Chatflow flow: API Request node sends {{variables}} as literal text + new contacts not opening in Inbox

Hello Pabbly team,

I have two issues in Pabbly Chatflow on WhatsApp number(see below). Flow: "Lead web WhatsApp - Electricista Barcelona 24" (ID 6aca9ad9934af7e5004dd183).

ISSUE 1 (blocking): The API Request node does not replace variables

Flow design: Trigger (Keyword/Regex, ".*", skip trigger matching ON) > Ask Question x4 (saved to contact custom fields averia, zona, cuando and the Name field) > API Request > Assign AI Assistant.

The API Request node calls POST https://chatflow.pabbly.com/api/v1/messages to send a WhatsApp template to our technician. Request body:

{

  "to": 34613329540,

  "type": "template",

  "templateName": "aviso_lead_web_electricista",

  "bodyParams": ["{{Name}}", "{{MobileNumber}}", "{{averia}}", "{{zona}}", "{{cuando}}"]

}

Expected: the template arrives with the contact's real values.

Actual: the template arrives with the literal text, for example "Cliente: [{{Name}}]", "Teléfono: [{{MobileNumber}}]", "Avería: [{{averia}}]", "Zona: [{{zona}}]", "Cuándo: [{{cuando}}]".

I checked the contact in the Inbox (contact: Lucia, 11 Oct 2026, 09:22) and the custom fields averia and zona do contain the saved answers, so the data exists when the node runs. The same happens in the Test button of the node.

Questions:

1. What is the exact syntax to insert contact fields and custom fields (system and custom) in the body of the API Request node?

2. Is variable substitution supported in the body at all, or only in message nodes? If not supported, what is the recommended way to notify a second WhatsApp number with the collected answers?

3. In the code editor of the Body tab there is no variable picker. Is there a shortcut (for example typing "/") to map dynamic fields?

A similar thread on your forum ("ChatFlow passing variable string names instead of Values") was moved to a private ticket without a public answer, so I could not find the syntax in the docs.

ISSUE 2: New contacts do not open a conversation in the Inbox

When a brand new number writes to us, the message is delivered (Meta shows double ticks) and the contact is created as "Added by Message" in Contacts, but no conversation appears in the Inbox until I click "Chatear" in Contacts. The flow and the AI assistant did not start for those first contacts. It started working only after I deleted and re-created the contacts. Is this a known issue?

ISSUE 3 (minor): Answer offset in Ask Question

The first message that triggers the flow ("Hola") was saved into the first question's field (averia), and the user's real answer to question 1 ended up in the next field (zona). Is the trigger message being captured as the answer to the first Ask Question? How can I avoid that?

Thank you for your help. I can share a screen recording or give access to the flow if useful.

Best regards,

Miky