WeChat

Community plugin connecting OpenClaw to WeChat personal accounts via WeChatPadPro (iPad protocol) with text, image, and file support.

WeChat is the super-app that dominates China's digital landscape with over 1.3 billion monthly active users — and OpenClaw's WeChat integration is a community-maintained plugin that brings AI agent capabilities to this massive platform. Built by @icesword0760 and published on npm, the plugin connects through WeChatPadPro's iPad protocol emulation, enabling text, image, and file exchange with personal WeChat accounts. The plugin architecture follows a layered approach: WeChat users communicate through WeChatPadPro (which emulates the iPad client protocol), which connects to the OpenClaw plugin, which feeds into the AI agent. Authentication uses a QR code login flow displayed in the terminal — scan with your WeChat mobile app to establish the session. A keyword trigger prefix (e.g., '@ai') lets the bot coexist with personal account usage, and an AI reply prefix (e.g., '🤖') visually distinguishes bot responses. Per-peer session routing ensures each conversation has independent context, and DM access policies support pairing, allowlist, and open modes. The plugin handles bidirectional file exchange: inbound images are injected into multimodal AI context, documents are downloaded locally, and outbound files are sent via WeChat's CDN (images as image messages, other files as attachments). Quote reply support extracts referenced message context for more coherent conversations. This is a community plugin, not officially maintained by the OpenClaw team. It depends on WeChatPadPro running separately, which itself uses an unofficial protocol implementation. WeChat actively combats unauthorized automation, so there are real risks of account restrictions. For users who need AI capabilities on WeChat and are willing to navigate the unofficial tooling landscape, this plugin provides the most comprehensive integration available.

Tags: messaging, china, community, unofficial

Category: Messaging

Use Cases

  • AI assistant on WeChat for Chinese-speaking users
  • Cross-border AI communication tool for businesses with Chinese contacts
  • Personal AI bot that coexists with normal WeChat usage via keyword trigger
  • Document processing AI that exchanges files through WeChat
  • Image analysis assistant that receives photos via WeChat
  • AI translation bot for multilingual WeChat conversations

Tips

  • Always set triggerPrefix (e.g., '@ai') when using a personal account to avoid responding to every message
  • Use replyPrefix (e.g., '🤖 ') so contacts can distinguish AI responses from your personal messages
  • Set dmPolicy: 'pairing' initially to control who can interact with the bot
  • Use session.dmScope: 'per-peer' for independent conversation context per contact
  • Run WeChatPadPro in Docker for easier management and isolation
  • Monitor WeChatPadPro logs for connection issues — it's the most common failure point
  • Back up your session state when using Docker — losing it means re-scanning QR
  • Test with a close contact first before enabling for wider use

Known Issues & Gotchas

  • WeChatPadPro must be running as a SEPARATE service — the OpenClaw plugin connects to it via HTTP
  • WeChat aggressively detects and blocks unofficial automation — use at your own risk
  • QR code login sessions expire — monitor for re-authentication prompts
  • triggerPrefix is essential for personal accounts — without it, EVERY message triggers the bot
  • WeChatPadPro may require a paid token or license — check their documentation
  • The plugin polls for messages via HTTP — there may be slight latency compared to native clients
  • No group chat support in the current version — DMs only
  • File uploads go through WeChat's CDN — large files may be subject to CDN limits

Alternatives

  • Telegram
  • Zalo Personal
  • WhatsApp
  • Enterprise WeChat (WeCom)

Community Feedback

Made a WeChat plugin for OpenClaw, completely open source. My OpenClaw can now talk to people on the other side of the world! The keyword trigger prefix is essential for not annoying your contacts.

— Reddit r/openclaw

OpenClaw channel plugin for WeChat personal accounts via WeChatPadPro (iPad protocol). Features: direct messages, keyword trigger prefix, quote reply support, image and file exchange, QR code login flow.

— Libraries.io

WeChat — Connect OpenClaw to WeChat personal accounts via WeChatPadPro (iPad protocol). Supports text, image, and file exchange with keyword-triggered conversations.

— OpenClaw Community Plugins Docs

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this an official OpenClaw plugin?

No. This is a community-maintained plugin by @icesword0760. It's not officially supported by the OpenClaw team. Install via: openclaw plugins install @icesword760/openclaw-wechat.

What is WeChatPadPro?

WeChatPadPro is a third-party service that emulates WeChat's iPad client protocol, allowing programmatic access to WeChat accounts. The OpenClaw plugin connects to WeChatPadPro as a middleware layer, not directly to WeChat's servers.

Will WeChat ban my account?

There's a real risk. WeChat actively detects and blocks unauthorized automation. Using a secondary account, limiting message frequency, and using triggerPrefix to avoid responding to every message can reduce but not eliminate the risk.

Does it support group chats?

Not in the current version. The plugin supports DMs only. Group chat support may be added in future releases. Check the plugin's GitHub repository for updates.

Can the bot see images sent by users?

Yes. Inbound images are downloaded and injected into the AI's visual context. If you're using a multimodal model (like GPT-4o or Claude), the AI can analyze and describe the images.

Is WeChatPadPro free?

WeChatPadPro may require a paid token or license for full access. Check their documentation at github.com/WeChatPadPro/WeChatPadPro for current pricing and licensing terms.

How does the keyword trigger work?

Set triggerPrefix (e.g., '@ai') in config. Only messages starting with this prefix are processed by the AI. Other messages are ignored, letting you use your personal account normally alongside the bot.

Configuration Examples

Basic setup with trigger prefix

channels:
  wechat:
    enabled: true
    serverUrl: "http://localhost:8849"
    token: "YOUR_TOKEN_KEY"
    triggerPrefix: "@ai"
    replyPrefix: "🤖 "
    dmPolicy: pairing

Open access with per-peer sessions

channels:
  wechat:
    enabled: true
    serverUrl: "http://localhost:8849"
    token: "YOUR_TOKEN_KEY"
    triggerPrefix: "@ai"
    replyPrefix: "🤖 "
    dmPolicy: open
    debugMessages: false
session:
  dmScope: per-peer

Allowlist with debug logging

channels:
  wechat:
    enabled: true
    serverUrl: "http://localhost:8849"
    token: "YOUR_TOKEN_KEY"
    triggerPrefix: "@ai"
    dmPolicy: allowlist
    allowFrom:
      - "wxid_abc123"
      - "wxid_def456"
    debugMessages: true

Installation

openclaw plugins install @icesword760/openclaw-wechat