Tutorial: first auto-reply in 10 minutes

This tutorial walks the whole path once: account, linked number, API key, a test message, an auto-reply that answers on its own, and Claude reading your chats. You need a phone with WhatsApp, an email address and a terminal with curl.

1. Request an inviteCopy Anchor Link

WaFine is invite-only. Join the waitlist on the WaFine website with your email and the WhatsApp number you plan to use. Use a dedicated, warmed-up number, not the personal one you cannot afford to lose (see Using WhatsApp).

2. Sign upCopy Anchor Link

When your invite is approved, open the web app and choose Sign up. Enter your email, a password and the invited number in international format, for example +212 6XX XX XX XX. Confirm your email from the link you receive, then sign in.

3. Link WhatsApp by QRCopy Anchor Link

1. Open WhatsApp in the web app and create your session.
2. On your phone, open WhatsApp, go to Linked devices, choose Link a device and scan the QR code.
3. Wait until the session shows as connected.

Scan with the number you signed up with; any other number is logged out.

4. Create an API keyCopy Anchor Link

On the WhatsApp page, create an API key and copy it at once: it is shown only once. The same page shows your session ID, the REST base URL and the MCP endpoint.

5. Send a test messageCopy Anchor Link

Message yourself or someone who expects it. The chat ID is the number without + or spaces, followed by @c.us.

In every command below, replace https://api.example.com with the REST base URL shown in the web app (step 4), and <session-id> and <your-key> with your own values.

curl -X POST "https://api.example.com/wa/sessions/<session-id>/messages/send-text" \
  -H "X-API-Key: <your-key>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"chatId":"2126XXXXXXXX@c.us","text":"Hello from WaFine"}'

A 429 with Retry-After means the session's send budget is used up; wait before retrying.

6. Turn on a paced auto-replyCopy Anchor Link

1. Open Workflows in the web app. All rules start off.
2. Switch on Ping.
3. From a contact on your allowlist, send ping to your number.

A few seconds later, after a short reading and typing delay, WaFine answers pong. Switch on Greeting too if you want a polite first answer to hello, salam or bonjour, at most once per contact per day. Auto-replies never answer groups, media or unknown contacts. See Workflows for the pacing rules.

7. Connect Claude via MCPCopy Anchor Link

1. In Claude, open Settings, then Connectors, and choose Add custom connector.
2. Enter your MCP endpoint from the web app (it looks like https://api.example.com/mcp) and leave the OAuth fields empty.
3. Choose Connect, sign in to WaFine and choose Allow.
4. In a conversation, enable the connector and ask: "Summarise my unread WhatsApp chats."

Claude Code uses your API key instead:

claude mcp add --transport http whatsapp https://api.example.com/mcp \
  --header "X-API-Key: <your-key>"

Keep approval on for send tools, so you confirm each message before it goes out.

Next stepsCopy Anchor Link

• API keys and sessions: read chats, manage and revoke keys.
• MCP and Claude: read-only setups and good practice.
• Using WhatsApp: send limits and how to keep your number safe.