OpenClaw "Config validation failed: channels.whatsapp: Unrecognized key: \"enabled\""

Why it happens

The WhatsApp config schema is strict, so any key it does not declare fails validation. Other channel schemas had a top-level enabled field. WhatsApp only had it per account, and the plugin auto-enable step wrote it at the top level anyway (issues #24263, #25037).

1. You are on an affected early 2026 release. Reports started on 2026.2.22-2 on Windows, macOS and Linux (issues #24263, #25037, #24931).
2. Auto-enable keeps rewriting the key. Removing the line by hand does not stick if the gateway writes it back on the next boot, which one user still reported on 2026.3.2 (issue #39445).
3. A different WhatsApp key is unknown to your version. The same strict schema rejects keys from older docs, such as exposeErrorText (issue #74667). Read the key name in the error, not just the word unrecognized.

The fix

1. 1 Back up your config first: cp ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json.bak. On 2026.2.22-2, a failed openclaw plugins enable whatsapp could delete the config file (issue #25037).
2. 2 Check your version: openclaw --version.
3. 3 Update OpenClaw to a current release, then run openclaw config validate.
4. 4 If a different key is named, remove it with openclaw config unset channels.whatsapp.<key> and check the WhatsApp docs for its replacement.
5. 5 On current releases WhatsApp ships as a separate plugin. If it is missing, install it with openclaw plugins install @openclaw/whatsapp.
6. 6 Link the account with openclaw channels login --channel whatsapp, then restart the gateway.

A WhatsApp block that validates on current OpenClaw

Current releases run WhatsApp through the @openclaw/whatsapp plugin over WhatsApp Web (Baileys), configured under channels.whatsapp. enabled is an accepted key again. A minimal block from the docs:

{
  channels: {
    whatsapp: {
      enabled: true,
      dmPolicy: "pairing",
      allowFrom: ["+15551234567"],
      groupPolicy: "allowlist",
      groupAllowFrom: ["+15551234567"],
    },
  },
}

allowFrom takes E.164 phone numbers. With dmPolicy pairing, new senders get a pairing code you approve with openclaw pairing approve whatsapp <code>. That is separate from the QR scan that links the account.

Still failing?

• If the key comes back after you delete it, the auto-enable step on an old build is rewriting it, so update rather than keep editing.
• If validation now fails on a different channels.whatsapp key, compare it with the WhatsApp config reference for your version, because the schema rejects anything it does not declare.
• If validation passes but WhatsApp never connects, run openclaw channels status --probe and check whether the plugin is installed and the account is linked.

Related errors

• OpenClaw "config validation failed"
• OpenClaw "access not configured" pairing reply