wacli is a scriptable WhatsApp client for people and tools that work from the command line. It pairs as a linked device, mirrors messages into a local SQLite store, and supports search, sending, and chat management.
wacliuses the WhatsApp Web protocol throughwhatsmeow. It is not affiliated with WhatsApp or Meta.
Homebrew on macOS or Linux:
brew install openclaw/tap/wacliPrebuilt archives for macOS, Linux, and Windows are available from GitHub Releases.
To build from source, install Go 1.26.5 or newer and a C compiler, then run:
CGO_ENABLED=1 CGO_CFLAGS="-Wno-error=missing-braces" \
go install -tags sqlite_fts5 github.com/openclaw/wacli/cmd/wacli@latestSee the installation guide for release archives, Docker, and platform-specific build requirements.
Pair the CLI by scanning the terminal QR code from WhatsApp's Linked devices screen. auth performs the first sync after pairing.
wacli auth
wacli messages search "meeting"
wacli send text --to +15551234567 --message "hello"Sending requires a recipient you are allowed to contact. Recipients can be phone numbers, WhatsApp JIDs, or synced contact, group, and chat names.
The quickstart covers phone-number pairing, named accounts, media, and diagnostics.
Run a continuous sync to keep the local store current:
wacli sync --followwacli keeps the WhatsApp session and its own searchable message index in separate SQLite databases. Search reads the local index, so it works without a live WhatsApp connection:
wacli messages search "invoice" --has-media
wacli --json messages list --limit 20WhatsApp Web provides history on a best-effort basis. Use history coverage to inspect what is available locally before requesting older messages from the primary phone.
Human-readable tables are the default. Use --json for one-shot commands and --events for NDJSON lifecycle events from long-running commands. Progress and errors stay on stderr.
Use --read-only or WACLI_READONLY=1 when an integration must not change WhatsApp or the local store:
wacli --read-only --json messages search "invoice"
WACLI_READONLY=1 wacli --json doctorWrite commands take a per-store lock. When sync --follow owns that lock, supported send commands are delegated to the running sync process. See companion integrations for webhooks and safe read-only SQLite access.
| Area | What it covers |
|---|---|
auth, accounts |
Pair a linked device and manage isolated account stores. |
sync, history |
Mirror new events and request older per-chat history. |
messages, calls |
Search, inspect, export, and manage local records. |
send, media |
Send text and files or download synced media. |
contacts, chats |
Find people and manage local or remote chat state. |
groups, channels |
Inspect and manage groups, communities, and channels. |
profile, presence |
Manage profile details and chat presence. |
store, doctor |
Inspect local storage and diagnose the setup. |
The complete documentation is at wacli.sh, or run wacli help <command> for the installed command reference.
The default store is ~/.local/state/wacli on Linux and ~/.wacli elsewhere. Override it with --store DIR or WACLI_STORE_DIR; use named accounts when each WhatsApp identity needs its own session, database, and lock.
wacli accounts add work
wacli --account work sync --followSee accounts for store selection and sync for storage limits, media downloads, webhooks, and presence behavior.
Development requires Go 1.26.5, Node.js 24 or newer, pnpm, cgo, and a C compiler.
pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
pnpm build
pnpm format:check && pnpm lint && pnpm testHeavily inspired by whatsapp-cli by Vicente Reig.
- Created by @steipete
- Currently maintained by @dinakars777
MIT.