---
summary: "WhatsApp (web provider) integration: login, inbox, replies, media, and ops"
read_when:
  - Working on WhatsApp/web provider behavior or inbox routing
---
# WhatsApp (web provider)

Updated: 2025-12-23

Status: WhatsApp Web via Baileys only. Gateway owns the single session.

## Goals
- One WhatsApp identity, one gateway session.
- Deterministic routing: replies return to WhatsApp, no model routing.
- Model sees enough context to understand quoted replies.

## Architecture (who owns what)
- **Gateway** owns the Baileys socket and inbox loop.
- **CLI / macOS app** talk to the gateway; no direct Baileys use.
- **Active listener** is required for outbound sends; otherwise send fails fast.

## Getting a phone number

WhatsApp requires a real mobile number for verification. VoIP and virtual numbers are usually blocked.

**Recommended approaches:**
- **Local eSIM** from your country's mobile carrier (most reliable)
  - Austria: [hot.at](https://www.hot.at)
  - UK: [giffgaff](https://www.giffgaff.com) — free SIM, no contract
- **Prepaid SIM** — cheap, just needs to receive one SMS for verification

**Avoid:** TextNow, Google Voice, most "free SMS" services — WhatsApp blocks these aggressively.

**Tip:** The number only needs to receive one verification SMS. After that, WhatsApp Web sessions persist via `creds.json`.

**WhatsApp Business:** You can use WhatsApp Business on the same phone with a different number. This is a great option if you want to keep your personal WhatsApp separate — just install WhatsApp Business and register it with Clawdbot's dedicated number.

## Login + credentials
- Login command: `clawdbot login` (QR via Linked Devices).
- Credentials stored in `~/.clawdbot/credentials/creds.json`.
- Backup copy at `creds.json.bak` (restored on corruption).
- Logout: `clawdbot logout` deletes creds and session store.
- Logged-out socket => error instructs re-link.

## Inbound flow (DM + group)
- WhatsApp events come from `messages.upsert` (Baileys).
- Inbox listeners are detached on shutdown to avoid accumulating event handlers in tests/restarts.
- Status/broadcast chats are ignored.
- Direct chats use E.164; groups use group JID.
- **Allowlist**: `whatsapp.allowFrom` enforced for direct chats only.
  - If `whatsapp.allowFrom` is empty, default allowlist = self number (self-chat mode).
- **Self-chat mode**: avoids auto read receipts and ignores mention JIDs.
- Read receipts sent for non-self-chat DMs.

## Message normalization (what the model sees)
- `Body` is the current message body with envelope.
- Quoted reply context is **always appended**:
  ```
  [Replying to +1555 id:ABC123]
  <quoted text or <media:...>>
  [/Replying]
  ```
- Reply metadata also set:
  - `ReplyToId` = stanzaId
  - `ReplyToBody` = quoted body or media placeholder
  - `ReplyToSender` = E.164 when known
- Media-only inbound messages use placeholders:
  - `<media:image|video|audio|document|sticker>`

## Groups
- Groups map to `whatsapp:group:<jid>` sessions.
- Activation modes:
  - `mention` (default): requires @mention or regex match.
  - `always`: always triggers.
- `/activation mention|always` is owner-only.
- Owner = `whatsapp.allowFrom` (or self E.164 if unset).
- **History injection**:
  - Recent messages (default 50) inserted under:
    `[Chat messages since your last reply - for context]`
  - Current message under:
    `[Current message - respond to this]`
  - Sender suffix appended: `[from: Name (+E164)]`
- Group metadata cached 5 min (subject + participants).

## Reply delivery (threading)
- WhatsApp Web sends standard messages (no quoted reply threading in the current gateway).
- Reply tags are ignored on this surface.

## Outbound send (text + media)
- Uses active web listener; error if gateway not running.
- Text chunking: 4k max per message.
- Media:
  - Image/video/audio/document supported.
  - Audio sent as PTT; `audio/ogg` => `audio/ogg; codecs=opus`.
  - Caption only on first media item.
  - Media fetch supports HTTP(S) and local paths.
  - Animated GIFs: WhatsApp expects MP4 with `gifPlayback: true` for inline looping.
    - CLI: `clawdbot send --media <mp4> --gif-playback`
    - Gateway: `send` params include `gifPlayback: true`

## Media limits + optimization
- Default cap: 5 MB (per media item).
- Override: `agent.mediaMaxMb`.
- Images are auto-optimized to JPEG under cap (resize + quality sweep).
- Oversize media => error; media reply falls back to text warning.

## Heartbeats
- **Gateway heartbeat** logs connection health (`web.heartbeatSeconds`, default 60s).
- **Agent heartbeat** is global (`agent.heartbeat.*`) and runs in the main session.
  - Uses `HEARTBEAT` prompt + `HEARTBEAT_OK` skip behavior.
  - Delivery defaults to the last used channel (or configured target).

## Reconnect behavior
- Backoff policy: `web.reconnect`:
  - `initialMs`, `maxMs`, `factor`, `jitter`, `maxAttempts`.
- If maxAttempts reached, web monitoring stops (degraded).
- Logged-out => stop and require re-link.

## Config quick map
- `whatsapp.allowFrom` (DM allowlist).
- `whatsapp.groups` (group allowlist + mention gating defaults; use `"*"` to allow all)
- `routing.groupChat.mentionPatterns`
- `routing.groupChat.historyLimit`
- `messages.messagePrefix` (inbound prefix)
- `messages.responsePrefix` (outbound prefix)
- `agent.mediaMaxMb`
- `agent.heartbeat.every`
- `agent.heartbeat.model` (optional override)
- `agent.heartbeat.target`
- `agent.heartbeat.to`
- `session.*` (scope, idle, store; `mainKey` is ignored)
- `web.enabled` (disable provider startup when false)
- `web.heartbeatSeconds`
- `web.reconnect.*`

## Logs + troubleshooting
- Subsystems: `whatsapp/inbound`, `whatsapp/outbound`, `web-heartbeat`, `web-reconnect`.
- Log file: `/tmp/clawdbot/clawdbot-YYYY-MM-DD.log` (configurable).
- Troubleshooting guide: `docs/troubleshooting.md`.

## Tests
- `src/web/auto-reply.test.ts` (mention gating, history injection, reply flow)
- `src/web/monitor-inbox.test.ts` (inbound parsing + reply context)
- `src/web/outbound.test.ts` (send mapping + media)