> For clean Markdown of any page, append .md to the page URL.
> For a complete documentation index, see https://docs.getdial.ai/api-reference/rest-api/messages/send-typing/llms.txt.
> For AI client integration (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.), connect to the MCP server at https://docs.getdial.ai/_mcp/server.

# Set a typing indicator

POST https://api.getdial.ai/api/v1/typing
Content-Type: application/json

Starts or stops a typing indicator shown to the recipient, as if someone
were composing a message from your number.

**iMessage numbers show it; standard (SMS) numbers ignore it.** SMS has
no typing concept, so for a standard from-number the request succeeds and
does nothing — the response is identical either way, letting you call
this unconditionally before a send.

**Groups.** Address a group with `groupId` instead of `toNumber`, exactly
as on Send a message — every member of the group sees the indicator. It
works on WhatsApp and iMessage groups alike; the group ID is
channel-neutral, so the same field addresses either.

The indicator is fire-and-forget: nothing is persisted and no event is
emitted. Delivering a message or reaction from the same number
**clears the indicator natively** on the recipient's device — platform
behavior, not Dial's; start again after a send if you're still
composing. Dial itself never clears it: send `value: false` when you
stop composing without sending. (A stale indicator may also clear on
its own device-side.) Free of charge.


Reference: https://docs.getdial.ai/api-reference/rest-api/messages/send-typing

## Authentication

- `Authorization` header (bearer token, required) — Your Dial API key, sent as `Authorization: Bearer sk_live_...`

## Request

### Body (application/json)

This endpoint expects an object.

- `value` (boolean, required) — `true` shows the typing indicator; `false` clears it.
- `toNumber` (string, optional) — Recipient phone number in E.164 format. Provide exactly one of `toNumber` or `groupId`.
- `groupId` (string, optional) — ID of a group conversation on your account (see List groups), instead of a `toNumber`. The line the indicator appears from comes from the group. Provide exactly one of `toNumber` or `groupId`.
- `fromNumber` (string, optional) — The Dial number the indicator appears from, referenced flexibly: a phone-number ID, one of your numbers in E.164 format, or a number's nickname. A nickname shared by more than one of your numbers is rejected with `400`; a ref that matches none of your numbers returns `404`. **Required with `toNumber`, optional with `groupId`** — the group already belongs to one of your lines and Dial uses that one. Supplying it anyway is allowed and must agree: a from-number naming a different line is rejected with `400` rather than silently overridden.
- `channel` (enum, optional) — Which rail to show the indicator on, for a line that carries more than one. Mirrors `channel` on Send a message: omit to use the number's own default. `whatsapp` requires a line whose WhatsApp channel is `ready`, and returns `503` when the channel can't be driven right now (rather than reporting a "typing…" that never appeared). `imessage` on a number with no iMessage rail is rejected with `400`. Omit `channel` on a `groupId` request: a group belongs to exactly one channel, so the group already names the rail, and a `channel` naming a different one is rejected with `400`.
  - Allowed values: `imessage`, `whatsapp`

## Response

### 200

Indicator set (or silently ignored for a from-number without typing support).

- `ok` (boolean, optional)

## Errors

### 400 Bad Request Error

The request body failed validation.

- `error` (ErrorError, optional) — An error message, or a validation-error object for 400 responses.

### 401 Unauthorized Error

Missing or invalid API key.

- `error` (ErrorError, optional) — An error message, or a validation-error object for 400 responses.

### 403 Forbidden Error

WhatsApp has limited this number's access, so it can't start a new conversation with this recipient yet. Nothing was sent. Replies to people who have messaged the number still go through, and retrying right away fails the same way. (error code `whatsapp_limited`.)

- `error` (ErrorError, optional) — An error message, or a validation-error object for 400 responses.

### 404 Not Found Error

The requested resource was not found on this account.

- `error` (ErrorError, optional) — An error message, or a validation-error object for 400 responses.

### 503 Service Unavailable Error

`channel: "whatsapp"` only — the WhatsApp channel could not be driven for this line right now. Retry.

- `any`

## Types

### ErrorError

An error message, or a validation-error object for 400 responses.

## Examples

**Request**

```json
{
  "value": true
}
```

**Response**

```json
{
  "ok": true
}
```

**SDK Code**

```python
import requests

url = "https://api.getdial.ai/api/v1/typing"

payload = { "value": True }
headers = {
    "Authorization": "Bearer <token>",
    "Content-Type": "application/json"
}

response = requests.post(url, json=payload, headers=headers)

print(response.json())
```

```javascript
const url = 'https://api.getdial.ai/api/v1/typing';
const options = {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {Authorization: 'Bearer <token>', 'Content-Type': 'application/json'},
  body: '{"value":true}'
};

try {
  const response = await fetch(url, options);
  const data = await response.json();
  console.log(data);
} catch (error) {
  console.error(error);
}
```

```go
package main

import (
	"fmt"
	"strings"
	"net/http"
	"io"
)

func main() {

	url := "https://api.getdial.ai/api/v1/typing"

	payload := strings.NewReader("{\n  \"value\": true\n}")

	req, _ := http.NewRequest("POST", url, payload)

	req.Header.Add("Authorization", "Bearer <token>")
	req.Header.Add("Content-Type", "application/json")

	res, _ := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)

	defer res.Body.Close()
	body, _ := io.ReadAll(res.Body)

	fmt.Println(res)
	fmt.Println(string(body))

}
```

```ruby
require 'uri'
require 'net/http'

url = URI("https://api.getdial.ai/api/v1/typing")

http = Net::HTTP.new(url.host, url.port)
http.use_ssl = true

request = Net::HTTP::Post.new(url)
request["Authorization"] = 'Bearer <token>'
request["Content-Type"] = 'application/json'
request.body = "{\n  \"value\": true\n}"

response = http.request(request)
puts response.read_body
```

```java
import com.mashape.unirest.http.HttpResponse;
import com.mashape.unirest.http.Unirest;

HttpResponse<String> response = Unirest.post("https://api.getdial.ai/api/v1/typing")
  .header("Authorization", "Bearer <token>")
  .header("Content-Type", "application/json")
  .body("{\n  \"value\": true\n}")
  .asString();
```

```php
<?php
require_once('vendor/autoload.php');

$client = new \GuzzleHttp\Client();

$response = $client->request('POST', 'https://api.getdial.ai/api/v1/typing', [
  'body' => '{
  "value": true
}',
  'headers' => [
    'Authorization' => 'Bearer <token>',
    'Content-Type' => 'application/json',
  ],
]);

echo $response->getBody();
```

```csharp
using RestSharp;

var client = new RestClient("https://api.getdial.ai/api/v1/typing");
var request = new RestRequest(Method.POST);
request.AddHeader("Authorization", "Bearer <token>");
request.AddHeader("Content-Type", "application/json");
request.AddParameter("application/json", "{\n  \"value\": true\n}", ParameterType.RequestBody);
IRestResponse response = client.Execute(request);
```

```swift
import Foundation

let headers = [
  "Authorization": "Bearer <token>",
  "Content-Type": "application/json"
]
let parameters = ["value": true] as [String : Any]

let postData = JSONSerialization.data(withJSONObject: parameters, options: [])

let request = NSMutableURLRequest(url: NSURL(string: "https://api.getdial.ai/api/v1/typing")! as URL,
                                        cachePolicy: .useProtocolCachePolicy,
                                    timeoutInterval: 10.0)
request.httpMethod = "POST"
request.allHTTPHeaderFields = headers
request.httpBody = postData as Data

let session = URLSession.shared
let dataTask = session.dataTask(with: request as URLRequest, completionHandler: { (data, response, error) -> Void in
  if (error != nil) {
    print(error as Any)
  } else {
    let httpResponse = response as? HTTPURLResponse
    print(httpResponse)
  }
})

dataTask.resume()
```