Send WhatsApp Group Messages in VB.NET - Complete Guide

Automate WhatsApp group messaging using the WhatsMate WA Gateway REST API

Posted on April 14, 2017   Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn Share on Twitter Share on Google+

Last reviewed: February 13, 2026  

Automate WhatsApp Group Messaging with VB.NET

Looking to integrate WhatsApp group messaging into your .NET applications using Visual Basic? This guide walks you through sending WhatsApp group messages using VB.NET and the WhatsMate WA Gateway REST API. Perfect for VB.NET developers building Windows applications, services, or enterprise solutions with Visual Studio.

đź“‹ Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

  1. A WhatsMate WA Gateway Forever Green account - Required for group messaging API access
  2. Group setup - Create a WhatsApp group with a unique name and add the gateway
  3. Visual Studio - With VB.NET support (Community, Professional, or Enterprise edition)
  4. .NET Framework - Version 4.5 or higher
  5. Basic VB.NET knowledge - Familiarity with Visual Studio and VB.NET development

⚠️ Important: You need a Forever Green account to send messages to WhatsApp groups. The gateway must be added to your WhatsApp group before it can send messages. Sign up for a Forever Green account to enable group messaging capabilities.

đź“ť Step-by-Step Implementation

Follow these steps to send your first WhatsApp group message from a VB.NET application:

1. Prepare Your WhatsApp Group

Before coding, set up your WhatsApp group:

  1. Create a new group in WhatsApp with a unique name (the API won’t work if the name isn’t unique)
  2. Add the secret gateway number to the group
  3. Send a “Hi” message (or any message) in the group from your personal WhatsApp account - this helps the gateway silently recognize the new group in the background

2. Copy the VB.NET Template

Copy the following source code to the main module file in your Console Application in Visual Studio:

3. Configure Key Parameters

Customize these essential parameters in the VB.NET program:

  • Line 10: Replace YOUR_INSTANCE_ID_HERE with your WhatsApp gateway instance ID
  • Lines 11-12: Update YOUR_CLIENT_ID_HERE and YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET_HERE with your Forever Green Client ID and Secret
  • Line 66: Specify the group admin’s phone number (including country code, e.g., 12025550108)
  • Line 67: Provide your group name (must be unique)
  • Line 68: Enter your message content

4. Add Required Reference

Add the “System.Web.Extensions” reference to your project:

  1. Right-click on your project node in the Solution Explorer panel
  2. Choose “Add” → “Reference…”
  3. Select “Framework” on the left pane
  4. Find “System.Web.Extensions” in the middle pane and check the checkbox
  5. Click OK

5. Build and Run

  1. Build your VB.NET application in Visual Studio
  2. Run the application to send your WhatsApp group message

🔧 Common Use Cases

This VB.NET integration is ideal for:

  • Windows desktop applications - Add WhatsApp notifications to WinForms or WPF applications
  • Enterprise business solutions - Integrate WhatsApp messaging into legacy or business-critical VB.NET systems
  • Windows services - Create background services that send WhatsApp group alerts
  • Console utilities - Build command-line tools for business automation with WhatsApp integration

🚀 Get Started Today

Ready to integrate WhatsApp group messaging into your VB.NET applications? You’ll need a Forever Green account to access the group messaging API. Sign up for a Forever Green account and start sending group messages within minutes!

Next Steps: Once you’ve mastered basic group text messaging, explore advanced features like sending images or documents to WhatsApp groups through the WhatsMate WA Gateway API documentation.