Description

WhatsApp proactive sends via the message tool (and openclaw message send CLI) fail with:

Error: No active WhatsApp Web listener (account: default). Start the gateway, then link WhatsApp with: openclaw channels login --channel whatsapp --account default.

However, the WhatsApp adapter is clearly connected and functional:

• Inbound messages are received ✅
• Auto-replies are sent successfully ✅
• openclaw status --deep reports WhatsApp as "OK · linked" ✅
• openclaw channels status reports "enabled, configured, linked, running, connected" ✅

The only thing broken is the proactive/outbound send pathway via the gateway WebSocket send command.

Reproduction

1. Link WhatsApp via openclaw channels login --channel whatsapp
2. Confirm inbound works (send a message from your phone → gateway receives and auto-replies)
3. Try proactive send: openclaw message send --channel whatsapp --target "+1XXXXXXXXXX" --message "test"
4. Fails with "No active WhatsApp Web listener"

Evidence from logs

Timestamps from a single minute showing the disconnect:

20:57:11 [whatsapp] Inbound message +16173884147 -> +14753635344 (direct, 67 chars)   ← received
20:57:16 [whatsapp] Auto-replied to +16173884147                                       ← reply sent OK
20:57:45 [ws] ⇄ res ✗ send errorCode=UNAVAILABLE errorMessage=No active WhatsApp Web listener  ← proactive send FAILS

The auto-reply path (adapter internal reply on same connection) works. The message tool send path (gateway WS → adapter send check) does not.

Additional context

• The WhatsApp health monitor cycles through restarts every ~10 minutes (reason: stopped or stale-socket), but each restart results in the same half-working state.
• Attempted: full gateway stop/start, unlinking and re-linking WhatsApp from phone, multiple QR code scans, SIGUSR1 restart. None fixed the proactive send.
• This may have started with the 2026.3.12 update, which also changed the gateway entry point (entry.js → index.js), requiring openclaw doctor --fix to repair the LaunchAgent.

Environment

• OpenClaw 2026.3.12 (6472949)
• macOS 26.3.1 (arm64)
• Node v25.5.0
• WhatsApp Business app (linked device)
• Install method: homebrew/npm