whatsapp-groups

Remove a participant from a WhatsApp group

Removes one person from the group. Name them by either identifier the group's participants list them under: bsuid, which everyone has, or phone_number, which is there only when WhatsApp shares it.

Removal cannot be undone. WhatsApp blocks a removed person from joining the group by invite link, and the block follows the person rather than the link they were removed under: rotating the invite link does not let them back in. There is no add operation to pair with this one either, because WhatsApp lets nobody be added directly and people join only by opening the link. So nothing returns someone to this group once they are out, and reaching them again means creating another group and inviting them to it.

The 202 response is the removal accepted, not applied: WhatsApp can still refuse it, which arrives on the group_participants_update webhook. The outcome lands on that participant's own last_operation, pending until the webhook settles it, so removing several people at once gives each their own state and their own failure rather than one shared verdict. Re-read the group to see who is left.

A second removal of the same participant while theirs is pending returns a 409 WhatsAppGroupUpdateInProgress; removing a different participant does not. Only an active group can be changed; any other status returns a 409 WhatsAppGroupNotActive.

delete/v1/whatsapp/groups/{group_id}/participants/{participant_ref}

Request

  • Base URL: https://us1.platform.bird.com
  • URL: https://us1.platform.bird.com/v1/whatsapp/groups/{group_id}/participants/{participant_ref}
  • Auth: one of:
    • HTTP bearer
    • API key in cookie bird_session

Path parameters

group_idstring required
Example:wag_01krdgeqcxet5s7t44vh8rt9mg

ID of the group to remove someone from.

participant_refstring required
Example:+16505551234

The person to remove, named by either identifier the group lists them under: their bsuid, or their phone_number in E.164 format (+16505551234) when WhatsApp gives you one. Pass the value as it reads: percent-encode the leading + as %2B only when your client does not do that for you. A value naming someone who is not in the group returns a 422 WhatsAppGroupParticipantNotFound.

Headers

Idempotency-Keystring

Client-supplied key. On operations supporting request deduplication, a retained response is replayed for duplicate requests with the same key within the idempotency window (3 hours by default). This protection requires a workspace, organization, or staff-account scope. User-only and unscoped unauthenticated operations, streams, and operations with a separate replay contract do not use this response replay.

On a supported operation, if idempotency protection is unavailable before execution, the API returns 503 IdempotencyUnavailable (E01033) without executing this attempt. Retry with backoff using the same key and request. An operation that takes effect before its response is retained can still execute again on retry.

Two distinct 409 errors signal misuse:

  • request_in_progress (E01004): The same key is currently being processed by a concurrent request. Wait briefly and retry. The lock expires within 30 seconds.
  • idempotency_key_reuse (E01005): The same key has already completed against a different request body or method. Generate a new key.

Recommended key format is <event-type>/<entity-id> (for example welcome-user/usr_abc123).

X-Workspace-Idstring

Workspace context for the request. Required for dashboard authentication and master keys. Workspace keys and access tokens already identify their workspace; send that workspace or omit the header. A different one is rejected.

X-Organization-Idstring

Organization context for the request. Required for dashboard authentication. An API key or access token carries its own organization, so send either that organization or no header at all; a different one is rejected.

Response

Removal accepted; the group as Bird holds it. Re-read for who is left.

idstring required
whatsapp_number_idstring required
wabastring nullable required

Meta's identifier for the WhatsApp Business Account recorded when the group was created. This is a historical snapshot, not a live account directory projection. Null for a number we operate on your behalf, whose account is not yours to see.

subjectstring required

The group's name, shown to participants and to anyone who opens the invite link.

descriptionstring nullable

The group's description, shown alongside the subject. Null when the group has none.

status'pending' | 'active' | 'suspended' | 'deleted' | 'failed' required

Where the group stands. Values, in lifecycle order:

  • pending means the request to create the group has been accepted and WhatsApp has not confirmed it yet. The group has no invite link, and it cannot be messaged or changed.
  • active means the group exists at WhatsApp and carries an invite link. Only an active group can be messaged.
  • suspended means WhatsApp has stopped activity in the group, which it does when a group breaks its policies. Sends fail while it lasts, and WhatsApp can lift it on its own.
  • deleted means the group is gone, either because you deleted it or because WhatsApp removed it. Every participant lost access, and the state is terminal.
  • failed means WhatsApp refused to create the group; last_operation.last_error says why. The state is terminal, so create another group rather than retrying this one.
join_approval_mode'auto_approve' | 'approval_required' required

How someone opening the invite link gets in:

  • auto_approve means they join the moment they open the link. This is the default when the group is created.
  • approval_required means opening the link raises a join request you approve or reject.

Fixed when the group is created.

invite_linkstring nullable

The link that lets someone join the group, which is the only way in. A group has one link at a time. Null while the group is pending, since WhatsApp issues the link when it confirms the group. Rotating it through POST /v1/whatsapp/groups/{group_id}/invite-link/rotate replaces it, and every link the group had before then stops working.

participant_countinteger required

How many people are in the group, excluding your business.

profile_picture_urlstring nullable

Address of the group's picture, as WhatsApp serves it. Null when the group has none.

suspended_atstring date-time

When WhatsApp suspended the group. Present only while the group is suspended, and gone once WhatsApp lifts the suspension.

created_atstring date-time required
updated_atstring date-time required

Example response

{
  "id": "wag_01krdgeqcxet5s7t44vh8rt9mg",
  "whatsapp_number_id": "wan_01krdgeqcxet5s7t44vh8rt9mg",
  "waba": "102290129340398",
  "subject": "New Purchase Inquiry",
  "description": "Jim would like to learn about new car purchase options for current year models.",
  "status": "active",
  "join_approval_mode": "auto_approve",
  "invite_link": "https://chat.whatsapp.com/JZm4S9tCkQx2LpVr7Ny8Ab",
  "participants": [
    {
      "bsuid": "US.1566655121691972",
      "phone_number": "+16505551234",
      "username": "john.doe",
      "last_operation": {
        "type": "settings_update",
        "status": "pending",
        "requested_at": "2026-08-27T14:02:11Z",
        "settled_at": "2026-08-27T14:02:14Z",
        "results": [
          {
            "field": "subject",
            "error": {
              "description": "Group subject contains content that cannot be used.",
              "meta_error_code": "2388024"
            }
          }
        ],
        "last_error": {
          "description": "Group subject contains content that cannot be used.",
          "meta_error_code": "2388024"
        }
      }
    }
  ],
  "participant_count": 6,
  "pinned_messages": [
    {
      "message_id": "wam_01krdgeqcxet5s7t44vh8rt9mg",
      "pinned_until": "2026-09-01T09:14:52Z"
    }
  ],
  "profile_picture_url": "https://media.example.com/whatsapp/groups/JZm4S9tCkQx2.jpg",
  "last_operation": {
    "type": "settings_update",
    "status": "pending",
    "requested_at": "2026-08-27T14:02:11Z",
    "settled_at": "2026-08-27T14:02:14Z",
    "results": [
      {
        "field": "subject",
        "error": {
          "description": "Group subject contains content that cannot be used.",
          "meta_error_code": "2388024"
        }
      }
    ],
    "last_error": {
      "description": "Group subject contains content that cannot be used.",
      "meta_error_code": "2388024"
    }
  },
  "suspended_at": "2026-08-20T11:04:00Z",
  "created_at": "2026-05-20T09:14:52Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-05-25T16:42:01Z"
}

Changes

No recorded changes to this operation across all 3 revisions of this API.