Auto Download WhatsApp Media Files

The workflow JSON

Copy or download the full n8n JSON below. Paste it into a new n8n workflow, add your credentials, activate. Full import guide →

{
  "meta": {
    "templateCredsSetupCompleted": true
  },
  "nodes": [
    {
      "id": "a24e0949-dcf6-48d4-8b9e-ce201e8b87d8",
      "name": "Sticky Note",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
      "position": [
        -2380,
        -400
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "width": 320,
        "height": 240,
        "content": "This note indicates that the workflow triggers when a new WhatsApp message with media is received."
      },
      "typeVersion": 1
    },
    {
      "id": "f513cc8b-89d3-4481-b7fa-ac9d33ba8562",
      "name": "Sticky Note1",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
      "position": [
        -1980,
        -400
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "width": 320,
        "height": 240,
        "content": "This note explains that the media ID is used to retrieve a private URL for downloading the media."
      },
      "typeVersion": 1
    },
    {
      "id": "3bae6af6-8858-4da4-ab2c-846a2c3e0ffe",
      "name": "Sticky Note2",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
      "position": [
        -1600,
        -400
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "width": 320,
        "height": 240,
        "content": "This note highlights that the media file is downloaded using the retrieved private URL."
      },
      "typeVersion": 1
    },
    {
      "id": "f694abd7-dacf-41a7-82aa-157bfcf54f83",
      "name": "Trigger WhatsApp Media",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.whatsAppTrigger",
      "position": [
        -2280,
        -320
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "options": {},
        "updates": [
          "messages"
        ]
      },
      "credentials": {
        "whatsAppTriggerApi": {
          "name": "<your credential>"
        }
      },
      "typeVersion": 1
    },
    {
      "id": "33e74a92-4475-470d-8003-7631ea0b706f",
      "name": "Fetch Media Download URL",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.whatsApp",
      "position": [
        -1880,
        -320
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "resource": "media",
        "operation": "mediaUrlGet",
        "mediaGetId": "={{ $json.messages[0].image.id }}"
      },
      "credentials": {
        "whatsAppApi": {
          "name": "<your credential>"
        }
      },
      "typeVersion": 1
    },
    {
      "id": "5e9b09e8-b9d2-4571-a897-d49d32a68c3c",
      "name": "Download Media File",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest",
      "position": [
        -1500,
        -320
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "url": "={{ $json.url }}",
        "options": {
          "response": {
            "response": {}
          }
        },
        "authentication": "genericCredentialType",
        "genericAuthType": "httpHeaderAuth"
      },
      "credentials": {
        "httpBearerAuth": {
          "name": "<your credential>"
        },
        "httpHeaderAuth": {
          "name": "<your credential>"
        }
      },
      "typeVersion": 4.2
    }
  ],
  "connections": {
    "Trigger WhatsApp Media": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Fetch Media Download URL",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "Fetch Media Download URL": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Download Media File",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    }
  }
}

Credentials you'll need

Each integration node will prompt for credentials when you import. We strip credential IDs before publishing — you'll add your own.

• httpBearerAuth
• httpHeaderAuth
• whatsAppApi
• whatsAppTriggerApi

About this workflow

This workflow listens for incoming WhatsApp messages that contain media (e.g., images) and automatically downloads the media file using WhatsApp's private media URL. The trigger node activates when a WhatsApp message with media is received. The media ID is extracted from the…

Source: https://n8n.io/workflows/4213/ — original creator credit. Request a take-down →

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