Add WhatsApp Channel (NanoClaw)

Installs NanoClaw's native Baileys WhatsApp adapter and links your device via QR code or pairing code.

AutomationAdvanced★ 30,471⑂ 12,865AI score 7/10Last updated: Aug 9, 2026

What it does

This skill automates adding a native WhatsApp channel to a NanoClaw install — a direct Baileys (WhatsApp Web) connection with no Chat SDK bridge. It walks through and executes:

Copying src/channels/whatsapp.ts, its registration test, and the WhatsApp formatting container skill from the channels branch
Appending the single self-registration import to src/channels/index.ts
Installing pinned deps (@whiskeysockets/baileys, qrcode, pino)
Building and running the channel-registration integration test
Linking the device via terminal QR, an 8-character pairing code, or a browser-rendered QR helper
Deciding dedicated vs. shared/personal number mode and writing ASSISTANT_HAS_OWN_NUMBER / ASSISTANT_NAME to .env
Restarting the service, resolving your DM JID, and auditing legacy spam-era group wirings

Notably, it enforces a mandatory safety check that warns you WhatsApp may suspend or ban a personal number and refuses to continue without explicit acknowledgement.

Who it's for

NanoClaw operators who want to talk to their agent over WhatsApp
Anyone with a spare SIM/eSIM to dedicate to the bot
Intermediate-to-advanced developers comfortable with pnpm, systemd, and terminal workflows

Keep in mind this is repo-specific tooling, not a general-purpose skill you can drop into any project.

Examples

Dedicated bot number — link a spare eSIM by QR, then register your personal number as the chat side so the agent appears as its own contact with normal two-way DMs.
Personal-number self-chat mode — after accepting the risk warning, the agent lives only in your "You" chat and can be configured to answer only messages starting with @AgentName.
Headless server install — the skill detects a missing display server and falls back to pairing-code auth, or serves a large browser QR via wa-qr-browser.ts when the terminal QR is too small to scan.

· · · Install guide · · ·

Install in the Claude app (no terminal)

Download the ZIP with the button below.
In Claude, open Settings → Capabilities and turn on 'Code execution and file creation'. (one time)
Go to Customize → Skills → + → 'Upload a skill' and upload the ZIP.

↓ Download ZIP

Install in Claude Code

Let Claude do it — paste this into Claude Code

Install the skill I found on Claude Skill Mart.
Copy the .claude/skills/add-whatsapp folder from the GitHub repo nanocoai/nanoclaw into my ~/.claude/skills/add-whatsapp/.
When it's done, tell me in one line what this skill can do.

Install with a command instead

git clone https://github.com/nanocoai/nanoclaw.git /tmp/nanoclaw && cp -r /tmp/nanoclaw/.claude/skills/add-whatsapp ~/.claude/skills/add-whatsapp

⚠ This is a third-party skill. Check the source repository before installing.

Have a NanoClaw checkout ready (Node 20+, pnpm). This skill only makes sense inside the NanoClaw repo.
Clone the repo: git clone https://github.com/nanocoai/nanoclaw.git
Copy the skill into your Claude skills directory: cp -r nanoclaw/.claude/skills/add-whatsapp ~/.claude/skills/add-whatsapp (or just use it in place inside the repo).
Launch Claude Code from the project root and run /add-whatsapp.
Answer the number safety check: pick dedicated (recommended) or shared. If you pick shared, read the account-ban warning and confirm explicitly to continue.
Approve the adapter copy, dependency install, build, and test steps.
Choose qr (camera scan) or pairing-code (digits-only number with country code). On your phone go to WhatsApp → Settings → Linked Devices → Link a Device and finish within ~60 seconds.
Provide the assistant name and, for a dedicated number, your personal chat number; .env is updated and the service restarts.
If linking fails, run rm -rf store/auth/ and retry the auth step; consult the Troubleshooting section for QR/pairing-code, conflict, and stale-adapter issues.

View source on GitHub ↗License: MIT