Send Contact Form 7 Submissions to WhatsApp

Send a WhatsApp message every time someone submits your Contact Form 7 form. This is useful for businesses that want instant form notifications delivered to a WhatsApp number or team chat without checking email.

This integration uses the Webhook Automation feature in Redirection for Contact Form 7 (available from the Marketer plan), paired with an automation platform that supports incoming webhooks — such as Zapier, Make, or n8n.

This guide covers step-by-step instructions for Zapier, Make, and n8n. The same approach applies to any platform that connects to the WhatsApp Business API.

What You'll Need

• Redirection for Contact Form 7 on the Marketer plan or higher
• A WhatsApp Business API account — this is not the regular WhatsApp app. You need access through Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform or a third-party provider such as 360dialog or Twilio
• Any automation platform that supports incoming webhooks — such as Zapier, Make, or n8n

Important: Sending WhatsApp messages requires a verified WhatsApp Business account and an approved phone number through Meta. Personal WhatsApp accounts cannot be used for automated messaging. If you are just getting started, setting up a provider like 360dialog or Twilio is the quickest path to a working WhatsApp Business API number.

How It Works

CF7 Form Submission → RCF7 Webhook → Zapier / Make / n8n → WhatsApp Message

Option A – Connect via Zapier

Step 1 – Set Up the RCF7 Webhook

Follow the Zapier integration guide to install the Webhook addon, create a Zap with Webhooks by Zapier → Catch Hook as the trigger, and connect it to your CF7 form. Submit a test entry so Zapier has sample data, then continue below.

Step 2 – Add the WhatsApp Action

1. In your Zap, click + to add an Action step.
2. Search for and select WhatsApp Business (or your provider's app, such as Twilio).
3. Choose Send Template Message as the action event, then click Continue.
4. Connect your WhatsApp Business account when prompted.
5. Configure the action:
   • To Number → Enter the recipient phone number in international format (e.g., +1234567890)
   • Template → Select an approved message template from your WhatsApp Business account
   • Map the template variables to the corresponding fields from the webhook trigger
6. Click Test action to send a test message.
7. If it looks good, click Publish to activate the Zap.

Note: WhatsApp Business API only allows sending pre-approved message templates for outbound notifications. Templates must be submitted and approved via Meta's Business Manager before use.

Option B – Connect via Make

Step 1 – Set Up the RCF7 Webhook

Follow the Make integration guide to install the Webhook addon, create a scenario with a Custom Webhook trigger, and connect it to your CF7 form. Submit a test entry so Make has sample data, then continue below.

Step 2 – Add the WhatsApp Module

1. In your scenario, click + after the Webhooks module to add a new module.
2. Search for and select WhatsApp Business Cloud.
3. Choose Send a Template Message as the action, then click OK.
4. Connect your WhatsApp Business Cloud account when prompted and authorize access via Meta.
5. Configure the module:
   • Phone Number ID → Select your registered WhatsApp phone number
   • To → Enter the recipient phone number in international format
   • Template Name → Enter the name of your approved message template
   • Language Code → Enter the language code for your template (e.g., en_US)
   • Map the template variables to the corresponding fields from the webhook data
6. Click OK, then click Run once and submit your CF7 form with test data.
7. Confirm the message was sent, then click Save and toggle the scenario ON.

Option C – Connect via n8n

Step 1 – Set Up WhatsApp Business Cloud Credentials in n8n

1. In n8n, go to Settings → Credentials and click Add Credential.
2. Search for and select WhatsApp Business Cloud API.
3. Enter your Access Token, Phone Number ID, and Business Account ID from your Meta WhatsApp Business account.

For detailed steps, refer to n8n's WhatsApp Business Cloud credentials guide.

Step 2 – Set Up the RCF7 Webhook

Follow the n8n integration guide to install the Webhook addon, create a workflow with a Webhook node as the trigger, and connect it to your CF7 form. Submit a test entry so n8n has sample data, then continue below.

Step 3 – Add the WhatsApp Business Cloud Node

1. In your workflow, click + after the Webhook node to add a new node.
2. Search for and select WhatsApp Business Cloud.
3. Set the Operation to Send Message.
4. Under Credential, select the WhatsApp credential you created in Step 1.
5. Configure the node:
   • To → Enter the recipient phone number in international format (e.g., +1234567890)
   • Message Type → Select Template
   • Template Name → Enter the name of your approved message template
   • Language Code → Enter the language code (e.g., en_US)
   • Map any template variables to the corresponding webhook output fields
6. Click Execute Node to send a test message.
7. Once confirmed, click Back to canvas and save the workflow.
8. In your RCF7 Webhook action, replace the Test URL with the Production URL from the n8n Webhook node, then save the form.
9. Toggle the workflow Active using the switch in the top right of the n8n editor.

Troubleshooting

"Template not found" or message not sending Make sure the template name and language code match exactly what is approved in your Meta WhatsApp Business Manager. Templates must be approved before they can be used for outbound messages.

No message received after the test Check that the automation platform received data from the webhook — look at the Zap history, Make run history, or n8n execution log. Also confirm your WhatsApp Business phone number is active and verified in Meta Business Manager.

The form shows "There was an error trying to send your message" This error comes from CF7's built-in email notification failing and is unrelated to the webhook. Fix it by installing an SMTP plugin such as WP Mail SMTP or Fluent SMTP. Alternatively, add skip_mail: on to your form's Additional Settings tab to bypass email sending during testing.

n8n: messages stop sending after testing Make sure you replaced the Test URL with the Production URL in your RCF7 Webhook action, and that the workflow is set to Active in n8n.

Access token expired Meta's WhatsApp Business API access tokens expire periodically. Regenerate the token in your Meta Business Manager and update it in your automation platform's credentials.