💬 WhatsApp Quickstart

Connect Infinibot to WhatsApp in 2 minutes. Just scan a QR code.

⚡ Quick Setup (2 minutes)

Step 1: Start QR Login

infinibot channels login

A QR code appears in your terminal.

Step 2: Scan with WhatsApp

1. Open WhatsApp on your phone
2. Go to Settings → Linked Devices
3. Tap Link a Device
4. Scan the QR code

Step 3: Done! ✅

Infinibot is now connected. Send yourself a message to test.

📱 Phone Number Options

Option A: Dedicated Number (Recommended)

Use a separate phone number for Infinibot:

• Clean separation from personal chats
• No confusion about who's replying
• Best for always-on assistant

How to get one:

• Spare phone + cheap prepaid SIM
• eSIM on your main phone (dual SIM)
• WhatsApp Business app (separate from personal WhatsApp)

Option B: Your Personal Number

Use your own number with "self-chat mode":

• Message yourself to talk to Infinibot
• Quick for testing
• May confuse contacts if replies leak

{
  "channels": {
    "whatsapp": {
      "selfChatMode": true
    }
  }
}

🔒 Security: Who Can Message?

By default, Infinibot uses pairing mode - unknown senders get a code.

Allow specific people only:

{
  "channels": {
    "whatsapp": {
      "dmPolicy": "allowlist",
      "allowFrom": ["+15551234567", "+15559876543"]
    }
  }
}

Approve new senders manually:

# See pending requests
infinibot pairing list whatsapp

# Approve someone
infinibot pairing approve whatsapp <code>

🔧 Configuration

Edit ~/.infinibot/config.json:

{
  "channels": {
    "whatsapp": {
      "enabled": true,
      "dmPolicy": "allowlist",
      "allowFrom": ["+15551234567"]
    }
  }
}

Then restart:

infinibot gateway restart

✅ Verify Connection

# Check WhatsApp status
infinibot status

# Send a test message
infinibot message send --channel whatsapp --target "+15551234567" --message "Hello from Infinibot!"

🛠️ Troubleshooting

QR code expired

QR codes expire after ~60 seconds. Run again:

infinibot channels login

"Session closed" after linking

WhatsApp sometimes disconnects new links. Wait 30 seconds and the gateway should reconnect automatically.

Messages not delivering

Check that:

1. Gateway is running: infinibot gateway status
2. WhatsApp is connected: infinibot status
3. Recipient is in allowlist (if using allowlist mode)

Re-link device

If connection is broken:

# Clear session and re-link
infinibot channels logout whatsapp
infinibot channels login

📖 Full Documentation

For advanced features (groups, media, multiple accounts):

📖 Complete WhatsApp Guide →