → Linked devices → Link a device**.
## Notes
* If the number is **already connected**, no QR is issued: you get `already_connected: true`, `connected: true` and `qrcode: null`. That is a success, not an error.
* `qrcode.base64` is a ready-to-render `data:image/png;base64,...` string — put it straight into an `
`.
* `qrcode.code` is the raw QR payload if you would rather draw the code yourself.
* If no QR is ready yet you get `503 qr_unavailable` with a `Retry-After: 3` header. Wait and try again.
* After showing the QR, poll [`GET /v1/instances/{id}/qr-status`](/api-reference/instances/qr-status) — it returns the refreshed QR **and** tells you when the scan has succeeded.
## Example
```bash cURL theme={null}
curl https://api.bulkneo.com/v1/instances/YOUR_INSTANCE_ID/qr \
-H "apikey: YOUR_API_KEY"
```
```html Rendering it theme={null}
```
A pairing QR links a real WhatsApp account to your instance. Show it only to the person who owns the number, and never post one in a shared channel or a screenshot.
## OpenAPI
````yaml api-reference/openapi.json GET /v1/instances/{id}/qr
openapi: 3.1.0
info:
title: BulkNeo WhatsApp API
version: 1.0.0
description: >-
Send WhatsApp messages from your own connected numbers. Every request is
authenticated with an `apikey` header and names the `instance_id` of the
number it should be sent from.
servers:
- url: https://api.bulkneo.com
description: BulkNeo API
security:
- apikey: []
tags:
- name: Messages
description: Send a message from one of your connected numbers.
- name: Numbers
description: Check which numbers are reachable on WhatsApp.
- name: Instances
description: Create, connect, inspect and remove your WhatsApp numbers.
- name: Service
description: Unauthenticated service health checks.
paths:
/v1/instances/{id}/qr:
get:
tags:
- Instances
summary: Get a QR code to connect
description: >-
Returns a fresh pairing QR for this number. Scan it from WhatsApp on the
phone that owns the number: **Settings → Linked devices → Link a
device**. If the number is already connected, `already_connected` is
`true` and no QR is issued.
operationId: getInstanceQr
parameters:
- $ref: '#/components/parameters/InstanceIdPath'
responses:
'200':
description: A QR to scan, or confirmation that the number is already connected.
content:
application/json:
schema:
type: object
properties:
success:
type: boolean
const: true
data:
type: object
properties:
instance_id:
type: string
format: uuid
status:
$ref: '#/components/schemas/ConnectionStatus'
connected:
type: boolean
already_connected:
type: boolean
description: >-
`true` when the number was already connected, so no QR
was issued.
qrcode:
$ref: '#/components/schemas/QrCode'
request_id:
type: string
format: uuid
example:
success: true
data:
instance_id: 3f9c1a2b-7d4e-4c81-9f0a-2b6d5e8c1a34
status: connecting
connected: false
already_connected: false
qrcode:
base64: data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUg...
code: 2@Xj4kR...
pairingCode: null
request_id: b1f2c3d4-5e6f-4a7b-8c9d-0e1f2a3b4c5d
'400':
$ref: '#/components/responses/BadRequest'
'401':
$ref: '#/components/responses/Unauthorized'
'403':
$ref: '#/components/responses/Forbidden'
'404':
$ref: '#/components/responses/InstanceNotFound'
'429':
$ref: '#/components/responses/RateLimited'
'500':
$ref: '#/components/responses/InternalError'
'503':
$ref: '#/components/responses/QrUnavailable'
components:
parameters:
InstanceIdPath:
name: id
in: path
required: true
schema:
type: string
format: uuid
description: The `instance_id` of one of your numbers.
example: 3f9c1a2b-7d4e-4c81-9f0a-2b6d5e8c1a34
schemas:
ConnectionStatus:
type: string
description: >-
`open` connected and able to send, `connecting` pairing in progress,
`close` not connected.
example: open
QrCode:
type:
- object
- 'null'
description: The pairing QR, or `null` when there is nothing to scan.
properties:
base64:
type:
- string
- 'null'
description: >-
A `data:image/png;base64,...` image you can render directly in an
`![]()
` tag.
code:
type:
- string
- 'null'
description: The raw QR payload, if you would rather render the code yourself.
pairingCode:
type:
- string
- 'null'
description: A short pairing code, when one is available.
Error:
type: object
properties:
success:
type: boolean
const: false
error:
type: object
properties:
code:
type: string
description: >-
Stable machine-readable code. Branch on this, not on the
message.
message:
type: string
description: Human-readable explanation. The wording may change.
details:
type: object
description: Extra safe context, present on some errors.
request_id:
type: string
format: uuid
description: Quote this when asking support about a request.
responses:
BadRequest:
description: >-
`invalid_request` a field is missing or malformed (the message names it,
including its position in a list) · `invalid_media_url` the `url` is not
a public http(s) link to a file.
content:
application/json:
schema:
$ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
example:
success: false
error:
code: invalid_request
message: Field "text" is required and must be a non-empty string.
request_id: b1f2c3d4-5e6f-4a7b-8c9d-0e1f2a3b4c5d
Unauthorized:
description: >-
`missing_api_key` no `apikey` header was sent · `invalid_api_key` the
key is unknown or revoked.
content:
application/json:
schema:
$ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
example:
success: false
error:
code: invalid_api_key
message: Invalid or revoked API key.
request_id: b1f2c3d4-5e6f-4a7b-8c9d-0e1f2a3b4c5d
Forbidden:
description: >-
`account_suspended` · `access_expired` · `trial_quota_exceeded` ·
`instance_limit_reached` · `activation_unavailable`.
On `instance_limit_reached`, `details.limit_source` tells you which cap
you hit: `plan` (the plan you are on — upgrade it) or `account` (a cap
set on your account — ask your provider to raise it). Branch on that,
never on the wording of the message.
content:
application/json:
schema:
$ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
example:
success: false
error:
code: trial_quota_exceeded
message: >-
Trial message quota reached (500 messages). Upgrade to a paid
plan to keep sending.
details:
trial_message_limit: 500
request_id: b1f2c3d4-5e6f-4a7b-8c9d-0e1f2a3b4c5d
InstanceNotFound:
description: >-
`instance_not_found` — no such instance on your account. The same answer
is given for an id that does not exist and one that belongs to someone
else.
content:
application/json:
schema:
$ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
example:
success: false
error:
code: instance_not_found
message: >-
Instance not found. Check the instance_id and that it belongs to
your account.
request_id: b1f2c3d4-5e6f-4a7b-8c9d-0e1f2a3b4c5d
RateLimited:
description: >-
`rate_limit_exceeded` — too many requests this minute. Wait for the
number of seconds in the `Retry-After` header. `details.scope` and the
`X-RateLimit-Scope` header say WHICH allowance you exceeded.
headers:
Retry-After:
description: Seconds to wait before retrying.
schema:
type: integer
X-RateLimit-Scope:
$ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimitScope'
X-RateLimit-Limit:
$ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimitLimit'
X-RateLimit-Remaining:
$ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimitRemaining'
X-RateLimit-Reset:
$ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimitReset'
content:
application/json:
schema:
$ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
example:
success: false
error:
code: rate_limit_exceeded
message: Rate limit exceeded, retry in 12s.
details:
retry_after_seconds: 12
limit_per_minute: 20
scope: messages
request_id: b1f2c3d4-5e6f-4a7b-8c9d-0e1f2a3b4c5d
InternalError:
description: >-
`internal_error` — something went wrong on our side. Quote the
`request_id` to support.
content:
application/json:
schema:
$ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
example:
success: false
error:
code: internal_error
message: An unexpected error occurred.
request_id: b1f2c3d4-5e6f-4a7b-8c9d-0e1f2a3b4c5d
QrUnavailable:
description: >-
`qr_unavailable` — no QR is ready yet. Wait a moment and retry; a
`Retry-After` header suggests how long.
headers:
Retry-After:
description: Seconds to wait before retrying.
schema:
type: integer
content:
application/json:
schema:
$ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
example:
success: false
error:
code: qr_unavailable
message: A QR code is not available yet. Wait a moment and retry.
request_id: b1f2c3d4-5e6f-4a7b-8c9d-0e1f2a3b4c5d
headers:
RateLimitScope:
description: >-
WHICH allowance the other X-RateLimit-* headers describe. `messages`
covers every /v1/messages/* endpoint and /v1/numbers/check together;
`instances` is the separate, much larger budget for /v1/instances/*. If
you cache a limit, cache it against its scope.
schema:
type: string
enum:
- messages
- instances
example: messages
RateLimitLimit:
description: Requests allowed per minute on this scope.
schema:
type: integer
example: 20
RateLimitRemaining:
description: Requests left in the current minute on this scope.
schema:
type: integer
example: 17
RateLimitReset:
description: >-
Seconds until the allowance next goes up by one. Present on successful
responses too, so you can pace yourself without first earning a 429. The
window is a rolling minute, so this is when the oldest request ages out
— not a fixed reset instant. If `X-RateLimit-Remaining` is above 0 you
can send now.
schema:
type: integer
example: 43
securitySchemes:
apikey:
type: apiKey
in: header
name: apikey
description: >-
Your API key, sent in an `apikey` request header. Never in the URL,
never as a Bearer token.
````