WAHA
WAHA - WhatsApp HTTP API (REST API) that you can install on your own server and run in less than 5 minutes!
Tables of Contents
Quick start
Requirements
Only thing that you must have - installed docker. Please follow the original
instruction how to install docker ->.
When you are ready - come back and follows the below steps to send the first text message to WhatsApp via HTTP API!
Send your first message
Let's go over steps that allow you to send your first text message via WhatsApp HTTP API!
1. Download image
Assuming you have installed Docker, let's download the image.
docker pull devlikeapro/waha
Looking for WAHA Plus? It's now part of the main devlikeapro/waha image - all Plus features are included.
Read more: WAHA 2026.6 - Plus is now Core
2. Run WhatsApp HTTP API
Run WhatsApp HTTP API:
docker run -it --rm -p 3000:3000/tcp --name waha devlikeapro/waha
# It prints logs and the last line must be
# WhatsApp HTTP API is running on: http://[::1]:3000
Open the link in your browser http://localhost:3000/ and you'll see API documentation
(Swagger).
3. Start a new session
To start a new session you should have your mobile phone with installed WhatsApp application close to you.
Please go and read how what we'll need to a bit
later:
How to log in - the instruction on WhatsApp site
When your ready - find POST /api/sessions, click on Try it out, then Execute a bit below.
The example payload:
{
"name": "default"
}
By using the request with different name values you can start multiple sessions (WhatsApp accounts) inside the single docker container.
4. Get and scan QR
Find GET /api/screenshot and execute it, it shows you QR code.
Scan the QR with your cell phone's WhatsApp app.
5. Get the screenshot
Execute GET /api/screenshot after a few seconds after scanning the QR - it'll show you the screenshot of you Whatsapp
instance. If you can get the actual screenshot - then you're ready to start sending messages!
6. Send a text message
Let's send a text message - find POST /api/sendText in swagger and change chatId this
way: use a phone international phone number without + symbol and add @c.us at the end.
For phone number 12132132131 the chatId is [email protected].
The example payload:
{
"chatId": "[email protected]",
"text": "Hi there!",
"session": "default"
}
Also, you can use curl and send POST request like this:
# Phone without +
export PHONE=12132132130
curl -d "{\"chatId\": \"${PHONE}@c.us\", \"text\": \"Hello from WhatsApp HTTP API\" }" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -X POST http://localhost:3000/api/sendText
What is next?
Go and read the full documentation!
Development
Start the project
- Clone the repository
- Make sure you're using node>=22 (check .nvmrc to get the version)
- Install the whatsapp-rust-bridge prerequisites:
# Bun runtime used by whatsapp-rust-bridge prepare scripts
curl -fsSL https://bun.sh/install | bash -s -- bun-v1.3.9
# Rust nightly toolchain used for whatsapp-rust-bridge
curl -fsSL https://sh.rustup.rs | bash -s -- -y --default-toolchain nightly-2026-01-30
rustup target add wasm32-unknown-unknown
cargo install wasm-pack --vers 0.14.0 --locked
- Run the following commands:
# Install dependencies
yarn install
# Fetch and compile proto files
yarn gows:proto
# Run
yarn start
# open http://localhost:3000
