solution channel high macos linux windows whatsapp

WhatsApp: 401 'No cookie auth credentials found' / bot replies fail

Fix WhatsApp failures caused by missing/expired WhatsApp Web credentials by re-linking the account and ensuring the gateway owns the session files.

By CoClaw Team •

Symptoms

  • WhatsApp chat shows an error reply like: [openclaw] 401 No cookie auth credentials found
  • WhatsApp seems configured, but sending/receiving stops working.

Cause

The gateway is not currently logged into WhatsApp Web (credentials are missing, expired, or corrupted).

In OpenClaw, the gateway owns the WhatsApp session files. If you ran login on a different machine, or the credential folder was deleted, the gateway cannot send/receive.

If you need the full lane posture - dedicated number, pairing model, and self-chat tradeoffs - read /channels/whatsapp and the shorter /guides/whatsapp-setup next to this fix.

Fix

1) Check WhatsApp status (fast signal)

On the gateway host:

openclaw channels status --probe

If it reports logged out / unlinked, re-link below.

On the gateway host:

openclaw channels logout
openclaw channels login

Scan the QR code in WhatsApp (Linked Devices).

3) Confirm credentials exist where the gateway expects

WhatsApp credentials are stored under:

  • ~/.openclaw/credentials/whatsapp/<accountId>/creds.json

If you run multiple accounts, ensure you are logging in to the correct --account <id>.

Verify

  • openclaw channels status --probe shows WhatsApp linked/healthy.
  • Sending a test WhatsApp message works normally.

If the QR re-link succeeds but delivery still fails, continue with /troubleshooting/solutions/whatsapp-login-timeout-408-websocket-error or /troubleshooting/solutions/whatsapp-no-active-listener.

Verification & references

  • Reviewed by:CoClaw Code Team
  • Last reviewed:March 14, 2026
  • Verified on: macOS · Linux · Windows

References

Official docs

  1. OpenClaw docs: /channels/whatsapp

Issue threads

  1. OpenClaw GitHub issue #5030
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