Install the Tenreply n8n Node: Self-Hosted WhatsApp Automation, Step by Step

Why n8n

n8n is a powerful, open-source workflow automation tool. Unlike fully hosted platforms, you can run it on your own infrastructure — which means your data stays in-house, you avoid per-task pricing, and you get fine-grained control over complex, branching logic. For teams with privacy requirements or high automation volume, n8n is often the better fit.

Tenreply now publishes an official community node for n8n, so you can connect your WhatsApp, Instagram DM, and Messenger inbox to your self-hosted workflows. It's available on npm as n8n-nodes-tenreply.

Step 1 — Install the Community Node

The easiest route is the n8n UI:

1. In n8n, go to Settings → Community Nodes.
2. Click Install.
3. Enter the package name n8n-nodes-tenreply and confirm.

Prefer the command line on a self-hosted instance? Install it from npm directly:

npm install n8n-nodes-tenreply

Restart n8n and the Tenreply nodes appear in the node panel.

Step 2 — Create Your Tenreply API Key

In Tenreply, open Settings → Features and enable Developer Mode. Then under Settings → Developer, generate an API key (it begins with trl_live_) and copy it.

Step 3 — Add the Tenreply Credential in n8n

1. In any workflow, add a Tenreply node.
2. Under Credential to connect with, choose Create New.
3. Paste your trl_live_… API key and save. n8n verifies it against the Tenreply API.

Step 4 — The Two Tenreply Nodes

The package ships two nodes:

• Tenreply — the action node. Use it to Send Message, Send Template Message, Create Contact, Update Contact, Start Conversation, Close Conversation, or Find Contact.
• Tenreply Trigger — the event node. It fires your workflow on New Inbound Message, New Contact, New Conversation, Conversation Status Changed, or Message Status Update.

A Complete Example Workflow

"Inbound WhatsApp message → log to Google Sheets + auto-acknowledge"

1. Tenreply Trigger: New Inbound Message.
2. Google Sheets node: append a row with the sender, message text, and timestamp.
3. Tenreply node: Send Message back to the conversation — "Thanks! We've received your message and a team member will reply shortly."

Activate the workflow and every inbound message is logged and acknowledged instantly — while the real conversation waits in your Tenreply shared inbox for a human reply.

Troubleshooting

• Nodes don't appear after install? Restart your n8n instance — community nodes load at startup.
• Credential fails to verify? Make sure Developer Mode is on and the key starts with trl_live_, not a test key.
• Trigger not firing? Confirm the workflow is Active; the Tenreply Trigger registers a webhook only when active.

Zapier or n8n?

If you'd rather not host anything and want the largest app directory with the simplest setup, the Tenreply Zapier integration is the faster path — see our Zapier guide. Choose n8n when self-hosting, data residency, or cost-at-scale matter most. Either way, the full n8n reference lives in the n8n getting-started docs, and the package is on npm at n8n-nodes-tenreply.