Check numbers

Check numbers on WhatsApp

curl --request POST \
  --url https://api.bulkneo.com/v1/numbers/check \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --header 'apikey: <api-key>' \
  --data '
{
  "instance_id": "3f9c1a2b-7d4e-4c81-9f0a-2b6d5e8c1a34",
  "numbers": [
    "919876543210",
    "919812345678"
  ]
}
'

const options = {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {apikey: '<api-key>', 'Content-Type': 'application/json'},
  body: JSON.stringify({
    instance_id: '3f9c1a2b-7d4e-4c81-9f0a-2b6d5e8c1a34',
    numbers: ['919876543210', '919812345678']
  })
};

fetch('https://api.bulkneo.com/v1/numbers/check', options)
  .then(res => res.json())
  .then(res => console.log(res))
  .catch(err => console.error(err));

import requests

url = "https://api.bulkneo.com/v1/numbers/check"

payload = {
    "instance_id": "3f9c1a2b-7d4e-4c81-9f0a-2b6d5e8c1a34",
    "numbers": ["919876543210", "919812345678"]
}
headers = {
    "apikey": "<api-key>",
    "Content-Type": "application/json"
}

response = requests.post(url, json=payload, headers=headers)

print(response.text)

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "instance_id": "3f9c1a2b-7d4e-4c81-9f0a-2b6d5e8c1a34",
    "submitted": 2,
    "checked": 2,
    "results": [
      {
        "number": "919876543210",
        "exists": true,
        "whatsapp_number": "919876543210"
      },
      {
        "number": "919812345678",
        "exists": false,
        "whatsapp_number": null
      }
    ]
  },
  "request_id": "b1f2c3d4-5e6f-4a7b-8c9d-0e1f2a3b4c5d"
}

{
  "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"
}

{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": "invalid_api_key",
    "message": "Invalid or revoked API key."
  },
  "request_id": "b1f2c3d4-5e6f-4a7b-8c9d-0e1f2a3b4c5d"
}

{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": "subscription_expired",
    "message": "Your subscription has expired. Renew it to continue sending messages."
  },
  "request_id": "b1f2c3d4-5e6f-4a7b-8c9d-0e1f2a3b4c5d"
}

{
  "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"
}

{
  "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"
}

{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": "instance_not_connected",
    "message": "This WhatsApp instance is not connected. Connect it before sending messages."
  },
  "request_id": "b1f2c3d4-5e6f-4a7b-8c9d-0e1f2a3b4c5d"
}

{
  "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"
}

{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": "internal_error",
    "message": "An unexpected error occurred."
  },
  "request_id": "b1f2c3d4-5e6f-4a7b-8c9d-0e1f2a3b4c5d"
}

{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": "upstream_unavailable",
    "message": "The messaging service is temporarily unavailable. Please retry shortly."
  },
  "request_id": "b1f2c3d4-5e6f-4a7b-8c9d-0e1f2a3b4c5d"
}

POST

numbers

check

Check numbers on WhatsApp

curl --request POST \
  --url https://api.bulkneo.com/v1/numbers/check \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --header 'apikey: <api-key>' \
  --data '
{
  "instance_id": "3f9c1a2b-7d4e-4c81-9f0a-2b6d5e8c1a34",
  "numbers": [
    "919876543210",
    "919812345678"
  ]
}
'

const options = {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {apikey: '<api-key>', 'Content-Type': 'application/json'},
  body: JSON.stringify({
    instance_id: '3f9c1a2b-7d4e-4c81-9f0a-2b6d5e8c1a34',
    numbers: ['919876543210', '919812345678']
  })
};

fetch('https://api.bulkneo.com/v1/numbers/check', options)
  .then(res => res.json())
  .then(res => console.log(res))
  .catch(err => console.error(err));

import requests

url = "https://api.bulkneo.com/v1/numbers/check"

payload = {
    "instance_id": "3f9c1a2b-7d4e-4c81-9f0a-2b6d5e8c1a34",
    "numbers": ["919876543210", "919812345678"]
}
headers = {
    "apikey": "<api-key>",
    "Content-Type": "application/json"
}

response = requests.post(url, json=payload, headers=headers)

print(response.text)

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "instance_id": "3f9c1a2b-7d4e-4c81-9f0a-2b6d5e8c1a34",
    "submitted": 2,
    "checked": 2,
    "results": [
      {
        "number": "919876543210",
        "exists": true,
        "whatsapp_number": "919876543210"
      },
      {
        "number": "919812345678",
        "exists": false,
        "whatsapp_number": null
      }
    ]
  },
  "request_id": "b1f2c3d4-5e6f-4a7b-8c9d-0e1f2a3b4c5d"
}

{
  "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"
}

{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": "invalid_api_key",
    "message": "Invalid or revoked API key."
  },
  "request_id": "b1f2c3d4-5e6f-4a7b-8c9d-0e1f2a3b4c5d"
}

{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": "subscription_expired",
    "message": "Your subscription has expired. Renew it to continue sending messages."
  },
  "request_id": "b1f2c3d4-5e6f-4a7b-8c9d-0e1f2a3b4c5d"
}

{
  "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"
}

{
  "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"
}

{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": "instance_not_connected",
    "message": "This WhatsApp instance is not connected. Connect it before sending messages."
  },
  "request_id": "b1f2c3d4-5e6f-4a7b-8c9d-0e1f2a3b4c5d"
}

{
  "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"
}

{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": "internal_error",
    "message": "An unexpected error occurred."
  },
  "request_id": "b1f2c3d4-5e6f-4a7b-8c9d-0e1f2a3b4c5d"
}

{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": "upstream_unavailable",
    "message": "The messaging service is temporarily unavailable. Please retry shortly."
  },
  "request_id": "b1f2c3d4-5e6f-4a7b-8c9d-0e1f2a3b4c5d"
}

Ask which numbers are reachable on WhatsApp before you send to them. Nothing is sent to anybody.

Notes

1 to 50 numbers per request. More returns 400 invalid_request with details.max_numbers.
Duplicates are removed before the lookup. submitted is what you sent, checked is how many distinct numbers were actually looked up.
Results come back in the order you submitted them.
This uses one of your connected numbers to do the lookup, so instance_id is required and that number must be connected — otherwise you get 409 instance_not_connected.
A check is not a message. It does not appear in your usage figures and does not consume a trial allowance. It does count against your per-minute rate limit.

Reading the results

boolean | null

true — on WhatsApp. false — not on WhatsApp. null — the check could not be completed for that number.

null does not mean “not on WhatsApp”. Treat it as “unknown” and retry later, or send anyway. Collapsing null into false will make you skip real customers.

string | null

The number WhatsApp actually answers on. In some countries this differs from the number you dialled — Brazil’s extra 9th digit is the classic case. When it differs, send to this number, not the one you looked up.

Example

curl -X POST https://api.bulkneo.com/v1/numbers/check \
  -H "apikey: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "instance_id": "YOUR_INSTANCE_ID",
    "numbers": ["919876543210", "919812345678"]
  }'

const res = await fetch("https://api.bulkneo.com/v1/numbers/check", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    apikey: process.env.BULKNEO_API_KEY,
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    instance_id: process.env.BULKNEO_INSTANCE_ID,
    numbers: batch, // at most 50
  }),
});

const { data } = await res.json();
const sendable = data.results
  .filter((r) => r.exists === true)
  .map((r) => r.whatsapp_number ?? r.number);

import os
import requests

res = requests.post(
    "https://api.bulkneo.com/v1/numbers/check",
    headers={"apikey": os.environ["BULKNEO_API_KEY"]},
    json={
        "instance_id": os.environ["BULKNEO_INSTANCE_ID"],
        "numbers": batch,  # at most 50
    },
    timeout=30,
)
res.raise_for_status()

results = res.json()["data"]["results"]
sendable = [r["whatsapp_number"] or r["number"] for r in results if r["exists"] is True]
unknown = [r["number"] for r in results if r["exists"] is None]

Working through a large list quickly still puts your number at risk, whatever the batch size. Read Checking numbers before you send for how to pace it.

Authorizations

apikey

string

header

required

Your API key, sent in an apikey request header. Never in the URL, never as a Bearer token.

Body

application/json

instance_id

string<uuid>

required

Which of your connected numbers to send FROM. Copy it from your numbers screen in the portal, or from GET /v1/instances. It must belong to your account.

Example:

"3f9c1a2b-7d4e-4c81-9f0a-2b6d5e8c1a34"

numbers

string[]

required

1 to 50 numbers per request, each with its country code. Duplicates are removed before the lookup.

Required array length: 1 - 50 elements

Example:

["919876543210", "919812345678"]

Response

Lookup complete.

success

boolean

data

object

Show child attributes

request_id

string<uuid>

⌘I

Overview

Messages

Numbers

Instances

Service

Notes

Reading the results

Example

Authorizations

Body

Response

​Notes

​Reading the results

​Example

Authorizations

Body

Response

Notes

Reading the results

Example