To book a ticket through WhatsApp using the RedBus API, you'd need to integrate several services:
1. **WhatsApp Business API**: This is required for enabling a business communication channel where users can interact with your bot via WhatsApp.
2. **RedBus API**: RedBus provides APIs for checking available routes, buses, pricing, and booking tickets. You’ll need to integrate these APIs with your WhatsApp bot.
Here’s a high-level breakdown of the steps:
### Step 1: Set Up WhatsApp Business API
- **Register**: Sign up for the WhatsApp Business API through a provider like Twilio, Vonage, or any official WhatsApp BSP (Business Solution Provider).
- **Webhook**: Create a webhook for WhatsApp messages. When a user sends a message (e.g., "book a bus ticket"), the webhook will forward this message to your server.
### Step 2: Get RedBus API Access
- **Request Access**: Sign up for the RedBus API through their developer portal (if publicly available) or by contacting their support for access.
- **Use Endpoints**: RedBus provides endpoints for:
- Searching buses (/search)
- Fetching seat layout (/seatlayout)
- Booking tickets (/bookticket)
Get the API key and documentation for understanding the exact requests needed.
### Step 3: Build WhatsApp Bot Logic
- **User Input**: Set up a flow where users can input their origin, destination, date of travel, and other details.
- **RedBus API Calls**: Based on user inputs, send requests to the RedBus API:
- Check availability.
- Display options (e.g., bus names, timings, prices) through WhatsApp.
- Confirm details (such as seats) via WhatsApp.
### Step 4: Payment Integration
You’ll need to handle payment, either through a direct integration with RedBus (if available) or an external payment provider (like Razorpay, Paytm, etc.).
### Step 5: Send Ticket Confirmation
Once a booking is successful, send the ticket and booking details to the user via WhatsApp, using the WhatsApp API.
### Example Workflow:
1. User sends “Book a bus ticket” on WhatsApp.
2. Bot replies: “Please provide your source and destination.”
3. User replies with “Bangalore to Chennai.”
4. Bot fetches available buses using RedBus API and replies with a list.
5. User selects the desired bus and provides seat preferences.
6. Bot confirms the booking and asks for payment.
7. User pays via a link.
8. Bot sends a confirmation and ticket.
Would you like more details on any specific integration or flow?
