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Installation

Get started with Baileys by installing it via your preferred package manager.

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Requirements

Before installing Baileys, ensure your environment meets these requirements:
  • Node.js: Version 20.0.0 or higher
  • Package Manager: npm, yarn, or pnpm
Baileys requires Node.js 20+ due to dependencies on modern JavaScript features and native modules.

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Install Baileys

Choose your preferred package manager to install Baileys: 
npm install @whiskeysockets/baileys

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Install the edge version

If you need the latest features and bug fixes (with no stability guarantee), you can install directly from GitHub: 
npm install github:WhiskeySockets/Baileys
The edge version may contain breaking changes and unstable features. Use it only if you need specific unreleased functionality.

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Optional dependencies

Baileys includes several optional peer dependencies that enable additional features:

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Media processing

For automatic thumbnail generation and image processing: 
npm install sharp
# or
npm install jimp
sharp is recommended over jimp for better performance and image quality.
To enable automatic link preview generation in messages: 
npm install link-preview-js

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Audio processing

For audio decoding and processing: 
npm install audio-decode

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Additional tools

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FFmpeg (for video thumbnails)

To generate thumbnails for video messages, install FFmpeg on your system: 
sudo apt update
sudo apt install ffmpeg

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Audio conversion

For audio messages to work properly across all devices, you need to convert them to Opus format. Install FFmpeg (shown above) and use these flags: 
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -avoid_negative_ts make_zero -ac 1 output.ogg
The required flags are:
  • codec: libopus - OGG file format
  • ac: 1 - One audio channel (mono)
  • avoid_negative_ts make_zero - Timestamp handling

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Import Baileys

Once installed, import Baileys in your TypeScript or JavaScript files: 
import makeWASocket from '@whiskeysockets/baileys'
For specific features, you can import additional utilities: 
import makeWASocket, { 
  useMultiFileAuthState,
  DisconnectReason,
  fetchLatestBaileysVersion,
  makeCacheableSignalKeyStore
} from '@whiskeysockets/baileys'

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Verify installation

Create a simple test file to verify everything is working:
test.ts
import makeWASocket, { useMultiFileAuthState } from '@whiskeysockets/baileys'

const { state, saveCreds } = await useMultiFileAuthState('auth_info_baileys')

const sock = makeWASocket({
  auth: state
})

sock.ev.on('connection.update', (update) => {
  const { qr } = update
  if(qr) {
    console.log('QR Code:', qr)
  }
})

sock.ev.on('creds.update', saveCreds)

console.log('Baileys is ready!')
Run it with: 
npx tsx test.ts
If you see “Baileys is ready!” and a QR code, your installation is successful.

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Next steps

Quick start guide

Learn how to create your first WhatsApp bot with Baileys

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