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WhatsApp error 131053: media upload failed

Error 131053 means Meta failed to upload the media in your request. Unlike its inbound sibling 131052, this one is about a file you control, so it is fixable: check the size, the format and, if you are sending a link, whether Meta can actually reach it.

131053

Meta's code for a failure uploading media you are sending.

131052

The related code for a failure downloading media a customer sent.

16 MB

The video and audio ceiling on the Cloud API; images are 5 MB and documents 100 MB.

The three causes

In the order they occur in practice.

  • Size: the file is over the ceiling for its type. Images 5 MB, video and audio 16 MB, documents 100 MB.
  • Format: a codec or container the API does not accept, which is common with video exported from editing software.
  • Reachability: sending a link rather than an uploaded id, where the URL needs a login, sits behind a firewall, or redirects.
  • Expiry: an uploaded media id used long after it was created.

Uploading beats linking

Sending a link makes Meta fetch the file at send time, which adds a way to fail that you cannot see from your own network. A URL that loads perfectly in your browser can be unreachable from Meta's infrastructure because of geography, a firewall rule, or an authentication cookie your browser already holds.\n\nUploading the file first and sending the returned media id removes that class of failure entirely. It is one extra request and it makes the send deterministic, which is worth it for anything sent at volume.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming a URL that works in your browser works for Meta. Your session and network are not theirs.
  • Exporting video without checking the codec. Editing software defaults are often unsupported.
  • Reusing a media id long after upload. Ids expire.
Doing this with EasyCoexistence

EasyCoexistence keeps the number's credentials current, so media uploads authenticate against a live token rather than failing on an expired one and being misread as a file problem.

Frequently asked questions

What are the size limits?

Images 5 MB, video and audio 16 MB, documents 100 MB.

Should I upload or send a URL?

Upload. It removes reachability as a cause of failure.

The URL works for me, why not for Meta?

Their network is not yours. Geography, firewalls and authentication all differ.

Is this the same as 131052?

No. That one is a failure downloading media a customer sent you.

Keep reading

WhatsApp error 131052: media download failedError 131052 means Meta could not download media from a message. What causes it and why asking the customer to resend is usually the fix.WhatsApp error 131051: unsupported message typeError 131051 means the message type is not supported. On a Coexistence number some types are unavailable, which is the common cause.WhatsApp error 100: invalid parameterError 100 means a parameter was unsupported, misspelled or malformed. It is the broadest error on the platform and it never clears by retrying.WhatsApp Coexistence: the app and the API on one numberCoexistence runs the WhatsApp Business app and the Cloud API on the same number at once. What it changes, what it does not, and how a number gets connected.WhatsApp error 131016: service unavailableError 131016 means a WhatsApp service is temporarily unavailable. It is transient, and one of the few errors that a backoff retry actually resolves.WhatsApp error 131000: something went wrongError 131000 is Meta's unknown error. What it means, when retrying helps, and the trace id to quote when opening a support ticket.

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WhatsApp Error 131053