Whatsapp Channel Messages

Fetch messages from a WhatsApp Channel by channel ID or invite code.

What does WhatsApp Channel Messages do?

This Actor retrieves messages from a WhatsApp Channel using its ID or invite code. It extracts message text, timestamps, and server IDs for further processing or analysis. Perfect for monitoring channels, archiving conversations, or integrating channel data into your applications.

Why use WhatsApp Channel Messages?

• Extract channel conversations - Get structured message data from WhatsApp Channels without manual copying
• Pagination support - Fetch messages in batches using the before parameter for efficient data retrieval
• Structured output - Messages are returned as clean JSON with timestamps and server IDs
• Easy integration - Combine with other Apify Actors or third-party tools for automated workflows
• Flexible input - Use channel ID, bare ID, or invite code from whatsapp.com/channel/<code>

How to use WhatsApp Channel Messages

1. Open the Actor in the Apify Console or run it locally
2. Enter your WhatsApp Channel ID or invite code
3. Optionally set the number of messages to fetch (default: 10, max: 100)
4. For pagination, use the before parameter with a server message ID from a previous run
5. Click Start to fetch messages
6. Download the dataset as JSON, CSV, or Excel from the Results tab

Input

Field	Type	Required	Default	Description
channelId	string	✓	—	Channel ID (120363...@newsletter), bare ID, or invite code from whatsapp.com/channel/<code>.
count	integer	—	10	Number of messages to fetch (max 100).
before	integer	—	—	Server message ID — only return messages before this ID (for pagination).

Input example

{
  "channelId": "120363012345678901@newsletter",
  "count": 25,
  "before": null
}

Or use an invite code:

{
  "channelId": "jz3vf5h",
  "count": 10
}

Output

One record per message — raw response from WhatsApp's API:

{
  "MessageServerID": 3349,
  "MessageID": "AC28F698AA5E614BAA71E922A7833032",
  "Type": "text",
  "Timestamp": "2026-07-06T06:40:19+07:00",
  "ViewsCount": 0,
  "ReactionCounts": {"👍": 12},
  "Message": {
    "conversation": "Hello from the channel"
  }
}

Output fields

Field	Type	Description
MessageServerID	integer	Unique server-side message ID (use for pagination via before)
MessageID	string	WhatsApp message UUID
Type	string	Message type: text, media, poll, etc.
Timestamp	string	ISO 8601 timestamp when message was sent
ViewsCount	integer	Number of views
ReactionCounts	object	Emoji → count map of reactions
Message	object	Message content by type (e.g. conversation, imageMessage, stickerMessage)

Media messages

For non-text messages, Message contains a type-specific nested object (e.g. imageMessage, videoMessage, stickerMessage) with metadata. Text messages have Message.conversation.

Pricing

This Actor uses Apify's pay-per-event billing:

• Actor start: $0.05 per run
• Per message: $0.008 per message scraped ($8 per 1,000 messages)

Cost estimation examples

• Fetch 10 messages: $0.05 + (10 × $0.008) = $0.13 per run
• Fetch 100 messages: $0.05 + (100 × $0.008) = $0.85 per run
• Fetch 1,000 messages (10 paginated runs): $0.50 + $8.00 = $8.50 total

Use the count parameter to limit messages per run and minimize costs.

Tips and Advanced Options

Pagination for large channels

To fetch more than 100 messages, use pagination:

1. Run the Actor with your desired count
2. Note the MessageServerID of the oldest message in the output
3. Run again with before set to that MessageServerID
4. Repeat until you've fetched all needed messages

Identify invite codes

If you have a WhatsApp Channel link like https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAGzHb123xyz, the invite code is 0029VaAGzHb123xyz. You can use this directly in the channelId field.

Rate limiting

To avoid being rate-limited by WhatsApp, consider:

• Using longer intervals between runs (e.g., schedule Actor runs every 6 hours)
• Limiting count to 25–50 messages per run
• Running only when needed rather than continuously

Verify channel access

Only public WhatsApp Channels are supported. Private channels require membership and may not be accessible.

FAQ and Support

Can I scrape private channels?

Only public channels are supported. Private channels that require membership cannot be accessed via this Actor.

What happens to media messages?

Images, videos, and documents appear as records with text: null. The raw metadata is available in the full message data for manual processing.

Is this legal?

WhatsApp Channels are designed for public or semi-public communication. Always respect channel owners' terms and privacy policies. This tool is for authorized use on channels you have permission to access.

How do I schedule regular fetches?

Use the Apify Console's Scheduler feature to run this Actor on a recurring basis (hourly, daily, weekly).

Need a custom solution?

If you need additional features (filtering, real-time webhooks, media downloads), contact Apify for custom development options.

Feedback and Issues

Found a bug or have a feature request? Open an issue in the Actor Issues tab to report it.