Skill

Gif Whatsapp

Search and send GIFs on WhatsApp. Handles the Tenor→MP4 conversion required for WhatsApp.

gif-whatsapp
Install
openclaw skills install gif-whatsapp
Latest Release
Version 1.2.0
Compatibility
{}
Capabilities
{}
Verification
{}
Tags
{
  "latest": "1.2.0"
}

name: gif-whatsapp version: 1.2.0 description: Search and send GIFs on WhatsApp. Handles the Tenor→MP4 conversion required for WhatsApp. author: Leo 🦁 homepage: https://clawhub.com/skills/gif-whatsapp metadata: {"clawdbot":{"emoji":"🎬","requires":{"bins":["gifgrep","ffmpeg","curl"]},"requiresTools":["message"],"notes":"Uses the platform message tool (already configured) for WhatsApp delivery. gifgrep searches Tenor/Giphy only. Downloads are saved to /tmp and cleaned up after sending."}} allowed-tools: [exec, message]

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: Send via message tool

message action=send to=NUMBER message=" " filePath=/tmp/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:
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

# Then send with message tool, 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

EmotionSearch Terms
Happycelebration, party, dancing, excited
Approvalthumbs up, nice, good job, applause
Funnylaugh, lol, haha, funny
Shockedmind blown, shocked, surprised, wow
Sadcrying, sad, disappointed
Frustratedfacepalm, ugh, annoyed
Loveheart, love, hug
Coolsunglasses, cool, awesome

Security & Safety Notes

  • Source domains: gifgrep only searches trusted GIF providers (Tenor, Giphy)
  • File handling: All downloads go to /tmp and are overwritten each time (-y flag)
  • 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