Message Types

Baileys provides comprehensive TypeScript types for working with WhatsApp messages.

Core Message Types

WAMessage

Extends proto.IWebMessageInfo with additional Baileys-specific fields.

key

WAMessageKey

required

Unique identifier for the message

message

WAMessageContent

The actual message content (proto.IMessage)

messageTimestamp

number | Long

Unix timestamp when message was sent

messageStubParameters

any

Parameters for stub messages (system messages)

WAMessageKey

Extends proto.IMessageKey with additional routing information.

remoteJid

string

JID of the chat (group or individual)

fromMe

boolean

Whether the message was sent by you

string

Unique message ID

participant

string

Sender’s JID in group chats

remoteJidAlt

string

Alternative JID format (Baileys extension)

participantAlt

string

Alternative participant format (Baileys extension)

server_id

string

Server-assigned ID (Baileys extension)

addressingMode

string

Addressing mode: ‘pn’ or ‘lid’ (Baileys extension)

isViewOnce

boolean

Whether this is a view-once message (Baileys extension)

Message Content Types

AnyMessageContent

Union type for all possible message content:

type AnyMessageContent =
  | AnyRegularMessageContent
  | { forward: WAMessage; force?: boolean }
  | { delete: WAMessageKey }
  | { disappearingMessagesInChat: boolean | number }
  | { limitSharing: boolean }

AnyRegularMessageContent

Union of all regular message types you can send:

Text Messages

{
  text: string
  linkPreview?: WAUrlInfo | null
} & Mentionable & Contextable & Editable

text

string

required

The message text

linkPreview

WAUrlInfo | null

Link preview metadata

mentions

string[]

Array of mentioned JIDs

contextInfo

proto.IContextInfo

Context info (quoted message, etc.)

edit

WAMessageKey

Key of message to edit

Media Messages

See AnyMediaMessageContent below

Poll Messages

{
  poll: PollMessageOptions
} & Mentionable & Contextable & Editable

Contact Messages

{
  contacts: {
    displayName?: string
    contacts: proto.Message.IContactMessage[]
  }
}

Location Messages

{
  location: WALocationMessage
}

Reaction Messages

{
  react: proto.Message.IReactionMessage
}

Button Reply

{
  buttonReply: ButtonReplyInfo
  type: 'template' | 'plain'
}

Pin Messages

{
  pin: WAMessageKey
  type: proto.PinInChat.Type
  time?: 86400 | 604800 | 2592000 // 24h, 7d, or 30d
}

AnyMediaMessageContent

Union type for all media message types:

Image
Video
Audio
Document
Sticker

{
  image: WAMediaUpload
  caption?: string
  jpegThumbnail?: string
  width?: number
  height?: number
  mentions?: string[]
  contextInfo?: proto.IContextInfo
}

{
  video: WAMediaUpload
  caption?: string
  gifPlayback?: boolean
  jpegThumbnail?: string
  ptv?: boolean // video note
  width?: number
  height?: number
  mentions?: string[]
  contextInfo?: proto.IContextInfo
}

{
  audio: WAMediaUpload
  ptt?: boolean // voice note
  seconds?: number // duration
}

{
  document: WAMediaUpload
  mimetype: string
  fileName?: string
  caption?: string
  contextInfo?: proto.IContextInfo
}

{
  sticker: WAMediaUpload
  isAnimated?: boolean
  width?: number
  height?: number
}

WAMediaUpload

Union type for media upload sources:

type WAMediaUpload = 
  | Buffer 
  | { stream: Readable } 
  | { url: URL | string }

Special Message Types

PollMessageOptions

name

string

required

Poll question

values

string[]

required

Array of poll options

selectableCount

number

Number of options users can select (default: 1)

messageSecret

Uint8Array

32-byte secret to encrypt poll selections

toAnnouncementGroup

boolean

Whether poll is for announcement group

EventMessageOptions

name

string

required

Event title

startDate

Date

required

Event start date/time

description

string

Event description

endDate

Date

Event end date/time

location

WALocationMessage

Event location

call

'audio' | 'video'

Type of call event

isCancelled

boolean

Whether event is cancelled

isScheduleCall

boolean

Whether this is a scheduled call

extraGuestsAllowed

boolean

Whether guests can bring +1

Message Generation Options

MessageGenerationOptions

timestamp

Date

Manual message timestamp

quoted

WAMessage

Message to quote/reply to

ephemeralExpiration

number | string

Disappearing message timer

messageId

string

Custom message ID override

mediaUploadTimeoutMs

number

Timeout for media uploads

statusJidList

string[]

JID list for status broadcasts

backgroundColor

string

Background color for status

font

number

Font type for status

Message Updates and Events

MessageUpsertType

type MessageUpsertType = 'append' | 'notify'

notify: New message that should trigger a notification
append: Historical message being synced, no notification needed

WAMessageUpdate

key

WAMessageKey

required

Key identifying the message to update

update

Partial<WAMessage>

required

Partial message data with updates to apply

MessageUserReceipt

Alias for proto.IUserReceipt containing:

userJid

string

User who sent the receipt

receiptTimestamp

number | Long

When the receipt was sent

readTimestamp

number | Long

When the message was read

playedTimestamp

number | Long

When media was played

Utility Types

DownloadableMessage

Messages that contain downloadable media:

mediaKey

Uint8Array | null

Encryption key for media

directPath

string | null

Direct download path

url

string | null

Download URL

MessageReceiptType

type MessageReceiptType =
  | 'read'
  | 'read-self'
  | 'hist_sync'
  | 'peer_msg'
  | 'sender'
  | 'inactive'
  | 'played'
  | undefined

MinimalMessage

Minimal message data for references:

type MinimalMessage = Pick<WAMessage, 'key' | 'messageTimestamp'>

Example Usage

import { AnyMessageContent } from '@whiskeysockets/baileys'

// Send a text message
const textMsg: AnyMessageContent = {
  text: 'Hello @1234567890',
  mentions: ['[email protected]']
}

// Send an image
const imageMsg: AnyMessageContent = {
  image: { url: 'https://example.com/image.jpg' },
  caption: 'Check this out!',
  mentions: ['[email protected]']
}

// Send a poll
const pollMsg: AnyMessageContent = {
  poll: {
    name: 'What\'s your favorite color?',
    values: ['Red', 'Blue', 'Green'],
    selectableCount: 1
  }
}

// Delete a message
const deleteMsg: AnyMessageContent = {
  delete: messageKey
}

// Forward a message
const forwardMsg: AnyMessageContent = {
  forward: originalMessage,
  force: true
}

Core

Authentication

Types

Utilities

Core Message Types

WAMessage

WAMessageKey

Message Content Types

AnyMessageContent

AnyRegularMessageContent

AnyMediaMessageContent

WAMediaUpload

Special Message Types

PollMessageOptions

EventMessageOptions

Message Generation Options

MessageGenerationOptions

Message Updates and Events

MessageUpsertType

WAMessageUpdate

MessageUserReceipt

Utility Types

DownloadableMessage

MessageReceiptType

MinimalMessage

Example Usage

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Core

Authentication

Types

Utilities

​Core Message Types

​WAMessage

​WAMessageKey

​Message Content Types

​AnyMessageContent

​AnyRegularMessageContent

​AnyMediaMessageContent

​WAMediaUpload

​Special Message Types

​PollMessageOptions

​EventMessageOptions

​Message Generation Options

​MessageGenerationOptions

​Message Updates and Events

​MessageUpsertType

​WAMessageUpdate

​MessageUserReceipt

​Utility Types

​DownloadableMessage

​MessageReceiptType

​MinimalMessage

​Example Usage

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Core Message Types

WAMessage

WAMessageKey

Message Content Types

AnyMessageContent

AnyRegularMessageContent

AnyMediaMessageContent

WAMediaUpload

Special Message Types

PollMessageOptions

EventMessageOptions

Message Generation Options

MessageGenerationOptions

Message Updates and Events

MessageUpsertType

WAMessageUpdate

MessageUserReceipt

Utility Types

DownloadableMessage

MessageReceiptType

MinimalMessage

Example Usage