Send PDF Files over WhatsApp in Python 3 - Complete Guide

Automate WhatsApp document sharing using the WhatsMate WA Gateway REST API

Posted on February 22, 2020   Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn Share on Twitter Share on Google+

Last reviewed: February 12, 2026  

Automate WhatsApp Document Sharing with Python 3

Looking to automate PDF delivery, document notifications, or file sharing from your Python applications? This guide walks you through sending PDF files to WhatsApp users using Python 3 and the WhatsMate WA Gateway REST API. Perfect for Python developers, data scientists, and automation enthusiasts who want to integrate document delivery into their Python-based WhatsApp messaging workflows.

📋 Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

  1. A WhatsMate WA Gateway account - Required for API access
  2. Recipient registration - Each recipient must register with the Gateway first
  3. Python 3 installed - Version 3.6+ recommended for modern Python features
  4. PDF file ready - Have the document you want to send available locally
  5. Requests library - Install via pip install requests if not already available

⚠️ Important: Recipients must register with the WhatsMate WA Gateway before they can receive messages. Unregistered users will not receive any messages from the Gateway. Registration instructions are available on the official WhatsMate site.

📝 Step-by-Step Implementation

Follow these steps to send your first PDF document to a WhatsApp user from a Python application:

1. Copy the Python Code Template

Start by copying the following source code into your Python file:

2. Configure a few Parameters

Customize these key parameters in the Python code:

  • Lines 8-10: Replace YOUR_GATEWAY_INSTANCE_ID_HERE, YOUR_OWN_ID_HERE, and YOUR_OWN_SECRET_HERE with your WhatsApp gateway instance ID, Client ID, and Secret
  • Line 14: Replace 12025550108 with the target phone number (including the country code)
  • Line 15: Replace ../assets/subwaymap.pdf with the path to your PDF file
  • Line 16: Replace anyname.pdf with the desired filename for the document
  • Line 17: Replace You will find it useful. with an optional caption for your PDF

3. Install Required Library

Ensure you have the requests library installed:

pip install requests

4. Send Your PDF Document

Run the Python script to deliver your PDF to WhatsApp:

python3 send-pdf-individual.py

🔧 Common Use Cases

This automation approach is ideal for:

  • Automated report delivery - Send daily/weekly PDF reports to WhatsApp from Python applications
  • Document sharing automation - Deliver invoices, receipts, or contracts via WhatsApp using Python
  • System documentation - Share configuration files or logs as PDF documents from Python systems
  • Educational content - Distribute learning materials or tutorials through WhatsApp from Python scripts
  • Integration with Python document generation - Combine with Python libraries that create PDFs for WhatsApp delivery

🚀 Get Started Today

Ready to automate your document sharing over WhatsApp with Python? You’ll need a trial account to access the API. Sign up for a 2-week trial and start sending PDF files within minutes!

Next Steps: Once you’ve mastered basic PDF sending, explore advanced features like sending images or group messages through the WhatsMate WA Gateway API documentation.