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WhatsThat

Last updated Mar 12, 2026

n8n community nodes with embedded Baileys runtime for multi-session chat automation

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Included Nodes

WhatsThat
WhatsThat Trigger

Description

@jep182/n8n-nodes-whatsthat

WhatsThat lets you connect one or more WhatsApp numbers inside n8n, link chats or groups with simple names, send messages, and react to incoming events.

In the n8n node picker, you will find:

  • WhatsThat
  • WhatsThat Trigger
  • You also need one credential:

  • WhatsThat Runtime
  • Before You Start

    Create WhatsThat Runtime credentials and choose a persistent storage path, for example:

    /home/node/.n8n/whatsthat
    

    This folder is used to store session files and local metadata.

    Inside WhatsThat you choose:

  • Section: Session, Linked Chat, or Message
  • Action: the specific action you want to run
  • How To Connect Your Number

    1. Add a WhatsThat node.
    2. Set Section to Session.
    3. Set Action to Connect Session.
    4. Fill in:
    Session Name: a stable internal name like main-phone
    Display Name: a friendly label like Luca phone
    WhatsApp Number: optional, only if you want a pairing code instead of relying only on QR
    5. Run the node.
    6. In the output, open qrCodeUrl.

    Open qrCodeUrl as the standard and recommended way to connect the number.

    Important:

  • open qrCodeUrl whenever possible
  • do not rely on pairingCode
  • pairingCode is not stable and may fail or stop working depending on the session state and device behavior
  • qrDataUrl is available only if you specifically need the raw embedded QR image data
  • Example:

    Session Name: main-phone
    Display Name: Luca phone
    WhatsApp Number: 393331234567
    

    How To Wait Until The Number Is Fully Connected

    After Connect Session, add another WhatsThat node:

    1. Set Section to Session
    2. Set Action to Wait Until Connect
    3. Use the same Session Name
    4. Choose how many seconds to wait in Timeout Seconds

    This second node waits for the already-started session to become fully connected.

    How To Link A Group Or Chat Manually

    1. Add a WhatsThat node
    2. Set Section to Linked Chat
    3. Start with Action = List Discovered Chats
    4. Pick the chat or group you want to use
    5. Change to Action = Link Chat
    6. Fill in:
    Session Name
    Chat JID
    Linked Chat: the simple name you want to use later, for example support or team

    Example:

    Linked Chat: support
    

    After that, you can send messages by choosing that linked chat instead of writing the raw JID every time.

    How To Link A Group Or Chat From WhatsApp

    Use WhatsThat Trigger.

    1. Add a WhatsThat Trigger node
    2. Select the same Session Name
    3. Set Event to Link Chat Command
    4. Leave the default command or change it

    By default, users can send a message like:

    /link-whatsthat support
    

    If that message is sent inside a group or chat, WhatsThat links that conversation with alias support.

    This is useful when you want users to self-register a group without opening n8n.

    How To Send A Message To A Linked Chat

    1. Add a WhatsThat node
    2. Set Section to Message
    3. Set Session Name
    4. Set Send Message To to Linked Chat
    5. Choose a linked chat from the dropdown
    6. Choose Message Type
    7. Write the message

    Example:

    Send Message To: Linked Chat
    Linked Chat: support
    Message Type: Text
    Message: Hello from n8n
    

    How To Send A Message To A Number

    1. Add a WhatsThat node
    2. Set Section to Message
    3. Set Send Message To to WhatsApp Number
    4. Enter the number with country code, digits only, without 00 and without +

    Example:

    WhatsApp Number: 393331234567
    

    How To Send A Message To Yourself

    1. Add a WhatsThat node
    2. Set Section to Message
    3. Set Send Message To to Yourself

    WhatsThat uses the number already connected for that session.

    This is useful for testing.

    How To Send Media

    For images and videos you can choose:

  • Native Media
  • As File
  • Use Media URL for the file you want to send.

    Examples:

  • send an image preview normally
  • send a PDF as a document
  • send a video as a file attachment
  • How To Receive Events

    Use WhatsThat Trigger when you want to react to:

  • incoming messages
  • your own sent messages
  • pairing events
  • connection events
  • group updates
  • Common examples:

  • start a workflow when a message arrives
  • auto-link a chat with /link-whatsthat support
  • continue a workflow when a session becomes connected
  • Example Workflow

    You can import this example:

  • examples/register-number.workflow.json
  • It shows the basic flow:

    1. Connect Session
    2. Wait Until Connect

    Notes

  • Use one persistent n8n instance as the owner of these sessions
  • Keep the runtime storage path persistent
  • If n8n restarts, active in-memory sockets are restarted from the saved session files

Thanks

This project uses Baileys.

License

MIT