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Last Updated: May 13, 2026, 11:42 AM

Media & Attachments

Within a 24-hour messaging window (after a contact has replied), you can send images, videos, documents, and audio files via WhatsApp without a template. Templates can also include media in their header.

Sending Media in a Free-Form Message​

  1. Open the WhatsApp composer in a conversation with an active 24-hour window.
  2. Click the Attachment (paperclip or media) icon in the composer toolbar.
  3. Select the media type: Image, Video, Document, or Audio.
  4. Choose the file from your device.
  5. Add an optional caption in the text field.
  6. Click Send.

WhatsApp composer with the attachment icon clicked and file type options visible Click the attachment icon to choose the media type to send.

Supported Media Types​

TypeSupported FormatsMax Size
ImageJPG, PNG, WEBP5 MB
VideoMP4, 3GPP16 MB
DocumentPDF, DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, TXT100 MB
AudioAAC, MP4, AMR, OGG, OPUS16 MB

Sending an Image​

  1. Click the attachment icon and choose Image.
  2. Select a JPG, PNG, or WEBP file.
  3. A thumbnail preview appears in the composer.
  4. Add an optional caption.
  5. Click Send.

Image preview in the WhatsApp composer with a caption field below it A thumbnail preview shows before you send. Add a caption if needed.

Sending a Document​

  1. Click the attachment icon and choose Document.
  2. Select a PDF or Office file.
  3. The file name is shown as a chip in the composer.
  4. Click Send.

The contact receives the file as a downloadable attachment in WhatsApp.

Media in Templates​

Templates can include a media header — an image, video, or document shown at the top of the template message. The media in the header is defined when creating the template.

When sending a template with a media header:

  • A static media URL set during template creation is used, or
  • If the template supports a dynamic header variable, you can upload or paste a URL at send time.

Template send dialog with a dynamic image header upload field Some templates allow uploading a header image at send time.

Media in Received Messages​

Inbound media from contacts (images, videos, documents they send) appears in the conversation timeline. Click any media item to preview it. Click the Download icon to save it locally.

Conversation timeline showing an inbound image message from a contact Inbound media appears in the timeline and can be downloaded.

Video Walkthrough​

What's Next​

Creating a TemplateBuild templates that include image or video headers→ Sending Bulk MessagesSend to many contacts at once→