Summary
Add an alternative WhatsApp channel implementation using Baileys — the open-source WhatsApp Web multi-device protocol library.
Motivation
The primary WhatsApp channel (/add-whatsapp-cloud) uses the official Meta Cloud API, which requires:
- A Meta Business account
- A paid phone number subscription
- A publicly reachable webhook URL
A Baileys-based channel would:
- Work with any personal WhatsApp account (no Meta Business account needed)
- Require no inbound port / public URL (outbound WebSocket only)
- Be free to run
This is ideal for self-hosters who want to connect a personal WhatsApp account without provisioning a Meta Business API phone number.
Implementation notes
- Use
@whiskeysockets/baileys for the WebSocket client
- Auth via QR code or pairing code (stored in
store/auth/)
- JID format:
PHONE@s.whatsapp.net (DM) / GROUP_ID@g.us (group)
- Self-registration via
registerChannel('whatsapp-baileys', factory)
- New skill:
/add-whatsapp-baileys
Trade-offs vs Cloud API
|
Cloud API |
Baileys |
| Account type |
Meta Business |
Personal |
| Cost |
Paid at scale |
Free |
| Public webhook needed |
Yes |
No |
| Official |
Yes |
No (reverse-engineered) |
| Ban risk |
None |
Possible |
| Group support |
Limited |
Full |
References
Summary
Add an alternative WhatsApp channel implementation using Baileys — the open-source WhatsApp Web multi-device protocol library.
Motivation
The primary WhatsApp channel (
/add-whatsapp-cloud) uses the official Meta Cloud API, which requires:A Baileys-based channel would:
This is ideal for self-hosters who want to connect a personal WhatsApp account without provisioning a Meta Business API phone number.
Implementation notes
@whiskeysockets/baileysfor the WebSocket clientstore/auth/)PHONE@s.whatsapp.net(DM) /GROUP_ID@g.us(group)registerChannel('whatsapp-baileys', factory)/add-whatsapp-baileysTrade-offs vs Cloud API
References