Show HN: I replaced paid WhatsApp platform With a self-hosted Free stack (n8n)

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Demo video (8–10 min): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J08qIsBXs9k

Quick start
macOS/Linux:
cd ./Mac
docker compose up -d

Windows (PowerShell/CMD):
cd .Windows
docker compose up -d

How it connects
1.Start containers, open http://localhost:3000, Link Device (scan QR)
2.In n8n, create a POST webhook and copy the Production URL
3.In the WA dashboard, set event=messages → paste the n8n URL
• If both run in Docker: use http://n8n/… (service name), not localhost
4.Add AI Agent node + memory (window=10)
5. Add HTTP Request node to send the AI reply back to WhatsApp

Gotchas
• The WhatsApp session must be named “default”
• Bind volumes for persistence so you don’t re-link after restarts
• You can raise the memory window above 10 if your use-case needs it

Roadmap (feedback welcome)
• Attachments/media
• Multi-number routing
• Retries/monitoring/healthchecks
• FAQ/Docs ingestion for the agent

Not affiliated with WhatsApp or Meta. Please use on accounts you control and follow local laws. Happy to answer technical questions and share snippets.


Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45628774

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