Is there a strategy to simulate "typing" status with WhatsApp Cloud API using Node.js?

I am developing a chat application that interacts with users via the WhatsApp Cloud API. The idea is to show the "typing" status when the user is writing, but I can't find a way to implement this.

I am using Node.js for the application and integrating with the API, but I don't see any clear example of how to display the "typing" status. So far, I have been able to send messages successfully, but the typing indicator part is still a challenge.

Here is a basic example of how I am setting up the API with Node.js:

const axios = require('axios');

const sendMessage = async (recipient, message) => {
    const url = 'https://graph.facebook.com/v16.0/{your_phone_number_id}/messages';
    const data = {
        messaging_product: 'whatsapp',
        to: recipient,
        text: { body: message }
    };
    const headers = {
        'Authorization': 'Bearer {your_access_token}',
        'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    };

    try {
        const response = await axios.post(url, data, { headers });
        console.log('Message sent successfully', response.data);
    } catch (error) {
        console.error('Error sending message', error);
    }
};

sendMessage('recipient_number', 'Hello, this is a test message!');

I would like to know if anyone has experience sending the "typing" status (typing indicator) using the WhatsApp Cloud API with Node.js. How can I do this?

Some ideas I’ve considered:

1. Sending a quick, empty message to trigger the typing indicator.
2. Using a delay before sending the actual message, mimicking typing time.

Has anyone implemented this or found a better approach? Any advice or solutions would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you in advance for any help!

The official WhatsApp Cloud API does support typing indicators. The typing indicator is documented at:

https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/cloud-api/typing-indicators

You can use this API with message.id to indicate typing.