# WhiskeySockets/Baileys

Socket-based TS/JavaScript API for WhatsApp Web

Repository: https://github.com/WhiskeySockets/Baileys
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/baileys
Homepage: https://baileys.wiki/
Language: JavaScript
License: MIT
License Family: permissive
Topics: bun, deno, nodejs, reverse-engineering, typescript, websockets, whatsapp-web, ws
Last push: 2026-08-26T02:05:29+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 98/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 95, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 1694, "days_push": 8, "days_rel": 36, "gap_med": 12, "n_releases_24m": 24}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 10867, forks 3332 (observed 2026-08-28T04:10:44.559414+00:00)

## What it is
Baileys is a WebSocket-based TypeScript/JavaScript library that interacts with the WhatsApp Web API directly, without a browser or Selenium. It speaks WhatsApp Web's binary Noise/protobuf protocol, enabling authentication via QR or pairing code and full programmatic access to messaging, groups, media, privacy, and presence features.

## Use cases
- build a whatsapp chatbot in nodejs
- send whatsapp messages programmatically without the business api
- automate whatsapp group management
- receive and reply to whatsapp messages from a script
- send media, stickers, polls and reactions via whatsapp
- build a whatsapp notification system
- track typing and online presence of whatsapp contacts

## When to choose
- you need to send/receive WhatsApp messages from Node.js without browser overhead
- you want full access to the WhatsApp Web protocol surface (groups, media, presence, privacy)
- you want a lightweight, memory-efficient alternative to Selenium-based WhatsApp automation
- you need multi-device WhatsApp session support with persisted auth

## When to avoid
- you need an officially supported, ToS-compliant WhatsApp integration (use the WhatsApp Business API instead)
- you plan bulk messaging, spam, or stalkerware - explicitly discouraged by maintainers
- you cannot tolerate breakage from unofficial protocol changes (major versions introduce breaking changes)
- your runtime is older than Node.js 20

## Facets
- artifact type: library
- maturity: active
- function: websocket, http-client, sdk, workflow-automation
- domain: messaging-platforms, developer-tools, apis
- platform: bun, cross-platform
- tags: whatsapp, whatsapp-web, reverse-engineered-api, chatbot, unofficial-api, messaging, typescript, automation, nodejs, deno

## Member repositories
- WhiskeySockets/Baileys (main) score 98

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:10:44.559414+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T17:17:27.669008+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/WhiskeySockets/Baileys (fetched 2026-08-28T04:10:44.559414+00:00, sha 0666a8242dbb)
  - homepage: https://baileys.wiki/ (fetched 2026-08-29T08:16:55.458910+00:00, sha 63ed09746a20)
  - site_page: https://baileys.wiki/installation (fetched 2026-08-29T08:16:55.463600+00:00, sha 7436a9e2d777)
  - site_page: https://baileys.wiki/quickstart (fetched 2026-08-29T08:16:55.465415+00:00, sha 070ac588f9b9)
  - site_page: https://baileys.wiki/features/groups (fetched 2026-08-29T08:16:55.469198+00:00, sha dd0bcd6ba4fa)
  - site_page: https://baileys.wiki/features/privacy (fetched 2026-08-29T08:16:55.471191+00:00, sha 2ee1a9a41279)
  - site_page: https://baileys.wiki/features/presence (fetched 2026-08-29T08:16:55.472850+00:00, sha d3bc0c173b4e)
  - site_page: https://baileys.wiki/features/broadcasts-stories (fetched 2026-08-29T08:16:55.474500+00:00, sha 575c56d888e1)
  - registry_npm: https://registry.npmjs.org/baileys (fetched 2026-08-29T08:16:55.476095+00:00, sha 3868f1089b45)
  - site_page: https://baileys.wiki/introduction (fetched 2026-08-29T08:16:55.461664+00:00, sha 1e47bf3082e3)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.