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Connect WhatsApp Web (QR pairing)

04 Sep 2026 · Chatku Team · 1 min read

Connect WhatsApp Web

WhatsApp Web pairs by scanning a QR code — no Meta approval needed. It's great for internal use and testing.

⚠️ Heads-up: this method is unofficial and against WhatsApp's Terms of Service. Use it for internal/testing only, not as a resold product. For production, use WhatsApp Cloud API instead.

1. Chromium requirement

WhatsApp Web runs a headless Chromium in the background. If it's missing you'll see a "Could not find Chrome" error. Fix it on the server by either installing the bundled browser:

cd backend
npx puppeteer browsers install chrome

or pointing to an existing Chrome via the WA_WEB_CHROMIUM_PATH environment variable. Then restart the backend.

2. Create the channel & pair

  1. Open Settings → Channels → Add Channel → WhatsApp Web.
  2. Give it a name and Save (no credentials needed).
  3. Click Start / Connect — a QR code appears.
  4. On your phone: WhatsApp → Linked Devices → Link a Device → scan the QR.

When the status turns Ready, send a test message in both directions.

Notes

  • Keep the phone online; if the session drops, reconnect from the channel page.
  • One WhatsApp number per channel.

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