FlixySMS WhatsApp Bridge

Connects a WhatsApp account to FlixySMS from your own computer.

The bridge runs the WhatsApp Web client locally and links it to your FlixySMS account over an outbound connection. Your campaigns, contacts, scheduling and message history stay in FlixySMS; this process holds only the WhatsApp session itself, which is stored on this machine and is never uploaded.

Requirements

• Node.js 18 or newer
• A computer that stays powered on while you need to send and receive
• A FlixySMS account with a WhatsApp device paired from the dashboard

Install

npm install -g flixysms-wa-bridge

Configure

Add a WhatsApp device in the FlixySMS dashboard and choose the option to connect from your own computer. It gives you three values:

| Variable | Required | Purpose | |---|---|---| | FLIXY_WS_URL | yes | FlixySMS messaging endpoint | | FLIXY_DEVICE_TOKEN | yes | Device credential issued at pairing | | FLIXY_DEVICE_ID | yes | Device identifier issued at pairing | | FLIXY_DEVICE_NAME | no | Display name; defaults to this machine's hostname | | FLIXY_DATA_PATH | no | Where the WhatsApp session is stored; defaults to ~/.flixysms-bridge/whatsapp_auth | | FLIXY_CHROME_PATH | no | Path to an installed Chrome; otherwise the bundled Chromium is used | | FLIXY_HEADLESS | no | Set to false to watch the browser window while troubleshooting |

Run

flixysms-bridge

On first run it prints a QR code in the terminal and shows the same code in the dashboard. Scan it from the phone that owns the number: open WhatsApp, go to Settings → Linked Devices → Link a Device.

Leave the process running. Messages can only be sent and received while it is up.

Keeping it running

Sending stops whenever the bridge is not running, so use a machine that does not sleep. To keep it alive across restarts, run it under your operating system's service manager — systemd on Linux, launchd on macOS, or a tool such as PM2 on any platform.

Security

FLIXY_DEVICE_TOKEN authorises sending WhatsApp messages through your account. Treat it like a password:

• Keep it on this machine only.
• FlixySMS does not store a copy. If you lose it, issue a new one from the device list in the dashboard.
• If you lose access to this computer, remove the device from the dashboard.

The WhatsApp session on disk (FLIXY_DATA_PATH) is equivalent to a logged-in WhatsApp Web session. Do not copy it to other machines or commit it to version control.

Current limitations

• Inbound media arrives with its type recorded but without a downloadable file.
• Automated replies configured in the dashboard do not yet run through the bridge.
• Updating is manual: reinstall with npm install -g flixysms-wa-bridge@latest when a new version is released.

Support

Questions and problems: [email protected]