GIF Sender

Send GIFs naturally in WhatsApp conversations.

CRITICAL: WhatsApp GIF Workflow

WhatsApp doesn't support direct Tenor/Giphy URLs. You MUST:

1. Download the GIF
2. Convert to MP4
3. Send with gifPlayback: true

Complete Workflow

Step 1: Search for GIF

gifgrep "SEARCH QUERY" --max 5 --format url

Search in English for best results.

Always get 5 results and pick the best one based on the filename/description - don't just take the first result.

Step 2: Download the GIF

curl -sL "GIF_URL" -o /tmp/gif.gif

Step 3: Convert to MP4

ffmpeg -i /tmp/gif.gif -movflags faststart -pix_fmt yuv420p -vf "scale=trunc(iw/2)*2:trunc(ih/2)*2" /tmp/gif.mp4 -y

Step 4: Copy to workspace (REQUIRED!)

cp /tmp/gif.mp4 /root/.openclaw/workspace/gif.mp4

⚠️ The message tool can ONLY send files from the workspace directory. Files in /tmp will fail with LocalMediaAccessError.

Step 5: Send via message tool

message action=send to=NUMBER message=" " filePath=/root/.openclaw/workspace/gif.mp4 gifPlayback=true

Use a single space as the message body — WhatsApp requires a non-empty message to send media, but the space won't be visible to the recipient.

One-liner Example

# Search
gifgrep "thumbs up" --max 3 --format url

# Pick best URL, then download + convert + copy to workspace:
curl -sL "https://media.tenor.com/xxx.gif" -o /tmp/g.gif && \
ffmpeg -i /tmp/g.gif -movflags faststart -pix_fmt yuv420p -vf "scale=trunc(iw/2)*2:trunc(ih/2)*2" /tmp/g.mp4 -y 2>/dev/null && \
cp /tmp/g.mp4 /root/.openclaw/workspace/g.mp4

# Then send with message tool from workspace path, gifPlayback=true

When to Send GIFs

✅ Good times:

• User asks for a GIF
• Celebrating good news
• Funny reactions
• Expressing emotions (excitement, facepalm, etc.)

❌ Don't overuse:

• One GIF per context is enough
• Not every message needs a GIF

Popular Search Terms

Security & Safety Notes

• Source domains: gifgrep only searches trusted GIF providers (Tenor, Giphy)
• File handling: Downloads go to /tmp, then MUST be copied to workspace before sending (message tool only allows workspace paths)
• Empty caption: A single space is used as the message body so WhatsApp sends the GIF without visible text
• WhatsApp integration: Uses the platform's built-in message tool — no separate WhatsApp credentials needed
• ffmpeg safety: Processes only GIF files from trusted providers; no arbitrary file execution

Why This Works

• WhatsApp converts all GIFs to MP4 internally
• Direct Tenor/Giphy URLs often fail
• MP4 with gifPlayback=true displays as looping GIF
• Small file size = fast delivery