Overview

This guide walks you through connecting OpenAI (Standard) to WhatsApp using OpenClaw. You'll learn how to configure authentication, set up the channel, and deploy your AI assistant.

OpenAI (Standard) Features

  • Standard OpenAI access
  • GPT-4o models
  • Simple setup
  • Wide compatibility

WhatsApp Capabilities

  • Direct messages
  • Group chats
  • Media support

Step 1: Configure OpenAI (Standard)

Standard API key only

  1. Create account at platform.openai.com
  2. Generate API key
  3. Set OPENAI_API_KEY environment variable

Environment variable: OPENAI_API_KEY

Step 2: Configure WhatsApp

  1. Enable WhatsApp in your openclaw.json configuration
  2. Start the OpenClaw gateway with 'openclaw gateway start'
  3. Scan the QR code displayed in terminal with WhatsApp mobile app
  4. Wait for authentication to complete
  5. Configure DM policy and allowlist for access control

Step 3: Combined Configuration

Add both configurations to your openclaw.json:

{
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "model": {
        "primary": "openai/gpt-4o"
      }
    }
  },
  "models": {
    "providers": {
      "openai": {
  "models": {
    "providers": {
      "openai": {
        "apiKey": "${OPENAI_API_KEY}
    }
  },
  "channels": {
    "whatsapp": {
      "enabled": true,
      "dmPolicy": "pairing",
      "allowFrom": ["[email protected]"],
      "groupPolicy": "allowlist",
      "mediaMaxMb": 5
    }
  }
}
}

Step 4: Start the Gateway

# Start the gateway
openclaw gateway start

# Check status
openclaw status

# View logs
openclaw logs --follow

Access Control

WhatsApp supports the following access control policies:

DM Policies

Policy Description
allowlist Only senders in allowFrom list are processed
pairing Unknown senders receive a pairing code; admin must approve
open All DMs are processed (requires allowFrom: ["*"])

Group Policies

Policy Description
allowlist Only groups in groupAllowFrom are processed
open All groups are processed

Deploy Options

Choose how to deploy your OpenAI (Standard) + WhatsApp setup:

Local Deployment

Run on your personal machine with local-only access

View Guide →

VPS Deployment

Always-on deployment on a Linux VPS

View Guide →

Cloud Deployment

Managed container deployment on Fly.io or similar

View Guide →

Docker Deployment

Containerized deployment with Docker

View Guide →

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I set up OpenAI (Standard) with WhatsApp?
Configure OpenAI (Standard) as your AI provider and enable WhatsApp as a channel in openclaw.json. The gateway routes WhatsApp messages to OpenAI (Standard) for processing automatically.
Is OpenAI (Standard) a good choice for WhatsApp bots?
OpenAI (Standard) works great with WhatsApp. Simple setup and Well-documented make it well-suited for Personal AI assistant and Family group automation.