Build a WhatsApp chatbot with n8n + WaSphere (self-hosted, no Meta approval)

Description and use

Build a WhatsApp chatbot without Meta approval using n8n and WaSphere, fully self-hosted and free of per-message fees.

Problem

Create a WhatsApp chatbot without Meta business verification, template approvals, or per-message fees.

Outcome

The stack enables instant WhatsApp chatbot deployment without Meta approval, with no per-message fees and full control over data.

Workflow

• Deploy WaSphere on a VPS with Docker: clone repo, copy .env.example, run docker compose up -d
• Open WaSphere dashboard, register admin, set WA Server URL, scan QR to pair number
• Create a Webhook node in n8n to receive inbound messages
• Configure WaSphere to send webhooks to the n8n URL, verify HMAC signature in a Function node
• Add bot logic in n8n using Switch, database or LLM calls
• Send replies via an HTTP Request node to WaSphere’s send endpoint with Authorization header
• Handle additional message types (image, video, etc.) via WaSphere API

Evidence

Combine n8n (the open-source workflow automation tool) with WaSphere — an open-source (MIT), self-hosted WhatsApp API — and you get a fully self-hosted chatbot stack on your own server.

Source

No Meta approval, no per-message platform fees, and your conversation data never leaves your infrastructure.

Source

Any VPS with Docker works. This is the actual quick start from the GitHub repo: git clone https://github.com/wasphere/wasphere.git cd wasphere cp .env.example .env docker compose up -d

Source