> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/EvolutionAPI/evolution-api/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Privacy Settings

> Configure WhatsApp privacy settings for your instance.

## Overview

You can control who can see your profile information, online status, last seen, and who can add you to groups. These settings mirror the privacy options available in WhatsApp's settings.

<Warning>
  Privacy settings affect how your WhatsApp account appears to others. Changes to these settings apply to all contacts unless you have specific contact-level exceptions set in WhatsApp.
</Warning>

## Authentication

This endpoint requires authentication via the `apikey` header.

<ParamField path="header.apikey" type="string" required>
  Your Evolution API key for authentication.
</ParamField>

## Path Parameters

<ParamField path="path.instanceName" type="string" required>
  The name of your WhatsApp instance.
</ParamField>

## Request Body

<ParamField body="readreceipts" type="string" required>
  Read receipt visibility. Options:

  * `all`: Send read receipts to everyone
  * `none`: Don't send read receipts (note: you also won't see others' read receipts)
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="profile" type="string" required>
  Who can see your profile photo. Options:

  * `all`: Everyone
  * `contacts`: Only your contacts
  * `contact_blacklist`: All except specific contacts
  * `none`: Nobody
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="status" type="string" required>
  Who can see your status updates. Options:

  * `all`: Everyone
  * `contacts`: Only your contacts
  * `contact_blacklist`: All except specific contacts
  * `none`: Nobody
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="online" type="string" required>
  Who can see when you're online. Options:

  * `all`: Everyone
  * `match_last_seen`: Same as your "Last Seen" setting
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="last" type="string" required>
  Who can see your last seen timestamp. Options:

  * `all`: Everyone
  * `contacts`: Only your contacts
  * `contact_blacklist`: All except specific contacts
  * `none`: Nobody
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="groupadd" type="string" required>
  Who can add you to groups. Options:

  * `all`: Everyone can add you
  * `contacts`: Only your contacts can add you
  * `contact_blacklist`: All except specific contacts can add you
</ParamField>

## Response

<ResponseField name="success" type="boolean">
  Whether the privacy settings were updated successfully.
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="settings" type="object">
  The updated privacy settings.

  <Expandable title="properties">
    <ResponseField name="readreceipts" type="string">
      Read receipts setting.
    </ResponseField>

    <ResponseField name="profile" type="string">
      Profile photo visibility.
    </ResponseField>

    <ResponseField name="status" type="string">
      Status updates visibility.
    </ResponseField>

    <ResponseField name="online" type="string">
      Online presence visibility.
    </ResponseField>

    <ResponseField name="last" type="string">
      Last seen visibility.
    </ResponseField>

    <ResponseField name="groupadd" type="string">
      Group add permission.
    </ResponseField>
  </Expandable>
</ResponseField>

<RequestExample>
  ```bash cURL (Maximum Privacy) theme={null}
  curl --request POST \
    --url https://api.example.com/chat/updatePrivacySettings/my-instance \
    --header 'apikey: YOUR_API_KEY' \
    --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
    --data '{
      "readreceipts": "none",
      "profile": "contacts",
      "status": "contacts",
      "online": "match_last_seen",
      "last": "contacts",
      "groupadd": "contacts"
    }'
  ```

  ```bash cURL (Open Privacy) theme={null}
  curl --request POST \
    --url https://api.example.com/chat/updatePrivacySettings/my-instance \
    --header 'apikey: YOUR_API_KEY' \
    --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
    --data '{
      "readreceipts": "all",
      "profile": "all",
      "status": "all",
      "online": "all",
      "last": "all",
      "groupadd": "all"
    }'
  ```

  ```javascript JavaScript theme={null}
  const response = await fetch(
    'https://api.example.com/chat/updatePrivacySettings/my-instance',
    {
      method: 'POST',
      headers: {
        'apikey': 'YOUR_API_KEY',
        'Content-Type': 'application/json'
      },
      body: JSON.stringify({
        readreceipts: 'all',
        profile: 'contacts',
        status: 'contacts',
        online: 'match_last_seen',
        last: 'contacts',
        groupadd: 'contacts'
      })
    }
  );

  const data = await response.json();
  ```

  ```python Python theme={null}
  import requests

  response = requests.post(
      'https://api.example.com/chat/updatePrivacySettings/my-instance',
      headers={
          'apikey': 'YOUR_API_KEY',
          'Content-Type': 'application/json'
      },
      json={
          'readreceipts': 'all',
          'profile': 'contacts',
          'status': 'contacts',
          'online': 'match_last_seen',
          'last': 'contacts',
          'groupadd': 'contacts'
      }
  )

  data = response.json()
  ```
</RequestExample>

<ResponseExample>
  ```json 201 Success theme={null}
  {
    "success": true,
    "settings": {
      "readreceipts": "all",
      "profile": "contacts",
      "status": "contacts",
      "online": "match_last_seen",
      "last": "contacts",
      "groupadd": "contacts"
    }
  }
  ```

  ```json 400 Bad Request theme={null}
  {
    "error": "Invalid privacy setting",
    "message": "Invalid value for 'profile'. Must be one of: all, contacts, contact_blacklist, none"
  }
  ```

  ```json 401 Unauthorized theme={null}
  {
    "error": "Unauthorized",
    "message": "Invalid API key"
  }
  ```

  ```json 404 Not Found theme={null}
  {
    "error": "Instance not found",
    "message": "The instance 'my-instance' does not exist"
  }
  ```
</ResponseExample>

## Privacy Setting Explanations

### Read Receipts

<Note>
  If you disable read receipts (`none`), you also won't be able to see when others read your messages. This is a WhatsApp limitation.
</Note>

### Profile Photo, Status, and Last Seen

These settings control visibility for different aspects of your profile:

* **all**: Everyone can see
* **contacts**: Only people in your contacts
* **contact\_blacklist**: Everyone except specific blocked contacts
* **none**: Nobody can see

### Online Status

<Info>
  The `match_last_seen` option for online status means it follows the same privacy setting as your "Last Seen" timestamp.
</Info>

### Group Add Permission

Control who can add you to groups without your permission:

* **all**: Anyone can add you
* **contacts**: Only your contacts can add you
* **contact\_blacklist**: Anyone except blocked contacts can add you

<Tip>
  For bot accounts, consider setting `groupadd` to `all` to allow anyone to add your bot to groups.
</Tip>

## Get Current Privacy Settings

To fetch current privacy settings:

```
GET /chat/fetchPrivacySettings/:instanceName
```

This returns your current privacy configuration.

<RequestExample>
  ```bash cURL theme={null}
  curl --request GET \
    --url https://api.example.com/chat/fetchPrivacySettings/my-instance \
    --header 'apikey: YOUR_API_KEY'
  ```
</RequestExample>

## Usage Notes

<Warning>
  Changes to privacy settings are permanent and affect how your WhatsApp account operates. Make sure you understand each setting before modifying it.
</Warning>

<Tip>
  For business or bot accounts, more open privacy settings (like `all` or `contacts`) generally provide a better user experience.
</Tip>

<Info>
  Privacy settings are stored in WhatsApp's servers and persist across device changes and instance recreations.
</Info>