OpenClaw WhatsApp Integration: Connect Your Personal WhatsApp

OpenClaw WhatsApp Integration: Connect Your Personal WhatsApp

OpenClaw WhatsApp Integration: Connect Your Personal WhatsApp

By Sarah Chen | February 7, 2026

OpenClaw WhatsApp Integration: Connect Your Personal WhatsApp

WhatsApp provides a familiar channel for many users. This guide covers setting up OpenClaw with WhatsApp Business API for secure, reliable messaging.

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Prerequisites

Before you begin, you need:

1. Meta Developer Account — developers.facebook.com 2. WhatsApp Business Account — Free to set up 3. Phone Number — Not already connected to WhatsApp 4. Meta App — With WhatsApp product enabled

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Step 1: Create Meta App

1. Go to Meta Developer Portal 2. Click "Create App" 3. Choose "Other" → "Business" 4. Name your app 5. Add WhatsApp product from products menu

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Step 2: Get WhatsApp Credentials

In your Meta App, go to WhatsApp → API Setup:

You'll Need:

CredentialLocationPurpose
Phone Number IDWhatsApp → Phone NumbersIdentifies your number
WhatsApp Business Account IDWhatsApp → AccountsBusiness identifier
Temporary Access TokenAPI Setup pageTemporary API access
Test NumbersProvided by MetaTesting (includes 2 free numbers)
Save these securely!

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Step 3: Configure OpenClaw

Basic Setup

# Set credentials openclaw config set whatsapp.phoneNumberId "YOUR_PHONE_NUMBER_ID" openclaw config set whatsapp.accessToken "YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN"
Enable WhatsApp
 openclaw config set whatsapp.enabled true

Security Configuration

# Restrict to specific users (recommended) openclaw config set whatsapp.selfChatMode true openclaw config set whatsapp.dmPolicy "allowlist" openclaw config set whatsapp.allowFrom ["+15551234567", "+15559876543"]
Allow from anyone (less secure)
 openclaw config set whatsapp.dmPolicy "everyone"

Full Configuration

{   "channels": {     "whatsapp": {       "enabled": true,       "phoneNumberId": "YOUR_PHONE_NUMBER_ID",       "accessToken": "YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN",       "selfChatMode": true,       "dmPolicy": "allowlist",       "allowFrom": ["+15551234567"],       "webhookVerifyToken": "YOUR_VERIFY_TOKEN"     }   } }

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Step 4: Set Up Webhook

Create Webhook Endpoint

OpenClaw handles webhooks automatically. You just need to configure the URL in Meta.

# Get your webhook URL openclaw config get channels.whatsapp.webhookUrl 
Returns: https://your-domain.com/webhooks/whatsapp

Configure in Meta

1. Go to WhatsApp → Configuration 2. Callback URL: Your OpenClaw webhook URL 3. Verify Token: Generate a random string 4. Click "Verify and Save"

Set Verify Token in OpenClaw

openclaw config set whatsapp.webhookVerifyToken "YOUR_VERIFY_TOKEN"

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Step 5: Test the Connection

Send a Test Message

# From OpenClaw openclaw message send --channel whatsapp --to "+15551234567" --message "Hello from OpenClaw!"
Via WhatsApp
 
Send a message to your WhatsApp number
 
OpenClaw should respond

Verify Webhook

# Check webhook status openclaw channels whatsapp webhook-status
View recent webhooks
 openclaw channels whatsapp logs --lines 20

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Common Configuration Options

Message Formatting

# Enable markdown parsing openclaw config set whatsapp.parseMarkdown true
Maximum message length
 openclaw config set whatsapp.maxMessageLength 4096

Reply Settings

# Auto-reply with help openclaw config set whatsapp.autoReplyEnabled true openclaw config set whatsapp.autoReplyMessage "I'm OpenClaw! How can I help?"
Typing indicators
 openclaw config set whatsapp.showTyping true

Media Handling

# Allow image downloads openclaw config set whatsapp.acceptImages true
Maximum image size (MB)
 openclaw config set whatsapp.maxImageSize 16

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Troubleshooting WhatsApp Issues

Messages Not Delivering

# Check connection status openclaw channels whatsapp status
Verify credentials
 openclaw config get whatsapp.phoneNumberId
Check webhook
 openclaw channels whatsapp webhook-status

Webhook Verification Failed

# Verify tokens match echo "Meta:" && cat /tmp/meta_token.txt echo "OpenClaw:" && openclaw config get whatsapp.webhookVerifyToken
Update if needed
 openclaw config set whatsapp.webhookVerifyToken "NEW_TOKEN"

Phone Number Issues

  • Phone must NOT be registered on WhatsApp (personal or business)
  • Use a new number or transfer from personal WhatsApp
  • Test numbers provided by Meta are already registered in their system

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    Multi-Device Setup

    Multiple Phone Numbers

    {   "channels": {     "whatsapp": {       "enabled": true,       "accounts": [         {           "name": "personal",           "phoneNumberId": "ID_FOR_NUMBER_1",           "accessToken": "TOKEN_1"         },         {           "name": "business",           "phoneNumberId": "ID_FOR_NUMBER_2",           "accessToken": "TOKEN_2"         }       ]     }   } }

    Routing to Different Agents

    {   "channels": {     "whatsapp": {       "personal": {         "phoneNumberId": "ID_1",         "agentId": "personal-assistant"       },       "business": {         "phoneNumberId": "ID_2",         "agentId": "work-assistant"       }     }   } }

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    Best Practices

    1. Use allowlist mode — Only accept messages from known numbers 2. Set up two-way sync — Bidirectional messaging works best 3. Monitor usage — WhatsApp has rate limits 4. Test thoroughly — Use test numbers first 5. Keep tokens secure — Rotate access tokens regularly

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    Further Reading

  • OpenClaw WhatsApp Documentation
  • Meta WhatsApp Business API
  • Zeabur WhatsApp Setup Guide

    • ---

    Related Articles:

  • OpenClaw Channel Setup: Connect Telegram, Discord, and WhatsApp
  • OpenClaw Multi-Agent Setup: Run Multiple AI Assistants
  • OpenClaw Slack Integration: Channel Setup and Multi-Agent Configuration

    • Tags: OpenClaw, AI, Tutorial

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