whatsapp-groups

Update a WhatsApp group

Changes what participants see at the top of the group: its subject, its description, and its picture. Fields you omit are left as they are; send null to clear the description. A null picture clears the one Bird stores, but WhatsApp offers no way to take a group's photo down, so participants keep seeing the current one until a new picture replaces it.

WhatsApp applies each field separately, so a change can be part-applied: one field refused while the others take effect. The 202 response is the change accepted, not applied: it echoes the group as Bird holds it, with last_operation at pending. WhatsApp reports the outcome on the group_settings_update webhook, which settles last_operation to success or failed and fills its results with one entry per field, so a part-apply says which field was refused and why. Re-read the group to see what took effect.

Two 409s guard this, and status is checked first: a group that is not active returns WhatsAppGroupNotActive, whatever its last_operation says. That matters for a group still being created, which is pending on both counts at once, and the group-level answer is the more useful one, since no change can land until it exists. Once the group is active, a change already outstanding returns WhatsAppGroupUpdateInProgress while last_operation.status is pending.

The picture names a file in your workspace's media library, and WhatsApp takes only a square JPEG. join_approval_mode and the administering number are fixed when the group is created and cannot be changed here.

patch/v1/whatsapp/groups/{group_id}

Request

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

Path parameters

group_idstring required
Example:wag_01krdgeqcxet5s7t44vh8rt9mg

ID of the group to change.

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.

Request body

subjectstring

A new name for the group. Participants see the change in the group's chat.

descriptionstring nullable

A new description for the group. Send null to clear it; an empty string is a 422 rather than a second way to clear.

profile_picture_urlstring nullable

A new picture for the group, naming a file in your workspace's media library. WhatsApp takes a square JPEG of at least 192 by 192 pixels and up to 5 MB; anything else returns a 422. Sending null clears the picture Bird stores, and an empty string is a 422 rather than a second way to clear it; WhatsApp has no operation for removing a group's photo, so the one participants see stays until another picture replaces it.

Example request

{
  "subject": "Watch Enthusiasts",
  "description": "Discuss the latest timepieces and share reviews.",
  "profile_picture_url": "https://media.example.com/whatsapp/groups/square.jpg"
}

Response

Change accepted; the group as Bird holds it. Re-read for what WhatsApp applied.

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 2 revisions of this API.