Install Baileys in your Node.js project

Step-by-step guide to install Baileys using npm, yarn, or the edge version from GitHub. Covers Node.js version requirements and optional dependencies.

Baileys is published to npm under the @whiskeysockets/baileys scope. You can install it with npm, yarn, pnpm, or any other Node.js package manager. This page covers the stable release, the edge build straight from GitHub, and the optional peer dependencies that unlock additional features.

Requirements

You need Node.js 20.0.0 or later. Baileys enforces this through a preinstall check — installation will fail with a clear error message if your Node.js version is too old.

Verify your version before installing:

node --version

Install the stable release

The stable release is the recommended starting point for new projects.

npm

npm install @whiskeysockets/baileys

Install the edge version

The edge build is built directly from the master branch on GitHub. It includes the latest fixes and features but carries no stability guarantee.

yarn add github:WhiskeySockets/Baileys

The Baileys repository uses Yarn 4 internally via Corepack. You are free to use npm, yarn, or any other package manager in your own project — only contributors to the Baileys repository itself need Yarn 4.

Import Baileys in your project

After installing, import the default export in your TypeScript or JavaScript file:

import makeWASocket from '@whiskeysockets/baileys'

You can also import named exports alongside the default:

import makeWASocket, { useMultiFileAuthState, DisconnectReason } from '@whiskeysockets/baileys'

Optional peer dependencies

Baileys has several optional peer dependencies that enable additional functionality. Install only the ones you need.

Image and sticker thumbnails

Baileys can generate thumbnails automatically when you send image or sticker messages. Install either jimp or sharp — you do not need both.

jimp

npm install jimp

sharp is generally faster for production workloads. jimp is a pure JavaScript implementation with no native bindings, which makes it easier to install in restricted environments.

Link previews

To generate rich link previews when sending URLs, install link-preview-js:

npm install link-preview-js

Video thumbnails

Thumbnail generation for video messages requires ffmpeg to be installed as a system dependency. Install it through your operating system’s package manager:

macOS

brew install ffmpeg

Audio decode

The audio-decode package is an optional peer dependency used for certain audio processing operations:

npm install audio-decode

Summary of peer dependencies

Package	Purpose	Required
jimp	Automatic thumbnails for images and stickers	No
sharp	Faster alternative to jimp for image thumbnails	No
link-preview-js	Rich link previews in text messages	No
ffmpeg	Thumbnail generation for video messages	No
audio-decode	Audio processing support	No

For most projects, start without any peer dependencies. Add jimp or sharp when you need image thumbnails, and link-preview-js when you want URL previews.

Next steps

Quick start

Connect to WhatsApp and send your first message.

Authentication

Link your WhatsApp account with a QR code or pairing code.