How to configure an Endpoint URL in Twilio Whatsapp API for an Azure Node.js bot?

Question

I have created a Node.js bot using the Bot Framework and deployed it into Azure. By default, the bot messaging end point for the Azure bot msbotnew1 will be

https://msbotnew1.azurewebsites.net/api/messages

I am able to communicate with the bot using Web Chat, and also I am able to send outgoing whatsapp messages from Twilio to my cellphone number.

Code for setting the Azure messaging endpoint:

var restify = require('restify');
var builder = require('botbuilder');
var botbuilder_azure = require("botbuilder-azure");
var request = require("request");
var twilio = require("twilio");
var fs = require('fs');

// Setup Restify Server
var server = restify.createServer();
server.listen(process.env.port || process.env.PORT || 3978, function () {
   console.log('%s listening to %s', server.name, server.url); 
});

// Create chat connector for communicating with the Bot Framework Service
var connector = new builder.ChatConnector({
    appId: process.env.MicrosoftAppId,
    appPassword: process.env.MicrosoftAppPassword,
    openIdMetadata: process.env.BotOpenIdMetadata 
});

// Listen for messages from users 
server.post('/api/messages', connector.listen());

Code for sending outgoing whatsapp messages from Twilio to cellphone number:

var twilio = require("twilio");

const accountSid = process.env.accountSid;
const authToken = process.env.authToken;
const client = require('twilio')(accountSid, authToken);

client.messages
        .create({
                body: 'Hello there!',
                from: 'whatsapp:+14155238886',
                to: process.env.whatsappToNumber
        })
        .then(message => console.log(message.sid))
        .done();

But for the incoming messages, The inbound endpoint URL had to be set in this page:

https://www.twilio.com/console/sms/whatsapp/sandbox

The incoming endpoint is set in the above page as follows:

WHEN A MESSAGE COMES IN: https://msbotnew1.azurewebsites.net/api/messages

I get the following error in the Bot app output, when an incoming message was texted from whatsapp:

ERROR: ChatConnector: receive - invalid request data received.

I have tried various combinations of the endpoint URLs which aren't working, such as https://msbotnew1.azurewebsites.net/sms, https://msbotnew1.azurewebsites.net/api/messages/sms https://msbotnew1.azurewebsites.net/api/sms

How can I get the correct endpoint URL to send incoming messages from Whatsapp cellphone to Azure node.js bot using Twilio?

tdurnford tdurnford · Accepted Answer · 2019-03-26T22:46:16

Unfortunately, since Twilio has not fully developed its Whatapps channel, you cannot connect Whatapps to a TwiML App that properly routes messages to the Microsoft BotFramework. However, the Microsoft BotFramework is currently working to add Whatsapp as an official channel meaning you could add the channel without having to route through Twilio. The Whatsapp feature request is being tracked with this GitHub Issue.

If you cannot wait for Microsoft to add Whatsapp as a channel, I would recommend using the Twilio Node Package and DirectLine to route messages from Whatsapp to your bot.

For more details on how to configure Twilio for the BotFramework, take a look at this step-by-step guide in the documentation.

Hope this helps!

How to configure an Endpoint URL in Twilio Whatsapp API for an Azure Node.js bot?

1 Answers