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Mastering OpenClaw | A Quick Guide to Integrating OpenClaw (Clawdbot) into WhatsApp on the Cloud

Created on 2026-02-26 11:26:21
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Preliminary Preparations

Before configuring WhatsApp for OpenClaw (Clawdbot), please check the following:

Do you have one or two WhatsApp accounts ready? (The number of accounts depends on whether you are configuring a separate account for OpenClaw.) Recommendation: Dedicated account for OpenClaw will provide a better experience.

Do you have already deployed and configured OpenClaw on a Lighthouse server instance (overseas regions recommended), and is it version 2026.2.3 or higher? If not, we recommend:

If you wish to purchase a new Lighthouse server to install and run OpenClaw, you can purchase it from the Tencent Cloud Lighthouse product purchase page or take advantage of the Tencent Cloud OpenClaw exclusive promotion. For detailed deployment and configuration procedures for OpenClaw, please refer to the OpenClaw (formerly Clawdbot) One-Click Instant Deployment Guide on the Cloud.

If you already have a previously deployed OpenClaw application template, but it is not the latest version, you can refer to the tutorial to update the version: How to Update the Server OpenClaw Application Version

Integration with WhatsApp

OpenClaw natively supports interaction with popular chat software such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Discord.

Configuring a Model for OpenClaw

First, you need to configure a model for OpenClaw.

Go to the Tencent Cloud console, select the corresponding Lighthouse server where OpenClaw has been deployed, and click the server card to enter the “Manage Instances” page.

Model Configuration

Configuring the model API Key for OpenClaw can be done through the application management page of the Lighthouse server. For details, please refer to the OpenClaw (formerly Clawdbot) One-Click Instant Deployment Guide — Configuring the Model API Key; it will not be repeated here.

OpenClaw Basic Configuration
After logging into the server for the first time, enter and press Enter to run the following command to begin configuration:

clawdbot onboard

After running clawdbot onboard, you need to complete the subsequent configuration actions using the keyboard. Key operations: use the arrow keys to control options, and press Enter to select and confirm.

Agree to the disclaimer. After running the above command, a question will appear: Are you aware of the risks? Select Yes.

Configuration Mode Selection: Quick Start Next, we need to select the Onboarding mode; we choose QuickStart.

Configuration processing method:

Select “Use existing values”

Model Configuration
The large model has already been configured in the Tencent Cloud console as described above, so you can skip this step (select as shown in the example below).

Configuring the model APIKey for OpenClaw can be done on the application management page of the Lighthouse server. For details, please refer to the OpenClaw (formerly Clawdbot) One-Click Instant Deployment Guide — Configuring Model APIKey; it will not be repeated here.

Skip for now

All providers

Keep current

Channel Configuration — Integrating with WhatsApp

In the Select channel step, use the arrow keys to select WhatsApp (QR link) and press Enter:

Link WhatsApp now (QR)?

Select Yes

Scan the QR code with your WhatsApp app.

The QR code may be distorted. If you cannot scan it, we suggest increasing your screen brightness and adjusting the page size before trying again.

Choosing a Phone Number:

I. If you only have one account, select “This is my personal phone number”;

II. If you have a separate account for OpenClaw, select “Separate phone just for Clawdbot”. (This option is recommended)

Enter mobile number

Policy settings (this step is available when setting up a separate phone just for Clawdbot):

The first option, Pairing (recommended), is the default.

The allowFrom setting (this step is required when setting up a separate phone just for Clawdbot)

The default setting is to select the first option, Unset allowFrom (default).

Configure Skills
Select: No
Reason: Skills can enable system-level automation capabilities, including:

  • File access, browser control, shell command execution

For initial deployments, restricting permissions can improve stability and security.

Enable Hooks (Skip this step if it doesn’t appear)
Select only: session-memory (Use the up and down arrow keys to move the cursor, the spacebar to select, and the Enter key to confirm and proceed to the next step)
Reason:

  • No system commands will be executed.
  • Lowest security risk.

Please do not select:

Run script automatically at startup (boot-md)

Command tracing and logging (command-logger)

Installation complete.

Select Restart.

Startup method:

Select “Do this later”

Install command completion feature

Select No

Note: Selecting Yes here may cause high CPU load on the server during OpenClaw execution, leading to problems with OpenClaw operation.

How to chat with OpenClaw in WhatsApp:

  1. If you only have one account, select “Message Myself” in WhatsApp;

  2. If you have a separate account for OpenClaw, add this account as a friend in WhatsApp and send a message.

During the first conversation, a pairing code will be sent. Run the command below to complete the pairing.

openclaw pairing approve whatsapp <code>

Note: Replace code with the pairing code you received in WhatsApp, without the <> symbol.

Now you can chat with the integrated OpenClaw bot in WhatsApp.

Personal Experience

After integrating OpenClaw into WhatsApp, it’s not just an “AI that chats with you,” but a personal agent that’s always online and can directly operate cloud servers. Through natural language conversations, I delegate daily, mundane, but repetitive tasks directly to it.

Welcome to join the discussion!

A Discord has been created, and everyone is welcome to join and explore advanced ways to use Moltbot (Clawdbot) together!