whatsapp-mcp-server

MCP.Pizza Chef: msaelices

WhatsApp MCP Server is a Python-based MCP server that provides a standardized interface for language models to interact with WhatsApp Business API through GreenAPI. It supports messaging, group management, session handling, and chat history retrieval, leveraging FastMCP for enhanced performance and developer experience. This server enables seamless integration of WhatsApp functionalities into AI workflows and applications.

Use This MCP server To

Send text messages to WhatsApp contacts via language models Create and manage WhatsApp groups programmatically Retrieve WhatsApp chat lists and message history Manage WhatsApp API sessions for persistent connections Integrate WhatsApp messaging into AI-driven customer support Automate WhatsApp group participant management Enable real-time WhatsApp communication in AI applications

README

WhatsApp MCP Server

A server that provides a Model Context Protocol (MCP) interface to interact with WhatsApp Business API using FastMCP.

Introduction

WhatsApp MCP Server is a Python implementation that enables language models like Claude to interact with WhatsApp functionality through GreenAPI. It leverages FastMCP for improved performance, better developer experience, and a cleaner implementation.

Features

  • Messaging: Send text messages to WhatsApp contacts
  • Group Management: Create groups, list members, add/remove participants
  • Session Handling: Manage WhatsApp API sessions
  • Chat History: Retrieve chat lists and message history

WhatsApp API Client

This project uses the whatsapp-api-client-python library to interact with WhatsApp. The client provides access to the WhatsApp Cloud API, which requires a GreenAPI account to use.

Environment Variables

This project uses environment variables for configuration:

  • GREENAPI_ID_INSTANCE: Your GreenAPI ID instance
  • GREENAPI_API_TOKEN: Your GreenAPI API token

You can either set these in your environment or use the provided .env file (see Installation instructions).

Installation

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/whatsapp-mcp-server.git
cd whatsapp-mcp-server

# Install dependencies
pip install -e .

# Set up environment variables
cp .env-template .env
# Edit the .env file with your GreenAPI credentials

Usage

Run the MCP server:

# Run the MCP server on default host (127.0.0.1) and port (8000)
whatsapp-mcp

# Specify host and port
whatsapp-mcp --host 0.0.0.0 --port 9000

For debugging:

whatsapp-mcp --debug

The server communicates using the Model Context Protocol (MCP) and can be accessed via HTTP or WebSockets when running with FastMCP.

Available Tools

  • open_session: Open a new WhatsApp session
  • send_message: Send a message to a chat
  • get_chats: Get a list of chats
  • create_group: Create a new WhatsApp group
  • get_group_participants: Get the participants of a group

FastMCP API Reference

The WhatsApp MCP Server uses FastMCP to provide both WebSocket and HTTP endpoints:

  • WebSocket: ws://localhost:8000/mcp
  • HTTP: http://localhost:8000/mcp

You can test the API directly using tools like curl:

# List available tools
curl -X POST http://localhost:8000/mcp/listTools

# Call a tool
curl -X POST http://localhost:8000/mcp/callTool \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"name": "open_session", "arguments": {}}'

How to add it to Claude Code

To add a WhatsApp server to Claude, use the claude mcp add command:

# Add the WhatsApp MCP server
$ claude mcp add whatsapp -- whatsapp-mcp

# List existing MCP servers - Validate that the server is running
claude mcp list

# Start claude code
claude

Using with Claude

Once the WhatsApp MCP server is running, you can interact with it using Claude in your conversations:

Authenticating with WhatsApp

Login to WhatsApp

Sending a message

Send the "Hello" message to John Doe

Using with Claude Desktop

To use the WhatsApp MCP server with Claude Desktop, you need to add it to your claude_desktop_config.json file:

Using pip installation (recommended)

"mcpServers": {
  "whatsapp": {
    "command": "python",
    "args": ["-m", "whatsapp_mcp"]
  }
}

Using the executable

"mcpServers": {
  "whatsapp": {
    "command": "whatsapp-mcp"
  }
}

Using Docker

"mcpServers": {
  "whatsapp": {
    "command": "docker",
    "args": ["run", "--rm", "-i", "-e", "GREENAPI_ID_INSTANCE=your_instance_id", "-e", "GREENAPI_API_TOKEN=your_api_token", "whatsapp-mcp-server"]
  }
}

Remember to set your GreenAPI credentials either as environment variables or in your .env file before starting Claude Desktop.

Command-line options

The WhatsApp MCP server accepts these command-line arguments:

  • --debug: Increase verbosity level for debugging
  • --host: Host to bind the server to (default: 127.0.0.1)
  • --port: Port to bind the server to (default: 8000)

Debugging

For debugging the MCP server:

  • Use MCP inspector: npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector whatsapp-mcp
  • View logs in your Claude Desktop logs directory (typically ~/Library/Logs/Claude/ on macOS)
  • Access the FastMCP web interface at http://localhost:8000 for interactive API documentation

Development

# Install development dependencies
pip install -e ".[dev]"

# Run tests
pytest

# Run linting
flake8 src/

# Run type checking
mypy src/

The project uses a modern pyproject.toml configuration which includes:

  • Core dependencies needed for running the application
  • Development dependencies available with pip install -e ".[dev]"

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

whatsapp-mcp-server FAQ

How do I authenticate the WhatsApp MCP Server?
Authentication is done via a GreenAPI account, which provides access credentials for the WhatsApp Cloud API used by the server.
What programming language is the WhatsApp MCP Server implemented in?
It is implemented in Python, leveraging the whatsapp-api-client-python library.
How does the server improve performance and developer experience?
It uses FastMCP, a performant MCP framework, for cleaner implementation and faster interactions.
Can the server handle WhatsApp group management?
Yes, it supports creating groups, listing members, and adding or removing participants.
Is it possible to retrieve chat history using this server?
Yes, the server can retrieve chat lists and message history from WhatsApp.
What environment setup is required to run the WhatsApp MCP Server?
You need to set environment variables for GreenAPI credentials and configure the Python environment accordingly.
Can this server be used with multiple LLM providers?
Yes, it is designed to be provider-agnostic and can work with models like Claude, OpenAI GPT, and Gemini.
Does the server support session management for WhatsApp API?
Yes, it includes session handling to maintain persistent API connections.