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getting-started tutorial whatsapp ai-agents

Getting Started with Pipes.bot: Connect Your AI Agent to WhatsApp in 5 Minutes

Pipes.bot Team -
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Why Pipes.bot?

If you’ve ever tried to connect an AI agent to WhatsApp, you’ve probably run into the Baileys dilemma: unofficial libraries that risk getting your phone number banned, require exposed ports, and drop sessions without warning.

Pipes.bot solves this by providing a managed bridge to Meta’s official WhatsApp Cloud API. Your agent connects outbound to our service — no open ports, no reverse engineering, no policy violations.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

  • A Pipes.bot account (sign up here)
  • A self-hosted AI agent (OpenClaw, LangChain, custom, etc.) or a webhook endpoint (n8n, Make, Zapier)
  • Your personal WhatsApp number for activation

Step 1: Choose Your Delivery Mode

Pipes.bot supports two ways to receive messages:

  • WebSocket Mode — Install the OpenClaw plugin for real-time, bidirectional communication with your AI agent.
  • Webhook Mode — Point us at any HTTP endpoint and we’ll POST messages to it. Perfect for n8n, Make, Zapier, or custom APIs.

Step 2: Get Your API Key

Head to your Pipes.bot dashboard and generate an API key. Keep it safe — it’s shown only once.

Step 3: Activate a Number

In the dashboard, generate an activation code and send it via WhatsApp to one of our pool numbers. This links your personal number to the pool number for message routing.

Step 4: Connect Your Agent

For WebSocket mode:

openclaw plugins install @pipes.bot/pipes-bot-channel

Configure the plugin with your API key, and you’re live.

For Webhook mode:

Set your webhook URL in the dashboard. We’ll start POSTing messages to your endpoint immediately.

Step 5: Start Chatting

Send a message to your pool number from WhatsApp. Your agent receives it, processes it, and replies — all through Meta’s official API.

What About Offline Messages?

If your agent goes down, Pipes.bot queues up to 100 messages and delivers them when you reconnect. You’ll even get a WhatsApp notification so you know your agent is offline.

Next Steps

  • Explore BYON (Bring Your Own Number) on Pro plans to use your own WhatsApp Business number
  • Check out the docs for API reference and advanced configuration
  • Join the community for tips and support