1. Introduction

After deploying OpenClaw on Tencent Cloud Lighthouse and connecting it to WhatsApp, have you ever encountered this issue: OpenClaw starts automatically sending messages to your contacts right after configuration! This can catch you off guard and potentially cause unnecessary social awkwardness.

This is actually normal behavior for an AI Agent operating in default mode — it doesn't mean there's a system malfunction. However, without proper access control, it can indeed pose usage risks and social disruptions.

Don't worry! This guide provides a controllable and secure configuration solution to help you precisely manage WhatsApp message-triggering logic, striking the perfect balance between "accessible" and "controllable" for your AI assistant.

2. Background

2.1 Symptoms

Recently, Lighthouse users on the International site have reported a frequently occurring issue: after configuring the WhatsApp channel, OpenClaw proactively sends messages to contacts, and in some cases, even sends system prompts such as openclaw access not config to recent chat windows.

2.2 Root Cause Analysis

Connecting WhatsApp to OpenClaw essentially means taking over your account directly. In the default pairing mode, any incoming message triggers OpenClaw's response mechanism. This means:

Scenario	Default Behavior	Impact
A friend sends you a message	AI response is triggered immediately	May expose the existence of the AI assistant
Someone @mentions you in a group chat	Triggers the pairing process	Causes unnecessary disturbance
A stranger sends a private message	Also triggers a response	Poses a security risk

💡 Helpful Tip: To address this issue, we have changed the default mode to Allowlist in the latest version. However, if your version has not been upgraded yet, or if you wish to manually switch modes, please continue reading this tutorial.

3. Connection Modes Explained

OpenClaw offers three WhatsApp connection modes. You can choose flexibly based on your needs:

Mode	dmPolicy Value	Characteristics	Use Case
Pairing Mode	`pairing`	Requires pairing each time someone sends a message	Open testing environments
Private Mode	`private`	Fully private; does not respond to any messages	Strict privacy protection
Allowlist Mode	`allowlist`	Only responds to specified contacts	Precise control (Recommended)

🔥 Highly Recommended: For most users, we recommend using the allowlist mode combined with the allowFrom whitelist to achieve precise message control.

4. Step-by-Step Instructions

4.1 Log In to the Lighthouse Instance

Open the Tencent Cloud Console and navigate to the Lighthouse page.
Locate the instance where OpenClaw is deployed, and click the Login button.

4.2 Edit the Configuration File

Enter the following command in the terminal to open the OpenClaw configuration file:

vim ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json

⚠️ Note: If a swap file prompt appears (e.g., [O]pen Read-Only, (E)dit anyway, (R)ecover, (D)elete it, (Q)uit, (A)bort):

If you are certain that no other window or process is currently editing this file, simply press: D

This will delete the old .swp file and open the editor normally. This is the most common approach.

If you are concerned about unsaved content from a previous session, press R first to recover, verify the content, and then save and exit.

If the following screen appears, press Enter:

4.3 Modify the dmPolicy Configuration

In the configuration file, locate the channels.whatsapp section and find the WhatsApp field:

"channels": {
  "whatsapp": {
    "enabled": true,
    "groupPolicy": "open",
    "debounceMs": 0,
    "mediaMaxMb": 50,
    "selfChatMode": false,
    "dmPolicy": "pairing",
    "allowFrom": []
  }
}

In practice, dmPolicy is not the only parameter that needs adjustment. To ensure WhatsApp access control works properly, you typically need to configure selfChatMode, allowFrom, and groupPolicy together.

Only when these settings are configured in coordination can you achieve truly "accessible yet controllable" access management.

Core Configuration Parameters

Parameter	Function	Recommended Setting
`dmPolicy`	Controls the private chat trigger mode	Set according to the target mode
`groupPolicy`	Controls whether group chats trigger responses	Recommended to restrict or disable
`selfChatMode`	Whether to respond to messages sent by yourself	Recommended to set to `false`
`allowFrom`	Whitelist of allowed contacts	Must be populated in Allowlist mode

Configuration by Mode

Target Mode	Configuration Details
Private Mode	`"dmPolicy": "private"` — Only authorized users can access; it is recommended to also set `"selfChatMode": false`
Allowlist Mode	`"dmPolicy": "allowlist"` — Populate `"allowFrom"` with the allowed contact IDs. Format: e.g., for +65 12345678, enter `6512345678`
Pairing Mode	`"dmPolicy": "pairing"` — Only users who have completed pairing can access
Open Mode	`"dmPolicy": "open"` — All private messages will trigger a response (⚠️ Not recommended for production use)

Modification example and recommendations:

4.4 Save and Exit

After completing the modifications, follow these steps to save and exit:

Press the Esc key to exit edit mode (make sure -- INSERT -- in the bottom-left corner disappears).
Type :wq (with a colon in English input mode).
Press Enter to confirm.

4.5 Restart the Service

After modifying the configuration, you must restart the service for the changes to take effect:

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

5.1 What should I do if the configuration changes don't take effect?

Please verify that you have restarted the OpenClaw service after making the changes.

5.2 What should I enter in the allowFrom field?

Enter the contact IDs (WhatsApp numbers) that you want OpenClaw to respond to. For example, "allowFrom": [6512345678, 8613800138000] means only messages from these two numbers will receive a response.

5.3 Can I switch between the three modes at any time?

Yes. Simply follow this tutorial to modify the dmPolicy value again, save the file, and restart the service to complete the switch.

5.4 What if I'm not familiar with Vim?

Action	Key	Description
Enter edit mode	`i`	Enters INSERT mode
Exit edit mode	`Esc`	Returns to command mode
Save and exit	`:wq`	Write and quit
Force quit	`:q!`	Quit without saving

Channel	Scan / Click to join
WhatsApp Channel
WeCom (Enterprise WeChat)

WhatsApp Access Control & Security Configuration Guide