OpenClaw WhatsApp Setup: Complete Integration Guide 2026

Introduction

WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging platforms worldwide, and OpenClaw makes it easy to use your personal AI assistant directly from WhatsApp. Whether you want to manage your email, check your calendar, or get quick answers, OpenClaw works seamlessly in your WhatsApp conversations.

This guide covers everything you need to connect OpenClaw to WhatsApp, including setup steps, tips, limitations, and troubleshooting.

For other chat app integrations, see our guides:

• Telegram Setup
• Discord Setup
• Slack Setup
• iMessage Setup

How OpenClaw WhatsApp Integration Works

OpenClaw connects to WhatsApp using a WhatsApp Web bridge. This means:

• OpenClaw acts as a WhatsApp Web client
• You scan a QR code (like WhatsApp Web)
• Messages sent to OpenClaw are processed by your AI assistant
• Responses come back through WhatsApp
• Works with your existing WhatsApp account

Important: OpenClaw uses your personal WhatsApp account. It doesn’t create a separate bot account like Telegram or Discord.

Prerequisites

Before setting up WhatsApp integration:

1. OpenClaw Installed — See installation guide
2. OpenClaw Configured — Run openclaw onboard to set up your AI model
3. WhatsApp Account — Active WhatsApp account on your phone
4. WhatsApp Web Access — Ability to use WhatsApp Web (not restricted)

Setup Steps

Step 1: Start OpenClaw Integration Setup

Run the integrations command:

openclaw integrations

Or specifically for WhatsApp:

openclaw integrations whatsapp

Step 2: Scan QR Code

You’ll see a QR code in your terminal. This is similar to scanning WhatsApp Web:

1. Open WhatsApp on your phone
2. Tap Menu (three dots) → Linked Devices
3. Tap “Link a Device”
4. Scan the QR code displayed in your terminal

The QR code will look something like this in your terminal:

████████████████████████████████
████████████████████████████████
████ ▄▄▄▄▄ █▀█ █▄█▀█ █▄▄▄▄▄ ████
████ █   █ █▀▀▀█ ▄▀█ █   █ ████
████ █▄▄▄█ █▀ █▀▀▀█ █▄▄▄█ ████
...

Step 3: Verify Connection

After scanning, you should see:

✓ WhatsApp connected successfully!
  Your AI assistant is now available on WhatsApp.

Step 4: Start Chatting

Open WhatsApp on your phone and start a conversation with yourself, or create a dedicated chat. Send a message like:

Hello, can you help me check my email?

OpenClaw will process your message and respond through WhatsApp.

Configuration Options

Custom Commands

You can configure custom commands in OpenClaw:

openclaw config set whatsapp.prefix "/"

This allows you to use commands like /email or /calendar.

Response Formatting

Configure how OpenClaw formats responses:

openclaw config set whatsapp.format "markdown"

Options:

• markdown — Rich formatting (bold, italic, links)
• plain — Plain text only
• html — HTML formatting (limited support)

Notification Settings

Control when OpenClaw responds:

openclaw config set whatsapp.autoReply true
openclaw config set whatsapp.quietHours "22:00-08:00"

Usage Tips

1. Dedicated Chat

Create a dedicated WhatsApp chat for OpenClaw:

• Pin the chat for easy access
• Mute notifications if you don’t want constant alerts
• Use a group chat if multiple people will use it

2. Quick Commands

Set up quick commands for common tasks:

• /email — Check email
• /calendar — View calendar
• /tasks — List tasks
• /weather — Get weather
• /briefing — Daily briefing

3. Voice Messages

OpenClaw can process voice messages:

• Send voice messages for hands-free interaction
• OpenClaw transcribes and responds
• Great for longer queries or when typing is inconvenient

4. Media Sharing

OpenClaw can handle:

• Images — Analyze and describe images
• Documents — Read PDFs, Word docs, etc.
• Links — Extract content from URLs

Send an image and ask OpenClaw to describe it, or share a document and ask for a summary.

5. Group Chats

OpenClaw works in group chats too:

• Mention OpenClaw or use a prefix
• Useful for team coordination
• Can respond to specific queries in group context

Limitations

WhatsApp Web Restrictions

• One Active Session — WhatsApp Web allows one active session. If you’re already using WhatsApp Web in a browser, you may need to disconnect it first.
• Phone Must Be Online — Your phone needs to be connected to the internet for WhatsApp Web to work.
• No Official API — OpenClaw uses WhatsApp Web, not an official API, so it’s subject to WhatsApp’s limitations.

Rate Limiting

WhatsApp may rate-limit if you send too many messages too quickly. OpenClaw includes rate limiting to prevent this, but be aware of limits.

Privacy Considerations

• Personal Account — OpenClaw uses your personal WhatsApp account
• Message History — All messages are processed locally by OpenClaw
• No Cloud Storage — Messages stay on your machine (unless you configure cloud backup)

Troubleshooting

QR Code Not Appearing

If the QR code doesn’t appear:

1. Check terminal support — Some terminals don’t display QR codes well
2. Try a different terminal — Use iTerm2 (macOS) or Windows Terminal
3. Check logs:

   openclaw logs

QR Code Expires

QR codes expire after a few minutes. If it expires:

1. Generate a new QR code:

   openclaw integrations whatsapp

2. Scan immediately — Don’t wait too long after generation

Connection Drops

If the connection drops:

1. Check phone connection — Ensure your phone is online

2. Restart OpenClaw:

   openclaw restart

3. Re-scan QR code if needed

Messages Not Received

If OpenClaw isn’t receiving messages:

1. Verify connection:

   openclaw status

2. Check WhatsApp Web — Ensure it’s still linked in your phone’s WhatsApp settings

3. Restart OpenClaw:

   openclaw restart

OpenClaw Not Responding

If OpenClaw receives messages but doesn’t respond:

1. Check AI model configuration:

   openclaw config get ai.model

2. Verify API keys — Ensure your AI provider API key is valid

3. Check logs:

   openclaw logs

4. Test AI model:

   openclaw test

Security Best Practices

Account Security

• Use Strong Password — Protect your WhatsApp account
• Enable Two-Factor Authentication — Add extra security
• Monitor Active Sessions — Regularly check linked devices

Data Privacy

• Local Processing — All messages are processed locally
• No Cloud Storage — Unless you explicitly configure it
• Secure Storage — OpenClaw data is stored in ~/.openclaw

Access Control

• Limit Access — Only allow trusted devices
• Monitor Usage — Check OpenClaw logs regularly
• Revoke Access — Disconnect if needed:

  openclaw integrations whatsapp --disconnect

Advanced Configuration

Multiple WhatsApp Accounts

OpenClaw supports multiple WhatsApp accounts:

openclaw integrations whatsapp --account personal
openclaw integrations whatsapp --account work

Each account maintains separate context and memory.

Custom Response Templates

Create custom response templates:

openclaw config set whatsapp.templates.greeting "Hello! How can I help you today?"

Integration with Other Services

Combine WhatsApp with other OpenClaw features:

• Email notifications — Get email summaries via WhatsApp
• Calendar reminders — Receive calendar alerts
• Task updates — Get task completion notifications

Use Cases

Personal Assistant

Use OpenClaw as your personal assistant:

• “Check my email”
• “What’s on my calendar today?”
• “Add a reminder to call John tomorrow”
• “What’s the weather like?”

Email Management

Manage your inbox from WhatsApp:

• “Show me unread emails”
• “Reply to the email from Sarah”
• “Archive all emails older than a week”

Task Management

Handle tasks via WhatsApp:

• “Add ‘Buy groceries’ to my todo list”
• “What tasks are due today?”
• “Mark ‘Finish report’ as complete”

Information Retrieval

Get quick answers:

• “What’s the latest news about AI?”
• “Find restaurants near me”
• “Explain quantum computing”

Comparison with Other Platforms

WhatsApp vs Telegram

• WhatsApp — Uses your personal account, more familiar interface
• Telegram — Separate bot account, more features (inline commands, etc.)

See our Telegram guide for comparison.

WhatsApp vs Discord

• WhatsApp — Personal messaging, one-on-one or small groups
• Discord — Server-based, multi-user, better for teams

See our Discord guide for details.

Next Steps

Now that WhatsApp is connected:

1. Explore Other Integrations — Telegram, Discord, Slack
2. Set Up Skills — Skills Library
3. Configure Email — Gmail Integration
4. Read FAQ — Common Questions

Conclusion

WhatsApp integration makes OpenClaw accessible from the messaging app you already use daily. The setup is straightforward—just scan a QR code and start chatting. While there are some limitations compared to platforms with official bot APIs, WhatsApp integration provides a familiar, convenient way to interact with your AI assistant.

For more help, check our integrations page or FAQ. Happy chatting with your AI assistant on WhatsApp!