After onboarding succeeds, configure WhatsApp.
OpenClaw WhatsApp is a linked-device WhatsApp Web channel. The gateway owns the active WhatsApp session.

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1. Choose the Right Setup Mode

For sandbox testing on your own phone number, use the personal-number path:
  • dmPolicy: "allowlist"
  • allowFrom includes your own phone number
  • selfChatMode: true
  • groupPolicy: "disabled" during the first test
This is different from Telegram or Discord. For personal-number WhatsApp, pairing is not the best first setup.

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2. Add the WhatsApp Config

Use this exact order. channels.whatsapp.dmPolicy="allowlist" is validated immediately, so if you set it before allowFrom, OpenClaw will reject the change. 
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 same phone number you linked in WhatsApp.
Do not set channels.whatsapp.streaming. OpenClaw currently rejects that key for WhatsApp.
Run: 
openclaw channels login --channel whatsapp
Then on your iPhone:
  1. Open WhatsApp
  2. Go to Settings
  3. Open Linked Devices
  4. Tap Link a Device
  5. Scan the QR code in the sandbox terminal
If the terminal prints Linked after restart; web session ready., that is normal.

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4. Start the Gateway

In the sandbox container, the simplest path is: 
openclaw gateway
Leave that running in one terminal. If you want the gateway to keep running while you get your shell prompt back, use: 
mkdir -p ~/.openclaw/logs
nohup openclaw gateway > ~/.openclaw/logs/gateway-sandbox.log 2>&1 & echo $! > ~/.openclaw/gateway-sandbox.pid
sleep 4
That means:
  • the gateway keeps running in the background
  • you can keep using the same terminal
  • logs go to ~/.openclaw/logs/gateway-sandbox.log
Verify: 
openclaw channels status
tail -n 60 ~/.openclaw/logs/gateway-sandbox.log
What you want to see:
  • WhatsApp shows linked
  • a log line showing the WhatsApp web session is ready

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5. Test Self-Chat

In WhatsApp on your phone:
  1. Open Message yourself
  2. Send hello
Because this is self-chat mode, you do not need a pairing approval step. If you started the gateway with plain openclaw gateway, leave that terminal open and use a second terminal for logs: 
openclaw logs --follow
If you started the gateway with nohup ... &, you can use the same terminal for: 
openclaw logs --follow

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Troubleshooting

  • dmPolicy="allowlist" requires ... allowFrom: Set allowFrom first, then selfChatMode, then dmPolicy.
  • channels.whatsapp: Unrecognized key: "streaming": Remove that key. WhatsApp does not support it in OpenClaw.
  • QR login succeeded but no replies arrive: Make sure openclaw gateway is still running and check openclaw channels status.
  • You previously tested Cue WhatsApp on the same number: Stop or log out the other runtime first so OpenClaw is the only active WhatsApp listener.
  • openclaw gateway restart says the service is disabled: That is expected in the sandbox container. Use openclaw gateway in the foreground instead.
WhatsApp channel auth and model auth are separate. If the channel links successfully but the assistant still does not answer, finish the model-auth step next.
Next: continue to /openclaw/setup/auth.