---
title: Introduction
description: A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for WhatsApp integration via WAHA
---
# WAHA MCP Server
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables AI assistants to interact with WhatsApp through the [WAHA (WhatsApp HTTP API)](https://waha.devlike.pro/) platform.
## What is this?
WAHA MCP Server bridges AI assistants like Claude with WhatsApp, allowing them to:
- **Read chats and messages** - Get an overview of recent conversations and retrieve message history
- **Send messages** - Send text, media, locations, and contacts
- **Manage groups** - Create groups, add/remove members, and configure settings
- **Handle contacts** - Look up contact information and manage your contact list
- **Track presence** - Monitor online/offline status and typing indicators
## How it works
```
┌─────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────┐
│ Claude Desktop │────▶│ WAHA MCP Server│────▶│ WAHA Server │
│ (MCP Client) │◀────│ │◀────│ (WhatsApp API) │
└─────────────────┘ └─────────────────┘ └─────────────────┘
```
1. **Claude Desktop** (or any MCP client) connects to the WAHA MCP Server
2. **WAHA MCP Server** translates MCP tool calls into WAHA API requests
3. **WAHA Server** handles the actual WhatsApp communication
## Features
<CardGroup cols={2}>
<Card title="Chat management" icon="comments">
Get chat overviews, read messages, mark as read, archive, and delete chats
</Card>
<Card title="Rich messaging" icon="paper-plane">
Send text, images, videos, documents, audio, locations, and contact cards
</Card>
<Card title="Group operations" icon="users">
Create groups, manage members, set permissions, and handle invites
</Card>
<Card title="Real-time webhooks" icon="bolt">
Receive instant notifications for new messages and events via ngrok
</Card>
</CardGroup>
## Prerequisites
Before you begin, you need:
- **Node.js 18+** installed on your system
- **A running WAHA instance** - See [WAHA documentation](https://waha.devlike.pro/) for setup
- **WAHA API credentials** - Base URL and API key from your WAHA instance
- **An active WhatsApp session** - Connected via WAHA
## Next steps
<CardGroup cols={2}>
<Card title="Quickstart" icon="rocket" href="/quickstart">
Get up and running in 5 minutes
</Card>
<Card title="Configuration" icon="gear" href="/configuration">
Configure environment variables and webhooks
</Card>
</CardGroup>
