Wassist CLI

Send and receive WhatsApp messages from your terminal, backed by the official WhatsApp Business API and made simple with Wassist.

Installation

npm install -g @wassist/cli

Requires Node.js >= 22.

Quick start

1. Log in with your whatsapp number

wassist login

You'll be prompted to enter your phone number, then a verification code sent via WhatsApp.

2. Send a WhatsApp message to the sandbox

After logging in you're automatically connected to the Wassist sandbox. Open WhatsApp on your phone and send any message to the sandbox number that sent the 2FA code to your phone number.

3. Read your message

wassist messages read

You'll see the message you just sent appear in the terminal.

4. Send a reply

wassist messages send "hello world"

The reply will arrive in your WhatsApp chat.

Sending messages

The messages send command supports the full WhatsApp message options: text, media, buttons, and footers — all composable via flags.

Text only

wassist messages send "Hello world"

With media

Attach an image, video, audio clip, or document by URL:

wassist messages send "Check this out" --media https://picsum.photos/200/300

Media-only (no text body):

wassist messages send --media https://picsum.photos/200/300

Supported media types: JPEG, PNG, MP4, 3GPP, AAC, MP4 audio, MPEG, AMR, OGG, PDF, DOCX, XLSX, PPTX.

With a URL button

Add a tappable link button (max 1):

wassist messages send "Visit us" --url-button "Shop Now|https://shop.com"

With quick reply buttons

Add up to 3 quick reply buttons:

wassist messages send "Choose one" --reply "Yes|confirm" --reply "No|deny"

Full combination

wassist messages send "Spring sale is live! " \
  --media "https://picsum.photos/200/300" \
  --reply "Interested|yes" --reply "Not now|no"

Validation rules

• Buttons: max 3 total, all must be the same type (--url-button and --reply cannot be mixed)
• URL buttons: max 1 per message
• Quick reply buttons: max 3 per message
• Text body: max 1024 characters
• Media: must be a publicly accessible URL; the server validates the MIME type against WhatsApp's allowlist
• Button labels: max 20 characters, formatted as "Label|value" separated by a pipe

Template messages

If the 24-hour WhatsApp conversation window has expired (no user message in the last 24 hours), the CLI will prompt you to select and send a pre-approved template message instead.

Using a bespoke number & messaging others

The sandbox is great for getting started, but to message real contacts you'll need your own WhatsApp Business number.

1. Upgrade your plan

A Wassist subscription is required to connect your own number:

wassist upgrade

2. Link your WhatsApp Business Account

wassist numbers add

This walks you through connecting a Meta Business Account and selecting a phone number to manage through Wassist. You'll be guided through Meta's embedded signup flow in your browser.

3. Switch to your number

wassist numbers list          # see your available numbers
wassist use 441234567890      # set your number as active

4. Send messages to real contacts

With your own number active, include the recipient's phone number:

wassist messages send 441234567890 "Hey, this is from my own number!"
wassist messages read 441234567890

To switch back to the sandbox at any time:

wassist use sandbox

Commands

Authentication

| Command | Description | |---------|-------------| | wassist login | Authenticate with your phone number via OTP | | wassist whoami | Show the currently authenticated user and plan |

Number management

| Command | Description | |---------|-------------| | wassist use <number> | Set the active number for the current session. Use sandbox to switch back to the sandbox number | | wassist numbers list | List all your WhatsApp numbers, showing which is active | | wassist numbers add | Add a new WhatsApp number (requires Starter plan or above) |

Messaging

All message commands operate on the currently active number. In sandbox mode, phone number arguments are not needed — the CLI auto-resolves your single sandbox conversation.

| Command | Description | |---------|-------------| | wassist messages list | List conversations for the active number | | wassist messages read [phone-number] | View messages for a contact | | wassist messages send [to-number] [message] | Send a message to a contact |

messages read options:

• --limit <n> — Number of messages to show (default: 20)
• --page <n> — Page number, 1-based (default: 1)

messages send options:

• --footer <text> — Footer text (max 60 chars)
• --media <url> — Media URL (image, video, audio, document)
• --url-button <label|url> — URL button (max 1, format: "Label|https://...")
• --reply <label|id> — Quick reply button (max 3, repeatable, format: "Label|reply_id")

Billing

| Command | Description | |---------|-------------| | wassist upgrade | Upgrade your subscription plan |

Configuration

The CLI stores its config (auth token, active number) locally via conf. Run wassist login to get started.

The default API backend is https://backend.wassist.app. This can be overridden in the config if needed for development.

WhatsApp policies

By using the Wassist CLI to send messages, you agree to comply with the following policies:

• WhatsApp Business Policy -- https://business.whatsapp.com/policy Covers opt-in requirements, prohibited content, messaging frequency, and general rules for using the WhatsApp Business Platform.

• Meta AI Provider pricing policy -- https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/pricing/ai-providers/ If you are an AI Provider (as defined by Meta's Terms of Service), additional per-message charges apply for non-template messages sent to users in certain countries. Review this page for current rates, affected markets, and effective dates.

It is your responsibility to ensure that all messages sent through the CLI comply with these policies. Violations may result in restrictions on your WhatsApp Business Account or Wassist account.