OpenClaw on WhatsApp

This page links OpenClaw, running on a computer, to your WhatsApp account. It follows OpenClaw setup. To message Cue from WhatsApp without OpenClaw, use WhatsApp, which connects through Cue CLI.

OpenClaw's WhatsApp channel works as a linked device, the same way WhatsApp Web does. The gateway holds the WhatsApp session, and replies come from your own number.

1. Choose the setup

To test on your own number:

• allowFrom lists your own phone number.
• selfChatMode is true.
• dmPolicy is "allowlist".
• groupPolicy is "disabled" for the first test.

Pairing, used on the Telegram and Discord pages, is not the best first setup for your own WhatsApp number.

2. Add the WhatsApp settings

Run these in this order. OpenClaw checks dmPolicy="allowlist" as soon as you set it, so allowFrom must come first.

openclaw config set channels.whatsapp.allowFrom '["+15551234567"]' --strict-json
openclaw config set channels.whatsapp.selfChatMode true --json
openclaw config set channels.whatsapp.dmPolicy '"allowlist"' --json
openclaw config set channels.whatsapp.groupPolicy '"disabled"' --json

Replace +15551234567 with the phone number you will link.

3. Link WhatsApp

Run:

openclaw channels login --channel whatsapp

Then on your phone:

1. Open WhatsApp.
2. Go to Settings, then Linked Devices.
3. Tap Link a Device.
4. Scan the QR code shown in the computer's terminal.

If the terminal prints Linked after restart; web session ready., that is normal.

4. Start the gateway

Run the gateway in the foreground and leave that terminal open:

openclaw gateway --force

Or run it in the background so you keep your prompt. Logs go to ~/.openclaw/logs/gateway-sandbox.log:

mkdir -p ~/.openclaw/logs
nohup openclaw gateway --force > ~/.openclaw/logs/gateway-sandbox.log 2>&1 &
sleep 4

Check it:

openclaw channels status
tail -n 60 ~/.openclaw/logs/gateway-sandbox.log

What you want to see:

• WhatsApp shows as linked
• a log line saying the WhatsApp web session is ready

5. Test in Message yourself

1. In WhatsApp on your phone, open Message yourself.
2. Send hello.

There is no pairing step in this mode. To watch what happens, run this in a second terminal, or in the same one if the gateway runs in the background:

openclaw logs --follow

Troubleshooting

• dmPolicy="allowlist" requires ... allowFrom. Set allowFrom first, then selfChatMode, then dmPolicy.
• channels.whatsapp: Unrecognized key: "streaming". Remove that key.
• The QR login worked but no replies arrive. Check that openclaw gateway is still running, and run openclaw channels status.
• Cue's own WhatsApp connection uses the same number. Unlink it first, so OpenClaw is the only one listening on that number. See WhatsApp.
• openclaw gateway restart says the service is disabled. That is expected on a computer without a background service manager. Start it with openclaw gateway --force instead.

Next: Model auth.