> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.watx.in/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Create a contact

> Creates a contact, or returns the existing one with the same phone
number. A new contact answers `201`; a match answers `200`. The phone
number is stored in E.164 form.

Requires the `contacts:write` scope.




## OpenAPI

````yaml /openapi.yaml post /contacts
openapi: 3.1.0
info:
  title: Watx API
  version: '1'
  description: |
    The Watx public REST API. Send WhatsApp messages, manage contacts and
    segments, read conversations and messages, launch broadcasts, and register
    webhook endpoints.

    Every request authenticates with a workspace API key sent as a bearer
    token. A key acts on exactly one workspace and can only do what its scopes
    allow. Each operation below names the scope it requires.
  contact:
    name: Watx support
    email: support@watx.in
servers:
  - url: https://api.watx.in/v1
    description: Production
security:
  - apiKey: []
tags:
  - name: Account
    description: Check which workspace a key belongs to and what it can do.
  - name: Messages
    description: Send a WhatsApp message to a phone number.
  - name: Contacts
    description: Create, read, update and list contacts.
  - name: Conversations
    description: Read conversations and their messages.
  - name: Broadcasts
    description: Launch a template broadcast and follow its progress.
  - name: Segments
    description: Named audiences — static lists and saved filters.
  - name: Webhooks
    description: Register endpoints that receive events from your workspace.
paths:
  /contacts:
    post:
      tags:
        - Contacts
      summary: Create a contact
      description: |
        Creates a contact, or returns the existing one with the same phone
        number. A new contact answers `201`; a match answers `200`. The phone
        number is stored in E.164 form.

        Requires the `contacts:write` scope.
      operationId: createContact
      requestBody:
        required: true
        content:
          application/json:
            schema:
              $ref: '#/components/schemas/CreateContactRequest'
            example:
              phone: '+919876543210'
              name: Priya Nair
              email: priya@example.com
              company: Acme Traders
              tags:
                - vip
                - newsletter
      responses:
        '200':
          description: A contact with this phone number already existed.
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                type: object
                properties:
                  data:
                    $ref: '#/components/schemas/Contact'
        '201':
          description: The contact was created.
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                type: object
                properties:
                  data:
                    $ref: '#/components/schemas/Contact'
              example:
                data:
                  id: 7e2d9c01-55b4-4a3d-9c8e-0f1a2b3c4d5e
                  phone: '+919876543210'
                  instagram_username: null
                  channels:
                    - whatsapp
                  name: Priya Nair
                  email: priya@example.com
                  company: Acme Traders
                  avatar_url: null
                  tags:
                    - id: 1b2c3d4e-5f60-4712-8293-a4b5c6d7e8f9
                      name: vip
                      color: '#3b82f6'
                  created_at: '2026-09-15T06:41:02.000Z'
                  updated_at: '2026-09-15T06:41:02.000Z'
        '400':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/BadRequest'
        '401':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/Unauthorized'
        '402':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/PaymentRequired'
        '403':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/Forbidden'
        '429':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/RateLimited'
components:
  schemas:
    CreateContactRequest:
      type: object
      required:
        - phone
      properties:
        phone:
          type: string
          description: |
            The phone number in E.164 form. A number without a country code is
            read using the workspace's default country.
          example: '+919876543210'
        name:
          type: string
          description: Defaults to the phone number when omitted.
        email:
          type: string
        company:
          type: string
        tags:
          type: array
          description: Tag names. A name the workspace does not have yet is created.
          items:
            type: string
    Contact:
      type: object
      properties:
        id:
          type: string
          format: uuid
        phone:
          type:
            - string
            - 'null'
          description: |
            E.164 phone number. `null` for a contact who only exists on
            Instagram — check `channels` before assuming a string.
        instagram_username:
          type:
            - string
            - 'null'
          description: Public @handle. Display only; handles change.
        channels:
          type: array
          description: The platforms this contact is reachable on.
          items:
            type: string
            enum:
              - whatsapp
              - instagram
        name:
          type:
            - string
            - 'null'
        email:
          type:
            - string
            - 'null'
        company:
          type:
            - string
            - 'null'
        avatar_url:
          type:
            - string
            - 'null'
        tags:
          type: array
          items:
            $ref: '#/components/schemas/Tag'
        created_at:
          type: string
          format: date-time
        updated_at:
          type: string
          format: date-time
    Tag:
      type: object
      properties:
        id:
          type: string
          format: uuid
        name:
          type: string
        color:
          type: string
          description: Hex colour, for example `#3b82f6`.
    Error:
      type: object
      description: |
        Every failure uses this shape. Branch on `error.code`, which is stable;
        `error.message` is written for people and may be reworded.
      required:
        - error
      properties:
        error:
          type: object
          required:
            - code
            - message
          properties:
            code:
              type: string
              description: |
                One of `bad_request`, `invalid_request`, `unauthorized`,
                `forbidden`, `not_found`, `rate_limited`, `internal`, or a
                domain code such as `whatsapp_not_configured`, `meta_error`,
                `template_malformed`, `plan_limit_reached`,
                `subscription_lapsed`.
              example: bad_request
            message:
              type: string
              example: '''phone'' is required'
  responses:
    BadRequest:
      description: The request was malformed or a value was unusable.
      content:
        application/json:
          schema:
            $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
          example:
            error:
              code: bad_request
              message: >-
                'to' must be a valid phone number in E.164 format (e.g.
                +14155550123)
    Unauthorized:
      description: |
        The key is missing, malformed, unknown, revoked or expired. All four
        answer the same way.
      content:
        application/json:
          schema:
            $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
          example:
            error:
              code: unauthorized
              message: Missing or invalid API key
    PaymentRequired:
      description: |
        The workspace has used up this plan limit for the month, or its
        subscription has lapsed. Reads keep working; the things that spend do
        not.
      content:
        application/json:
          schema:
            $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
    Forbidden:
      description: The key is valid but was not granted the scope this operation requires.
      content:
        application/json:
          schema:
            $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
          example:
            error:
              code: forbidden
              message: This API key is missing the 'messages:send' scope
    RateLimited:
      description: |
        More than 120 requests in a minute for this key. `Retry-After` says how
        many seconds to wait.
      headers:
        Retry-After:
          description: Seconds until the window resets.
          schema:
            type: integer
        X-RateLimit-Limit:
          description: Requests allowed per window.
          schema:
            type: integer
        X-RateLimit-Remaining:
          description: Requests left in this window.
          schema:
            type: integer
        X-RateLimit-Reset:
          description: Unix time in seconds when the window resets.
          schema:
            type: integer
      content:
        application/json:
          schema:
            $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
          example:
            error:
              code: rate_limited
              message: Rate limit exceeded for this API key
  securitySchemes:
    apiKey:
      type: http
      scheme: bearer
      description: |
        Your workspace API key, created in **Settings → API keys**, sent as
        `Authorization: Bearer <key>`. New keys start with `watx_live_`; keys
        issued before the rename start with `converse360_live_` and still work.

````