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This guide explains how to use ngrok to receive WhatsApp webhooks on your localhost app. By integrating ngrok with WhatsApp, you can:
  • Develop and test WhatsApp webhooks locally without deploying to a public environment or setting up HTTPS.
  • Inspect and troubleshoot requests from WhatsApp in real time via the inspection UI and API.
  • Modify and replay WhatsApp webhook requests with a single click instead of reproducing events manually in your WhatsApp account.
  • Secure your app with WhatsApp webhook validation provided by ngrok. Invalid requests are blocked by ngrok before reaching your app.

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What you’ll need

This integration requires an ngrok Pro or Enterprise license because Meta validates your ngrok domain and certificate.

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1. Start your app

For this tutorial, you can use the sample Node.js app on GitHub. To install the sample, run the following in a terminal: 
git clone https://github.com/ngrok/ngrok-webhook-nodejs-sample.git
cd ngrok-webhook-nodejs-sample
npm install
Then start the app (Facebook/WhatsApp sample): 
npm run startFacebook
The app runs on port 3000 by default. You can confirm it’s running by visiting http://localhost:3000. The app logs request headers and body in the terminal and shows a message in the browser.

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2. Expose your app with ngrok

Once your app is running locally, you’re ready to put it online securely using ngrok.
The ngrok agent uses your authtoken to authenticate when you start a tunnel. You need a reserved domain: in the dashboard, expand Universal Gateway, click Domains, then + Create Domain or + New Domain, and reserve a domain (e.g. myexample.ngrok.app).
  • Start ngrok with your reserved domain: 
    ngrok http 3000 --url myexample.ngrok.app
  • Copy the URL ngrok displays. Your app is now exposed at that URL for use with WhatsApp (use https://myexample.ngrok.app/webhooks as the callback URL).

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3. Configure WhatsApp to send webhooks

WhatsApp can send webhook requests to your app when messages and other events occur. To set it up:
  • Sign in to Meta for Developers, open My Apps and your app.
  • Under WhatsApp, click Set up, then Configuration > Edit.
  • In Edit webhook’s callback URL, enter your ngrok URL with /webhooks (e.g. https://myexample.ngrok.app/webhooks), enter a Verify token (e.g. 12345), and click Verify and save.
  • Confirm your app receives the verification request and logs WEBHOOK_VERIFIED.
  • Back on Configuration, click Manage, subscribe to messages (and any other fields you need), click Test for messages, and confirm your app receives the POST.
  • Ensure a production or test phone number is associated and App Mode is Live if needed.

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Run webhooks with WhatsApp and ngrok

  • Add the WhatsApp number (or test number) to your contacts and send a message to it.
Confirm your localhost app receives the message and logs both headers and body in the terminal.

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Inspecting requests

ngrok’s Traffic Inspector captures all requests made through your ngrok endpoint to your localhost app. Select any request to view detailed information about both the request and response.
To avoid exposing secrets, accounts only collect traffic metadata by default. You must enable full capture in the Observability section of your account settings to capture complete request and response data.
Use the traffic inspector to:
  • Validate webhook payloads and response data
  • Debug request headers, methods, and status codes
  • Troubleshoot integration issues without adding logging to your app

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Replaying requests

Test your webhook handling code without triggering new events from your service using the Traffic Inspector’s replay feature:
  1. Send a test webhook from your service to generate traffic in your Traffic Inspector.
  2. Select the request you want to replay in the traffic inspector.
  3. Choose your replay option:
    • Click Replay to send the exact same request again
    • Select Replay with modifications to edit the request before sending
  4. (Optional) Modify the request: Edit any part of the original request, such as changing field values in the request body.
  5. Send the request by clicking Replay.
Your local application will receive the replayed request and log the data to the terminal.

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Secure webhook requests

ngrok can verify that incoming requests are from your WhatsApp webhook so only that traffic reaches your app.
Webhook verification is limited to 500 validations per month on free accounts. If you need more, you can upgrade to Hobbyist or Pay-as-you-go. See TPU Pricing for details.
To add verification:
  • In Meta for Developers, go to Settings > Basic, click Show for App secret, and copy the value.
  • Create a Traffic Policy file named whatsapp_policy.yml. Replace {your app secret} with the value you copied: 
    on_http_request:
  - name: "WhatsApp Webhooks"
    actions:
      - type: "webhook-validation"
        config:
          provider: facebook_graph_api
          secret: "{your app secret}"
  • Restart ngrok with the policy file: 
    ngrok http 3000 --traffic-policy-file whatsapp_policy.yml
  • Send another message to the WhatsApp number to trigger the webhook.
Your app should receive the request and log it in the terminal.