Add WhatsApp Cloud API Channel

Connect NanoClaw to WhatsApp via the official Meta WhatsApp Business Cloud API.

Install

NanoClaw doesn't ship channels in trunk. This skill copies the WhatsApp Cloud adapter in from the channels branch.

Pre-flight (idempotent)

Skip to Credentials if all of these are already in place:

• src/channels/whatsapp-cloud.ts exists
• src/channels/whatsapp-cloud-registration.test.ts exists
• src/channels/index.ts contains import './whatsapp-cloud.js';
• @chat-adapter/whatsapp is listed in package.json dependencies

Otherwise continue. Every step below is safe to re-run.

1. Fetch the channels branch

git fetch origin channels

2. Copy the adapter and its registration test

git show origin/channels:src/channels/whatsapp-cloud.ts                 > src/channels/whatsapp-cloud.ts
git show origin/channels:src/channels/whatsapp-cloud-registration.test.ts > src/channels/whatsapp-cloud-registration.test.ts

3. Append the self-registration import

Append to src/channels/index.ts (skip if the line is already present):

import './whatsapp-cloud.js';

4. Install the adapter package (pinned)

pnpm install @chat-adapter/whatsapp@4.29.0

5. Build and validate

pnpm run build
pnpm exec vitest run src/channels/whatsapp-cloud-registration.test.ts

Both must be clean before proceeding. whatsapp-cloud-registration.test.ts is the one integration test: it imports the real channel barrel and asserts the registry contains whatsapp-cloud. It goes red if the import './whatsapp-cloud.js'; line is deleted or drifts, if the barrel fails to evaluate, or if @chat-adapter/whatsapp isn't installed (the import throws) — so it also implicitly verifies the dependency from step 4. The adapter also calls core's createChatSdkBridge(...); that typed core-API consumption is guarded by pnpm run build.

End-to-end message delivery against a real WhatsApp Business number is verified manually once the service is running — see Next Steps and the webhook setup above.

Credentials

1. Go to Meta for Developers and create an app (type: Business).
2. Add the WhatsApp product.
3. Go to WhatsApp > API Setup:
   • Note the Phone Number ID (not the phone number itself).
   • Generate a permanent System User access token with whatsapp_business_messaging permission.
4. Go to WhatsApp > Configuration:
   • Set webhook URL: https://your-domain/webhook/whatsapp.
   • Set a Verify Token (any random string you choose).
   • Subscribe to webhook fields: messages.
5. Copy the App Secret from Settings > Basic.

Configure environment

Add to .env:

WHATSAPP_ACCESS_TOKEN=your-system-user-access-token
WHATSAPP_PHONE_NUMBER_ID=your-phone-number-id
WHATSAPP_APP_SECRET=your-app-secret
WHATSAPP_VERIFY_TOKEN=your-verify-token

Sync to container: mkdir -p data/env && cp .env data/env/env

Next Steps

If you're in the middle of /setup, return to the setup flow now.

Otherwise, run /manage-channels to wire this channel to an agent group.

Channel Info

• type: whatsapp-cloud
• terminology: WhatsApp Cloud API supports 1:1 conversations only (no group chats). Each conversation is with a phone number.
• how-to-find-id: The platform ID is the Phone Number ID from the Meta Business dashboard (not the phone number itself). Find it under WhatsApp > API Setup.
• supports-threads: no
• typical-use: Interactive 1:1 chat -- direct messages only
• default-isolation: Same agent group if you're the only person messaging the bot. Each additional person who messages gets their own conversation automatically, but they share the agent's workspace and memory -- use a separate agent group if you need information isolation between different contacts.