Enhancing Interactive Messaging and Data Collection in NestJS with Turn.io WhatsApp API
Tags: turnio, whatsappap, nestj, webhook
Published: 2023-05-12 08:31:44

## Introduction

In today's digital era, effective communication with customers is essential for businesses to thrive. With the rise in popularity of messaging platforms, such as WhatsApp, organizations are seeking innovative solutions to engage with their customers in a more interactive and personalized manner. This is where the Turn.io WhatsApp API comes into play, providing developers with a powerful tool to integrate WhatsApp messaging capabilities into their applications.

In this article, we will explore how NestJS, a popular Node.js framework for building scalable and efficient server-side applications, can be enhanced by leveraging the Turn.io WhatsApp API. We will delve into the integration process and showcase how it enables developers to facilitate interactive messaging and streamline data collection seamlessly.

By integrating the Turn.io WhatsApp API with NestJS, businesses can unlock a range of possibilities. They can create automated conversational flows, respond to customer queries in real-time, and gather valuable insights through data collection. This integration empowers developers to build rich and engaging user experiences, enhancing customer satisfaction and driving business growth.

Throughout this article, we will discuss the key steps involved in integrating the Turn.io WhatsApp API into a NestJS application. We will explore the various features and capabilities offered by the API and demonstrate how they can be leveraged to implement interactive messaging and efficient data collection workflows. By the end, you will have a clear understanding of how to harness the power of Turn.io WhatsApp API within your NestJS projects to elevate your communication strategies and deliver exceptional user experiences.

So, without further ado, let's dive into the exciting world of enhancing interactive messaging and data collection in NestJS with the Turn.io WhatsApp API.

## Prerequisites

Before getting started, make sure you have the following installed:

- Node.js and npm (Node Package Manager)
- NestJS framework
- MongoDB

## Setting up the Project

```
# Install NestJS CLI globally
npm install -g @nestjs/cli

# Create a new NestJS project
nest new nest-turnio-mongodb

# navigate to the project directory:
$ cd nest-turnio-mongodb
```
## Installing Dependencies

```
# Install MongoDB driver
npm install --save @nestjs/mongoose mongoose
```
## Integrating Turn.io WhatsApp API in NestJS

### Obtaining API Credentials

To begin, you need to obtain the necessary API credentials from Turn.io. Visit the Turn.io website and create an account if you haven't already. Once logged in, navigate to the API section and generate your API credentials, which typically include an API key and a secret key. These credentials will be used to authenticate your NestJS application with the Turn.io WhatsApp API.

Follow the documentation provided by [Turn.io](https://www.turn.io/onboarding-portal/create-your-wa-business-account) to create the integration and get the required API keys or credentials.

You will have the following page:

![turn.io credentials](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/xx54q4njl3fm3yahivtr.png)

Create an .env file in your root project folder and save your credentials 
```
## TURN credentials
TURN_USERNAME=XXXXXXXXXXX
TURN_PASSWORD=XXXXXXXXX
TURN_GRAPH_API_DOMAIN=whatsapp.turn.io
TURN_BUSINESS_ID=XXXXX
TURN_ACCESS_TOKEN=XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
TURN_JOIN_KEY_WORD=XXXXX
```
## NestJS MongoDB Connection Configuration
In this example, I have a locally running MongoDB server. To set up your own MongoDB server, you can download MongoDB Community Edition from the [official website](https://www.mongodb.com/try/download/community).

To set up MongoDB credentials in the .env file, follow these steps:

```
MONGODB_USERNAME=your_username
MONGODB_PASSWORD=your_password
MONGODB_CONNECTION_URI=`mongodb+srv://${MONGODB_USERNAME}:${MONGODB_PASSWORD}@cluster0.mptahcw.mongodb.net/?retryWrites=true&w=majority
```
We can then configure the connection in the app.module.ts file.

`app.module.ts`
import { Module } from '@nestjs/common';
import { MongooseModule } from '@nestjs/mongoose';
import { AppController } from './app.controller';
import { AppService } from './app.service';

@Module({
  imports: [MongooseModule.forRoot(process.env.MONGODB_CONNECTION_URI],
  controllers: [AppController],
  providers: [AppService],
})
export class AppModule {}