WaCLI — OpenClaw Skill

What This Skill Does

The WaCLI skill gives your OpenClaw agent the ability to send WhatsApp messages to contacts and groups, search through chat history, sync conversations, and send files with captions. It is specifically for outbound messaging to third parties -- when you ask your agent to contact someone else on your behalf. It does not handle normal user conversations (OpenClaw routes those automatically via the WhatsApp channel integration).

The skill supports text messages to individuals and groups, file attachments with captions, message search with date filtering, chat listing, and history backfill from older conversations. Authentication uses QR code pairing with your phone, and session data persists in ~/.wacli for seamless reconnection.

Safety is a core design principle: the agent always requires an explicit recipient and message text, confirms both before sending, and asks clarifying questions if anything is ambiguous. This prevents accidental messages and ensures you always know exactly what is being sent and to whom. See our skills vetting process for more on how we review skill safety.

Example Prompts

Send a WhatsApp message to Sarah saying "Running 5 minutes late, be there soon"

Message the team group chat that the meeting has been moved to 3pm

Search my WhatsApp history for messages about "invoice" from the last month

Send the project proposal PDF to Alex on WhatsApp with the caption "Please review by Friday"

List my recent WhatsApp chats and find the conversation with the plumber

Send a message to +14155551212 asking if they are available for a call tomorrow at 2pm

Requirements

Binary dependency: wacli must be installed and authenticated.

• Install via Homebrew: brew install steipete/tap/wacli
• Or via Go: go install github.com/steipete/wacli/cmd/wacli@latest
• Authentication: Run wacli auth once to scan the QR code with your phone
• Phone requirement: Your phone must be online for initial sync and history backfill

Setup on KiwiClaw

WaCLI requires linking to your personal WhatsApp account via QR code, so it works best with the KiwiClaw Chrome Extension bridge. Configure WhatsApp access in your KiwiClaw dashboard and link your account through the local extension.

Setup Self-Hosted

1. Install wacli: brew install steipete/tap/wacli
2. Authenticate: wacli auth (scan QR code with your phone)
3. Start continuous sync: wacli sync --follow
4. Verify: wacli chats list --limit 5

Related Skills

• Slack -- similar outbound messaging for Slack workspaces
• Xurl -- send messages on X/Twitter alongside WhatsApp outreach
• Gog -- coordinate WhatsApp messages with Google Calendar events
• Things Mac -- create follow-up tasks from WhatsApp conversations

FAQ

How is WaCLI different from the WhatsApp channel integration?

The WhatsApp channel integration lets your agent receive messages FROM users chatting with it on WhatsApp. WaCLI lets your agent send messages TO other people or groups -- it is for outbound messaging to third parties, not for handling the normal user conversation.

How does WaCLI authenticate with WhatsApp?

WaCLI uses QR code-based authentication. Run wacli auth to scan a QR code with your phone, which links the CLI to your WhatsApp account. Session data is stored in ~/.wacli and persists across restarts.

Can WaCLI send files and media?

Yes. Use wacli send file --to "+number" --file /path/to/file --caption "text" to send files with optional captions. This works for documents, images, and other media types supported by WhatsApp.

Does the agent confirm before sending messages?

Yes. The WaCLI skill enforces safety rules: the agent requires an explicit recipient and message text, confirms both before sending, and asks clarifying questions if anything is ambiguous.