Overview
Baileys provides simple methods to create WhatsApp groups programmatically. To modify group properties, you need to be a group admin.
Creating a Group
Use the groupCreate method to create a new WhatsApp group with a title and initial participants.
Function Signature
groupCreate(subject: string, participants: string[]): Promise<GroupMetadata>
subject - The name/title of the groupparticipants - Array of participant JIDs (must be in format [email protected])
Returns: A GroupMetadata object containing the newly created group’s information
Basic Example
Access group information
console.log('created group with id: ' + group.id)
GroupMetadata object contains:
id - The group JIDsubject - The group nameparticipants - Array of group participantscreation - Unix timestamp of creation- And more metadata fields
Send a welcome message
await sock.sendMessage(group.id, { text: 'hello there' })
Complete Example
import makeWASocket from '@whiskeysockets/baileys'
const sock = makeWASocket({
// your config
})
const createGroupExample = async () => {
try {
// Create group with initial participants
const group = await sock.groupCreate(
'My Fab Group',
['[email protected]', '[email protected]']
)
console.log('Group created successfully!')
console.log('Group ID:', group.id)
console.log('Group Name:', group.subject)
console.log('Participants:', group.participants.length)
// Send welcome message
await sock.sendMessage(group.id, {
text: 'Welcome to the group! 👋'
})
} catch (error) {
console.error('Failed to create group:', error)
}
}
GroupMetadata interface returned by groupCreate contains:
interface GroupMetadata {
id: string // Group JID
subject: string // Group name
owner: string | undefined // Creator JID
creation?: number // Creation timestamp
participants: GroupParticipant[] // List of participants
size?: number // Number of participants
desc?: string // Group description
restrict?: boolean // Locked settings (admin only)
announce?: boolean // Announcement mode (admin only messages)
memberAddMode?: boolean // Members can add participants
joinApprovalMode?: boolean // Approval required to join
ephemeralDuration?: number // Disappearing messages duration
linkedParent?: string // Parent community JID (if applicable)
isCommunity?: boolean // Is this a community
// ... and more fields
}
Best Practices
Participant Format: Always ensure participant JIDs are in the correct format: [email protected] Minimum Participants: WhatsApp may require a minimum number of participants to create a group. Always include at least 1 other participant besides yourself.
Error Handling: The groupCreate method will throw an error if the operation fails. Always wrap it in a try-catch block.
Tips
- Validate phone numbers before adding them as participants
- Check if numbers are registered on WhatsApp using
onWhatsApp method
- Handle errors gracefully - some numbers may not be valid WhatsApp accounts
- Store the group ID for future operations like sending messages or updating settings
Common Use Cases
Creating a group with verified participants
const createGroupWithVerification = async (
groupName: string,
phoneNumbers: string[]
) => {
// Verify which numbers are on WhatsApp
const jids = phoneNumbers.map(num => `${num}@s.whatsapp.net`)
const verified = await sock.onWhatsApp(...jids)
// Filter to only verified numbers
const validParticipants = verified
.filter(result => result.exists)
.map(result => result.jid)
if (validParticipants.length === 0) {
throw new Error('No valid WhatsApp numbers found')
}
// Create the group
const group = await sock.groupCreate(groupName, validParticipants)
return group
}
Creating a group and configuring initial settings
const createConfiguredGroup = async () => {
// Create the group
const group = await sock.groupCreate(
'My Group',
['[email protected]', '[email protected]']
)
// Set description
await sock.groupUpdateDescription(
group.id,
'This is our group for project discussions'
)
// Enable announcement mode (only admins can send messages)
await sock.groupSettingUpdate(group.id, 'announcement')
// Lock settings (only admins can modify)
await sock.groupSettingUpdate(group.id, 'locked')
return group
}