fix: tighten WhatsApp ack reactions and migrate config (#629) (thanks @pasogott)

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 - Telegram: add `/whoami` + `/id` commands to reveal sender id for allowlists.
 - Telegram/Onboarding: allow `@username` and prefixed ids in `allowFrom` prompts (with stability warning).
 - Control UI: stop auto-writing `telegram.groups["*"]` and warn/confirm before enabling wildcard groups.
+- WhatsApp: send ack reactions only for handled messages and ignore legacy `messages.ackReaction` (doctor copies to `whatsapp.ackReaction`). (#629) — thanks @pasogott.
 
 ## 2026.1.11-6
 

docs/providers/whatsapp.md

@@ -206,6 +206,7 @@ WhatsApp can automatically send emoji reactions to incoming messages immediately
 - In groups with `requireMention: false` (activation: always), `group: "mentions"` will react to all messages (not just @mentions).
 - Fire-and-forget: reaction failures are logged but don't prevent the bot from replying.
 - Participant JID is automatically included for group reactions.
+- WhatsApp ignores `messages.ackReaction`; use `whatsapp.ackReaction` instead.
 
 ## Agent tool (reactions)
 - Tool: `whatsapp` with `react` action (`chatJid`, `messageId`, `emoji`, optional `remove`).

docs/tools/slash-commands.md

@@ -40,8 +40,10 @@ Directives (`/think`, `/verbose`, `/reasoning`, `/elevated`) are parsed even whe
 Text + native (when enabled):
 - `/help`
 - `/commands`
-- `/status` (show current status; includes a short usage line when available; alias: `/usage`)
-- `/whoami` (show your sender id; alias: `/id`)
+- `/status`
+- `/status` (show current status; includes a short usage line when available)
+- `/usage` (alias: `/status`)
+- `/whoami` (alias: `/id`)
 - `/config show|get|set|unset` (persist config to disk, owner-only; requires `commands.config: true`)
 - `/debug show|set|unset|reset` (runtime overrides, owner-only; requires `commands.debug: true`)
 - `/cost on|off` (toggle per-response usage line)

src/commands/doctor-legacy-config.ts

@@ -251,6 +251,39 @@ export function normalizeLegacyConfigValues(cfg: ClawdbotConfig): {
     }
   }
 
+  const legacyAckReaction = cfg.messages?.ackReaction?.trim();
+  if (legacyAckReaction) {
+    const hasWhatsAppAck = cfg.whatsapp?.ackReaction !== undefined;
+    if (!hasWhatsAppAck) {
+      const legacyScope = cfg.messages?.ackReactionScope ?? "group-mentions";
+      let direct = true;
+      let group: "always" | "mentions" | "never" = "mentions";
+      if (legacyScope === "all") {
+        direct = true;
+        group = "always";
+      } else if (legacyScope === "direct") {
+        direct = true;
+        group = "never";
+      } else if (legacyScope === "group-all") {
+        direct = false;
+        group = "always";
+      } else if (legacyScope === "group-mentions") {
+        direct = false;
+        group = "mentions";
+      }
+      next = {
+        ...next,
+        whatsapp: {
+          ...next.whatsapp,
+          ackReaction: { emoji: legacyAckReaction, direct, group },
+        },
+      };
+      changes.push(
+        `Copied messages.ackReaction → whatsapp.ackReaction (scope: ${legacyScope}).`,
+      );
+    }
+  }
+
   return { config: next, changes };
 }
 

src/web/accounts.ts

@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ export type ResolvedWhatsAppAccount = {
   textChunkLimit?: number;
   mediaMaxMb?: number;
   blockStreaming?: boolean;
+  ackReaction?: WhatsAppAccountConfig["ackReaction"];
   groups?: WhatsAppAccountConfig["groups"];
 };
 
@@ -129,6 +130,7 @@ export function resolveWhatsAppAccount(params: {
     mediaMaxMb: accountCfg?.mediaMaxMb ?? params.cfg.whatsapp?.mediaMaxMb,
     blockStreaming:
       accountCfg?.blockStreaming ?? params.cfg.whatsapp?.blockStreaming,
+    ackReaction: accountCfg?.ackReaction ?? params.cfg.whatsapp?.ackReaction,
     groups: accountCfg?.groups ?? params.cfg.whatsapp?.groups,
   };
 }

src/web/auto-reply.ack-reaction.test.ts

@@ -76,6 +76,17 @@ describe("WhatsApp ack reaction logic", () => {
         }),
       ).toBe(false);
     });
+
+    it("should not react when message id is missing", () => {
+      const cfg: ClawdbotConfig = {
+        whatsapp: { ackReaction: { emoji: "👀", direct: true } },
+      };
+      expect(
+        shouldSendReaction(cfg, {
+          chatType: "direct",
+        }),
+      ).toBe(false);
+    });
   });
 
   describe("group chat - always mode", () => {
@@ -257,4 +268,18 @@ describe("WhatsApp ack reaction logic", () => {
       ).toBe(true);
     });
   });
+
+  describe("legacy config is ignored", () => {
+    it("does not use messages.ackReaction for WhatsApp", () => {
+      const cfg: ClawdbotConfig = {
+        messages: { ackReaction: "👀", ackReactionScope: "all" },
+      };
+      expect(
+        shouldSendReaction(cfg, {
+          id: "m1",
+          chatType: "direct",
+        }),
+      ).toBe(false);
+    });
+  });
 });

src/web/auto-reply.ts

@@ -826,6 +826,7 @@ export async function monitorWebProvider(
     ...baseCfg,
     whatsapp: {
       ...baseCfg.whatsapp,
+      ackReaction: account.ackReaction,
       messagePrefix: account.messagePrefix,
       allowFrom: account.allowFrom,
       groupAllowFrom: account.groupAllowFrom,
@@ -1149,101 +1150,6 @@ export async function monitorWebProvider(
       status.lastMessageAt = Date.now();
       status.lastEventAt = status.lastMessageAt;
       emitStatus();
-
-      // Send ack reaction immediately upon message receipt
-      if (msg.id) {
-        const ackConfig = cfg.whatsapp?.ackReaction;
-        // Backward compatibility: support old messages.ackReaction format (legacy, undocumented)
-        const messages = cfg.messages as
-          | undefined
-          | (typeof cfg.messages & {
-              ackReaction?: string;
-              ackReactionScope?: string;
-            });
-        const legacyEmoji = messages?.ackReaction;
-        const legacyScope = messages?.ackReactionScope;
-        let emoji = (ackConfig?.emoji ?? "").trim();
-        let directEnabled = ackConfig?.direct ?? true;
-        let groupMode = ackConfig?.group ?? "mentions";
-
-        // Fallback to legacy config if new config is not set
-        if (!emoji && typeof legacyEmoji === "string") {
-          emoji = legacyEmoji.trim();
-          if (legacyScope === "all") {
-            directEnabled = true;
-            groupMode = "always";
-          } else if (legacyScope === "direct") {
-            directEnabled = true;
-            groupMode = "never";
-          } else if (legacyScope === "group-all") {
-            directEnabled = false;
-            groupMode = "always";
-          } else if (legacyScope === "group-mentions") {
-            directEnabled = false;
-            groupMode = "mentions";
-          }
-        }
-
-        const conversationIdForCheck = msg.conversationId ?? msg.from;
-
-        const shouldSendReaction = () => {
-          if (!emoji) return false;
-
-          // Direct chat logic
-          if (msg.chatType === "direct") {
-            return directEnabled;
-          }
-
-          // Group chat logic
-          if (msg.chatType === "group") {
-            if (groupMode === "never") return false;
-            if (groupMode === "always") {
-              // Always react to group messages
-              return true;
-            }
-            if (groupMode === "mentions") {
-              // Check if group has requireMention setting
-              const activation = resolveGroupActivationFor({
-                agentId: route.agentId,
-                sessionKey: route.sessionKey,
-                conversationId: conversationIdForCheck,
-              });
-              // If group activation is "always" (requireMention=false), react to all
-              if (activation === "always") return true;
-              // Otherwise, only react if bot was mentioned
-              return msg.wasMentioned === true;
-            }
-          }
-
-          return false;
-        };
-
-        if (shouldSendReaction()) {
-          replyLogger.info(
-            { chatId: msg.chatId, messageId: msg.id, emoji },
-            "sending ack reaction",
-          );
-          sendReactionWhatsApp(msg.chatId, msg.id, emoji, {
-            verbose,
-            fromMe: false,
-            participant: msg.senderJid,
-            accountId: route.accountId,
-          }).catch((err) => {
-            replyLogger.warn(
-              {
-                error: formatError(err),
-                chatId: msg.chatId,
-                messageId: msg.id,
-              },
-              "failed to send ack reaction",
-            );
-            logVerbose(
-              `WhatsApp ack reaction failed for chat ${msg.chatId}: ${formatError(err)}`,
-            );
-          });
-        }
-      }
-
       const conversationId = msg.conversationId ?? msg.from;
       let combinedBody = buildLine(msg, route.agentId);
       let shouldClearGroupHistory = false;
@@ -1294,6 +1200,64 @@ export async function monitorWebProvider(
         return false;
       }
 
+      // Send ack reaction immediately upon message receipt (post-gating)
+      if (msg.id) {
+        const ackConfig = cfg.whatsapp?.ackReaction;
+        const emoji = (ackConfig?.emoji ?? "").trim();
+        const directEnabled = ackConfig?.direct ?? true;
+        const groupMode = ackConfig?.group ?? "mentions";
+        const conversationIdForCheck = msg.conversationId ?? msg.from;
+
+        const shouldSendReaction = () => {
+          if (!emoji) return false;
+
+          if (msg.chatType === "direct") {
+            return directEnabled;
+          }
+
+          if (msg.chatType === "group") {
+            if (groupMode === "never") return false;
+            if (groupMode === "always") return true;
+            if (groupMode === "mentions") {
+              const activation = resolveGroupActivationFor({
+                agentId: route.agentId,
+                sessionKey: route.sessionKey,
+                conversationId: conversationIdForCheck,
+              });
+              if (activation === "always") return true;
+              return msg.wasMentioned === true;
+            }
+          }
+
+          return false;
+        };
+
+        if (shouldSendReaction()) {
+          replyLogger.info(
+            { chatId: msg.chatId, messageId: msg.id, emoji },
+            "sending ack reaction",
+          );
+          sendReactionWhatsApp(msg.chatId, msg.id, emoji, {
+            verbose,
+            fromMe: false,
+            participant: msg.senderJid,
+            accountId: route.accountId,
+          }).catch((err) => {
+            replyLogger.warn(
+              {
+                error: formatError(err),
+                chatId: msg.chatId,
+                messageId: msg.id,
+              },
+              "failed to send ack reaction",
+            );
+            logVerbose(
+              `WhatsApp ack reaction failed for chat ${msg.chatId}: ${formatError(err)}`,
+            );
+          });
+        }
+      }
+
       const correlationId = msg.id ?? newConnectionId();
       replyLogger.info(
         {