Appointment Scheduling via WhatsApp

1. The Problem

Booking an appointment by email or phone typically requires 5–12 message exchanges over 24–48 hours: checking availability, proposing times, confirming, sending details, and managing rescheduling requests. Each exchange is a small interruption. Collectively, they consume 2–4 hours of productive time per week for any business taking more than eight bookings — time spent on logistics rather than delivery.

2. Integration & Webhook Setup

Follow the exact steps below to configure and deploy this automation inside your OpenClaw workspace.

1. 1Create a new agent named `whatsapp-scheduler`.
2. 2Set up a Twilio WhatsApp Business number ($1/month + usage). Your Twilio credentials go into `.openclaw/config.json` — never into the agent prompt itself.
3. 3Connect your calendar: the agent supports Google Calendar and Microsoft Calendar. Grant read/write access — this is the only automation in the Solopreneur tier that requires write access to your calendar.
4. 4Configure your `SERVICE_MENU` in the Context Payload: list your bookable services, durations, and any pre-appointment questions to collect from the prospect.
5. 5Set your `BUFFER_TIME` (default 15 minutes between appointments) and `BOOKING_HORIZON` (how many days ahead prospects can book — default 30 days).

3. The Context Payload (context.json)

Save this file as: .openclaw/agents/appointment-scheduling-via-whatsapp/context.json

{
  "automation_id": "7",
  "title": "Appointment Scheduling via WhatsApp",
  "level": 1,
  "tier": "Solopreneur Engine",
  "setup_time": "Under 60 min",
  "estimated_api_cost": "~$5–$10/mo",
  "client_price_range": "$250–$500",
  "agents": [
    {
      "role": "orchestrator",
      "model": "claude-3-5-sonnet",
      "temperature": 0.2,
      "max_tokens": 4096
    }
  ],
  "memory": "session",
  "output_format": "structured_json",
  "human_review_gate": true,
  "documentation_standard": "required"
}

4. Execution Commands

Run these commands from your openclaw-workshop/ directory to validate, test, and schedule this automation. Commands are taken directly from The OpenClaw Income Engine, Appendix E.

# ── STEP 1: Start inbound webhook listener ──
$ openclaw webhook create whatsapp-scheduler --inbound --verbose
$ 
# ── STEP 2: Test conversation flow with a simulated WhatsApp message ──
$ openclaw webhook test whatsapp-scheduler --message "Hi, I want to book a call"
$ 
# ── STEP 3: Verify calendar write access (attempt test booking) ──
$ openclaw run whatsapp-scheduler --test --calendar-write-check
$ 
# ── STEP 4: Run end-to-end test with your own WhatsApp number ──
# Message your Twilio number from your personal WhatsApp.
# Confirm the full booking flow works before sharing with clients.
$ 
# ── STEP 5: Activate inbound listener (production mode) ──
$ openclaw webhook activate whatsapp-scheduler
$ 
# ── View all bookings made today ──
$ openclaw run whatsapp-scheduler --history --today
$ 
# ── Switch calendar provider to Calendly ──
$ openclaw run whatsapp-scheduler --context.calendar_provider="calendly"