whatsapp-cli

whatsapp-cli

A simple CLI for WhatsApp to send a message right from the terminal. It is using Chrome's Puppeteer. So, it doesn't use any official/non-official APIs from WhatsApp, just a very basic automation script that runs in the background.

Why

You can use it to automate some regular messages to the loved ones, friends or colleagues.

Such as, save this in a batch file and let your SO know that you are coming home late with a simple command execution.

whatsapp-cli "Handsome Prince" "Love! The FE guys blew it again! I need to work late. Save me some dinner! xoxo"

Personally, it was fun to try something new. :)

Installation

npm install whatsapp-cli -g

Known Issues

• Sometimes the message is not sent due to delays in loading or typing the message. I added some timeouts to mitigate this.
• First time login page might appear in the background or the page that sends the automated message might appear in the foreground. I couldn't find a way to control it. Also, WhatsApp App doesn't support headless mode. So, I couldn't just have a CLI as I was hoping for it.
• Puppeteer downloads a custom version Chromium as part of its package. Puppeteer has a way to configure the location of the Chrome. But, I found this a bit more convenient with the cost of some 70mb.

Developers

npm src/index.js "Contact" "Message"

It is quite basic CLI for sure. Any ideas that don't violate WhatsApp's ToS are welcome!

License

MIT