WhatsApp Skill - Messaging Automation

Send messages, read chats, and search WhatsApp via WhatsApp Web automation.

CRITICAL: Message Confirmation Required

Before sending ANY WhatsApp message, you MUST get explicit user confirmation.

When the user asks to send a message:

1. First, show them the complete message details:
   • Recipient (phone number or group)
   • Full message text
   • Session being used
2. Ask: "Do you want me to send this WhatsApp message?"
3. ONLY run the send command AFTER the user explicitly confirms
4. NEVER send without confirmation

First-Time Setup

cd ~/.claude/skills/whatsapp-skill
npm install

This installs:

• whatsapp-web.js - WhatsApp Web automation
• qrcode-terminal - QR code display for authentication

Authentication

First time requires scanning a QR code with your phone:

node ~/.claude/skills/whatsapp-skill/whatsapp_skill.js auth

1. QR code appears in terminal
2. Open WhatsApp on your phone
3. Go to Settings → Linked Devices → Link a Device
4. Scan the QR code
5. Session is saved for future use

Commands

Authentication & Status

# Authenticate (scan QR)
node ~/.claude/skills/whatsapp-skill/whatsapp_skill.js auth [--session NAME]

# Check status
node ~/.claude/skills/whatsapp-skill/whatsapp_skill.js status [--session NAME]

# Logout
node ~/.claude/skills/whatsapp-skill/whatsapp_skill.js logout [--session NAME]

Sending Messages (Requires Confirmation)

# Send to phone number (include country code, no + or spaces)
node ~/.claude/skills/whatsapp-skill/whatsapp_skill.js send 14155551234 "Hello!" [--session NAME]

# Send to group
node ~/.claude/skills/whatsapp-skill/whatsapp_skill.js send-group GROUP_ID "Hello group!" [--session NAME]

Reading Chats & Messages

# List recent chats
node ~/.claude/skills/whatsapp-skill/whatsapp_skill.js chats [--limit N] [--session NAME]

# Get messages from a chat
node ~/.claude/skills/whatsapp-skill/whatsapp_skill.js messages CHAT_ID [--limit N] [--session NAME]

# Search messages
node ~/.claude/skills/whatsapp-skill/whatsapp_skill.js search "query" [--session NAME]

Contacts & Groups

# List contacts
node ~/.claude/skills/whatsapp-skill/whatsapp_skill.js contacts [--session NAME]

# List groups
node ~/.claude/skills/whatsapp-skill/whatsapp_skill.js groups [--session NAME]

Multi-Account Support

Use --session flag for different WhatsApp accounts:

# Personal account
node ~/.claude/skills/whatsapp-skill/whatsapp_skill.js auth --session personal

# Work account
node ~/.claude/skills/whatsapp-skill/whatsapp_skill.js auth --session work

# Send from specific account
node ~/.claude/skills/whatsapp-skill/whatsapp_skill.js send 14155551234 "Hi" --session work

Sessions stored in ~/.claude/skills/whatsapp-skill/sessions/

Phone Number Format

Always use full international format without + or spaces:

• US: 14155551234 (1 = country code)
• UK: 447911123456 (44 = country code)
• India: 919876543210 (91 = country code)

Chat IDs

Chat IDs are returned by the chats command:

• Individual chats: 14155551234@c.us
• Group chats: 120363123456789012@g.us

Examples

Send a Quick Message

node ~/.claude/skills/whatsapp-skill/whatsapp_skill.js send 14155551234 "Meeting at 3pm today?"

Check Recent Chats

node ~/.claude/skills/whatsapp-skill/whatsapp_skill.js chats --limit 5

Read Messages from a Contact

node ~/.claude/skills/whatsapp-skill/whatsapp_skill.js messages 14155551234@c.us --limit 10

Search for Something

node ~/.claude/skills/whatsapp-skill/whatsapp_skill.js search "meeting agenda"

Output

All commands output JSON for easy parsing.

Requirements

• Node.js 16+
• npm
• Chrome/Chromium (installed automatically by puppeteer)

Important Notes

• One phone per session: Each WhatsApp account can only be linked to one session at a time
• Stay connected: WhatsApp may disconnect if your phone loses internet for extended periods
• Rate limits: Don't spam - WhatsApp can ban accounts for suspicious activity
• Business accounts: Works with both personal and WhatsApp Business accounts

Security Notes

• Message confirmation required - Claude must confirm before sending any message
• Session data stored in ~/.claude/skills/whatsapp-skill/sessions/
• Sessions contain authentication data - keep secure
• Logout removes session data from your computer (but device stays linked in WhatsApp until you unlink)

Troubleshooting

QR code not appearing?

• Make sure puppeteer dependencies are installed: npx puppeteer browsers install chrome

Authentication keeps failing?

• Delete session folder and re-authenticate
• Make sure your phone has internet connection

Messages not sending?

• Verify phone number format (country code, no spaces/dashes)
• Check if contact has blocked you
• Verify WhatsApp is still connected on your phone