WhatsApp Setup

Deploy Mona as a WhatsApp bot using the built-in Baileys bridge.

Prerequisites

• A working MonoClaw installation
• A phone with WhatsApp installed
• Node.js (for the Baileys bridge)

1. Install dependencies

cd ~/.monoclaw/monoclaw-runtime
npm install

2. Configure MonoClaw

monoclaw gateway setup

Choose WhatsApp.

3. Authenticate

1. Start the gateway:

monoclaw gateway start

2. A QR code will appear in the terminal
3. Open WhatsApp on your phone
4. Go to Settings → Linked Devices → Link a Device
5. Scan the QR code

4. Verify

Send a message to your own WhatsApp number. Mona should reply.

How it works

MonoClaw uses the Baileys library to connect to WhatsApp Web. This is a self-hosted solution — no third-party WhatsApp Business API required.

Limitations

• Single device — Only one phone can be linked at a time
• No groups initially — Group support requires additional setup
• Rate limits — WhatsApp may throttle excessive messaging
• Phone must stay online — If your phone loses internet, the bridge disconnects

Configuration

# ~/.monoclaw/config.yaml
gateway:
  whatsapp:
    session_name: "monoclaw-whatsapp"
    auth_folder: "~/.monoclaw/whatsapp-auth/"
    mark_read: true

Security

WhatsApp connections are end-to-end encrypted by WhatsApp itself. Mona can only read messages sent directly to her.

Troubleshooting