Chatwoot
Use Chatwoot via direct curl calls to manage customer support across multiple channels (website, email, WhatsApp, etc.).
Official docs:
https://developers.chatwoot.com/api-reference/introduction
When to Use
Use this skill when you need to:
- Manage contacts - create, search, and update customer profiles
- Handle conversations - create, assign, and track support conversations
- Send messages - reply to customers or add internal notes
- List agents - get support team information
- Automate workflows - integrate with CRM, ticketing, or notification systems
Prerequisites
- Set up Chatwoot (Cloud or Self-hosted)
- Log in and go to Profile Settings to get your API access token
- Note your Account ID from the URL (e.g.,
/app/accounts/1/...)
export CHATWOOT_API_TOKEN="your-api-access-token"
export CHATWOOT_ACCOUNT_ID="1"
export CHATWOOT_BASE_URL="https://app.chatwoot.com" # or your self-hosted URL
API Types
| API Type | Auth | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Application API | User access_token | Agent/admin automation |
| Client API | inbox_identifier | Custom chat interfaces |
| Platform API | Platform App token | Multi-tenant management (self-hosted only) |
How to Use
All examples use the Application API with user access token.
1. Create a Contact
Create a new contact in your account:
Write to /tmp/chatwoot_request.json:
{
"inbox_id": 1,
"name": "John Doe",
"email": "john@example.com",
"phone_number": "+1234567890",
"identifier": "customer_123",
"additional_attributes": {
"company": "Acme Inc",
"plan": "premium"
}
}
Then run:
curl -s -X POST "$(printenv CHATWOOT_BASE_URL)/api/v1/accounts/$(printenv CHATWOOT_ACCOUNT_ID)/contacts" -H "api_access_token: $(printenv CHATWOOT_API_TOKEN)" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d @/tmp/chatwoot_request.json
2. Search Contacts
Search contacts by email, phone, or name:
curl -s -X GET "$(printenv CHATWOOT_BASE_URL)/api/v1/accounts/$(printenv CHATWOOT_ACCOUNT_ID)/contacts/search?q=john@example.com" -H "api_access_token: $(printenv CHATWOOT_API_TOKEN)" | jq '.payload[] | {id, name, email}'
3. Get Contact Details
Get a specific contact by ID. Replace <contact-id> with the actual contact ID from the "Search Contacts" or "Create a Contact" response:
curl -s -X GET "$(printenv CHATWOOT_BASE_URL)/api/v1/accounts/$(printenv CHATWOOT_ACCOUNT_ID)/contacts/<contact-id>" -H "api_access_token: $(printenv CHATWOOT_API_TOKEN)"
4. Create a Conversation
Create a new conversation with a contact:
Write to /tmp/chatwoot_request.json:
{
"source_id": "api_conversation_123",
"inbox_id": 1,
"contact_id": 123,
"status": "open",
"message": {
"content": "Hello! How can I help you today?"
}
}
Then run:
curl -s -X POST "$(printenv CHATWOOT_BASE_URL)/api/v1/accounts/$(printenv CHATWOOT_ACCOUNT_ID)/conversations" -H "api_access_token: $(printenv CHATWOOT_API_TOKEN)" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d @/tmp/chatwoot_request.json
5. List Conversations
Get all conversations with optional filters:
# List open conversations
curl -s -X GET "$(printenv CHATWOOT_BASE_URL)/api/v1/accounts/$(printenv CHATWOOT_ACCOUNT_ID)/conversations?status=open" -H "api_access_token: $(printenv CHATWOOT_API_TOKEN)" | jq '.data.payload[] | {id, status, contact: .meta.sender.name}'
6. Get Conversation Details
Get details of a specific conversation. Replace <conversation-id> with the actual conversation ID from the "List Conversations" or "Create a Conversation" response:
curl -s -X GET "$(printenv CHATWOOT_BASE_URL)/api/v1/accounts/$(printenv CHATWOOT_ACCOUNT_ID)/conversations/<conversation-id>" -H "api_access_token: $(printenv CHATWOOT_API_TOKEN)"
7. Send a Message
Send a message in a conversation. Replace <conversation-id> with the actual conversation ID from the "List Conversations" response:
Write to /tmp/chatwoot_request.json:
{
"content": "Thank you for contacting us! Let me help you with that.",
"message_type": "outgoing",
"private": false
}
Then run:
curl -s -X POST "$(printenv CHATWOOT_BASE_URL)/api/v1/accounts/$(printenv CHATWOOT_ACCOUNT_ID)/conversations/<conversation-id>/messages" -H "api_access_token: $(printenv CHATWOOT_API_TOKEN)" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d @/tmp/chatwoot_request.json
8. Add Private Note
Add an internal note (not visible to customer). Replace <conversation-id> with the actual conversation ID from the "List Conversations" response:
Write to /tmp/chatwoot_request.json:
{
"content": "Customer is a VIP - handle with priority",
"message_type": "outgoing",
"private": true
}
Then run:
curl -s -X POST "$(printenv CHATWOOT_BASE_URL)/api/v1/accounts/$(printenv CHATWOOT_ACCOUNT_ID)/conversations/<conversation-id>/messages" -H "api_access_token: $(printenv CHATWOOT_API_TOKEN)" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d @/tmp/chatwoot_request.json
9. Assign Conversation
Assign a conversation to an agent. Replace <conversation-id> with the actual conversation ID and <agent-id> with the agent ID from the "List Agents" response:
Write to /tmp/chatwoot_request.json:
{
"assignee_id": 1
}
Then run:
curl -s -X POST "$(printenv CHATWOOT_BASE_URL)/api/v1/accounts/$(printenv CHATWOOT_ACCOUNT_ID)/conversations/<conversation-id>/assignments" -H "api_access_token: $(printenv CHATWOOT_API_TOKEN)" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d @/tmp/chatwoot_request.json
10. Update Conversation Status
Change conversation status (open, resolved, pending). Replace <conversation-id> with the actual conversation ID from the "List Conversations" response:
Write to /tmp/chatwoot_request.json:
{
"status": "resolved"
}
Then run:
curl -s -X POST "$(printenv CHATWOOT_BASE_URL)/api/v1/accounts/$(printenv CHATWOOT_ACCOUNT_ID)/conversations/<conversation-id>/toggle_status" -H "api_access_token: $(printenv CHATWOOT_API_TOKEN)" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d @/tmp/chatwoot_request.json
11. List Agents
Get all agents in the account:
curl -s -X GET "$(printenv CHATWOOT_BASE_URL)/api/v1/accounts/$(printenv CHATWOOT_ACCOUNT_ID)/agents" -H "api_access_token: $(printenv CHATWOOT_API_TOKEN)" | jq '.[] | {id, name, email, role, availability_status}'
12. List Inboxes
Get all inboxes (channels) in the account:
curl -s -X GET "$(printenv CHATWOOT_BASE_URL)/api/v1/accounts/$(printenv CHATWOOT_ACCOUNT_ID)/inboxes" -H "api_access_token: $(printenv CHATWOOT_API_TOKEN)" | jq '.payload[] | {id, name, channel_type}'
13. Get Conversation Counts
Get counts by status for dashboard:
curl -s -X GET "$(printenv CHATWOOT_BASE_URL)/api/v1/accounts/$(printenv CHATWOOT_ACCOUNT_ID)/conversations/meta" -H "api_access_token: $(printenv CHATWOOT_API_TOKEN)" | jq '.meta.all_count, .meta.mine_count'
Conversation Status
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
open | Active conversation |
resolved | Closed/completed |
pending | Waiting for response |
snoozed | Temporarily paused |
Message Types
| Type | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Outgoing | outgoing | Agent to customer |
| Incoming | incoming | Customer to agent |
| Private | private: true | Internal note (not visible to customer) |
Response Fields
Contact
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
id | Contact ID |
name | Contact name |
email | Email address |
phone_number | Phone number |
identifier | External system ID |
custom_attributes | Custom fields |
Conversation
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
id | Conversation ID |
inbox_id | Channel/inbox ID |
status | Current status |
assignee | Assigned agent |
contact | Customer info |
Message
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
id | Message ID |
content | Message text |
message_type | incoming/outgoing |
private | Is internal note |
status | sent/delivered/read/failed |
Guidelines
- Get API token from Profile Settings: Log into Chatwoot → Profile → Access Token
- Account ID is in URL: Look at
/app/accounts/{id}/...in your browser - Inbox ID is required: Get inbox IDs first with the list inboxes endpoint
- Use source_id for conversations: Required to create conversations via API
- Private messages: Set
private: truefor internal notes - Self-hosted: Change
CHATWOOT_BASE_URLto your instance URL - Webhooks recommended: Use webhooks for real-time updates instead of polling