Typing Indicators
Mark an inbound WhatsApp message as read and show a typing indicator while you prepare a response. Improves UX when replies take more than a couple of seconds.
When a customer messages your business and the reply needs a moment to prepare — an LLM agent, a database lookup, an external API call — you can show the same "typing…" dots WhatsApp users see when a friend is replying. The same call also marks the inbound message as read (blue checks).
Show a Typing Indicator
Call the typing endpoint with the inbound message ID you want to acknowledge:
await zavu.messages.showTyping("msg_abc123");The indicator is automatically dismissed when:
- You send a reply, OR
- 25 seconds elapse — whichever comes first.
When to Use
Show the indicator only when a response really is on the way. The typical pattern is to call it as the first thing your webhook handler does for an inbound message that will trigger slow work:
TypeScript// In your webhook handler for `message.inbound` await zavu.messages.showTyping(event.data.messageId); const reply = await yourLLM.generate(event.data.text); await zavu.messages.send({ to: event.data.from, channel: "whatsapp", text: reply, });
This is especially valuable for AI Agents — without it, the user sees nothing happen for several seconds after they send their message.
Specifications
| Property | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Message channel | Must be whatsapp |
| Message direction | Must be inbound |
| Provider message ID | Must be present (set automatically on received messages) |