AI assistants are good at reading long threads, pulling out the one detail you need and drafting a reply. WhatsApp is where a lot of those threads live. The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is the standard way to connect the two: an MCP server exposes a set of tools, and any MCP-compatible AI app can call them when you ask it to.
This guide shows how to connect WhatsApp to Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, Claude Code and other MCP clients using Kaption's MCP server. It covers the two ways to connect, what the AI can and cannot do once connected, and how to switch it off.
Updated September 2026
How it works
Kaption's MCP server has three parts:
- Your AI app (Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or another MCP client) decides it needs WhatsApp information and calls a tool, for example "search messages from Maria about the invoice".
- The connection. In cloud mode, the request goes through Kaption's relay at
mcp.kaptionai.com, which checks that you signed in and passes the request along. The relay cannot read your messages. In local mode, the request stays on your computer.
- Kaption on your computer. The Kaption extension in WhatsApp Web, or the Kaption desktop app, runs the request against your WhatsApp and sends back only the answer.
Because the last step runs on your own computer, the connection only works while Kaption is open: WhatsApp Web with the extension in Chrome or Edge, or the desktop app.
Option 1: the cloud connection (Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor)
Use this with any AI app that can add a remote MCP server, often called a custom connector, and sign in with OAuth.
Step 1. Open Kaption on your computer. Open WhatsApp Web in Chrome or Edge with the Kaption extension, or open the Kaption desktop app. Make sure you are signed in to Kaption.
Step 2. Turn on the connection. In the extension, open AI Assistants (MCP), choose Cloud Bridge and click Enable. In the desktop app, switch on Cloud MCP in Settings. The connection is off until you do this.
Step 3. Add the server to your AI app. Add a remote MCP server or custom connector with this address:
https://mcp.kaptionai.com/mcp
Step 4. Sign in. Your AI app opens Kaption's sign-in page. Enter your phone number, then the 6-digit code Kaption sends you on WhatsApp. Choose how long the AI app stays connected:
- While I use it (recommended): it disconnects after 90 days without use.
- For 1 year.
- Until I disconnect it.
That is all. Ask your AI app something about your chats and it will use the WhatsApp tools.
Option 2: the local connection (Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code)
If you prefer the connection to stay on your computer, run Kaption's local MCP server. It talks to the extension over localhost and needs Node.js 18 or newer.
First, turn on the MCP bridge in the Kaption extension's settings (or Local MCP in the desktop app's Settings) and keep WhatsApp Web open.
Claude Code: run one command.
claude mcp add whatsapp -- npx -y @kaptionai/mcp-extension@latest
Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code and other clients: add this to the app's MCP configuration file.
{
"mcpServers": {
"whatsapp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@kaptionai/mcp-extension@latest"]
}
}
}
The local server can connect several WhatsApp numbers at once, and several AI apps can share the same connection.
What your AI assistant can do
The cloud server's tools, grouped by what they touch:
- Search and read: search messages and chats, look up contacts and groups, export contacts, download media from a chat, and see chat statistics.
- Summarize: summarize a conversation. The summary is private to you.
- Organize: archive, pin, mute, and mark chats as read or unread; leave a draft; manage lists and reminders. On WhatsApp Business accounts, manage labels and notes.
- Schedule: schedule a message to one person, up to 800 characters, which Kaption sends at the time you set.
What it cannot do
- Send a message immediately. There is no send-now tool. The AI can leave a draft for you, or schedule a message to one person when you ask it to.
- See locked chats. Chats you locked in WhatsApp are always hidden.
- Work while Kaption is closed. If WhatsApp Web with the extension, or the desktop app, is not open, the tools return an error asking you to open it.
- Send bulk or unsolicited messages. Kaption's terms forbid using MCP access for that, and access is rate-limited.
Prompts that work well
- "Summarize what the Sales group talked about today."
- "Find the address Maria sent me last week."
- "Which chats have I not answered since Friday?"
- "Remind me tomorrow at 9 to follow up with Carlos."
- "Draft a reply to João confirming Thursday at 3 PM."
Be specific about the chat or the person. "Search my WhatsApp" works, but "search my chat with the landlord for the deposit amount" is faster and more reliable.
Privacy and security
- Off by default, revocable any time. You turn the connection on yourself, and you can turn it off in Kaption or remove the connector in your AI app.
- The relay cannot read your messages. It forwards requests and answers between your AI app and Kaption on your computer. Its source code is public at github.com/Kaption-AI/mcp-extension-remote, and every deploy is signed and recorded in a public, hash-chained log.
- OAuth with a single scope. Sign-in uses OAuth 2.1 with PKCE and one permission scope, and access tokens expire after an hour.
- What is stored. Reminders and scheduled messages are stored in Kaption Cloud so they can fire on time. Your messages are not.
Keep in mind that whatever your AI app reads is then processed by that AI provider under its own terms. Connect only the AI apps you already trust with the information in your chats.
Troubleshooting
"Extension not connected." Open WhatsApp Web in Chrome or Edge with Kaption (or the desktop app) and make sure the Cloud Bridge or Cloud MCP switch is on.
The AI app cannot find the tools. Check that you added https://mcp.kaptionai.com/mcp exactly, including /mcp at the end, and that the sign-in finished.
The local server does not start. Run node --version and make sure it is 18 or newer, then check that the MCP bridge is on in the extension.
For a summary of everything above, see the Kaption MCP page.
FAQ
Which AI apps work with the WhatsApp MCP server?
The cloud connection works with Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and any MCP client that supports remote servers with OAuth. The local server works with Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf, Zed and other clients that run local MCP servers.
Can Claude or ChatGPT send WhatsApp messages for me?
Not immediately. They can leave a draft or schedule a message to one person when you ask. Nothing is sent right away.
Is there an official WhatsApp MCP server?
WhatsApp does not publish one. Kaption's server works through WhatsApp Web on your own computer. Kaption is not affiliated with WhatsApp or Meta.
Does it work with WhatsApp Business?
Yes. WhatsApp Business accounts also get label and note tools.
How do I disconnect an AI app?
Turn the connection off in Kaption, or remove the connector in your AI app. If you chose "While I use it", the connection also ends by itself after 90 days without use.
Does it cost anything?
MCP access depends on your Kaption plan. The extension shows what your plan includes.
