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After installation, follow this guide to activate your license, access the management panel and create your first WhatsApp instance on Evolution Go.

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Step 1: Activate the Evolution license

Before using Evolution Go, you need to activate your license. When accessing the system for the first time, you will be redirected to the activation screen. Evolution license activation screen

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How to activate

  1. Access your Evolution Go URL in the browser (e.g.: http://localhost:8080 or your server domain)
  2. On the activation screen, you will see the form “Activate your Evolution license”
  3. Fill in the fields:
    • Full Name — Your full name for registration
    • Email — Your email to receive the activation Magic Link
  4. Click “Send Magic Link”
  5. Check your inbox and click the link received to activate
You can also activate using a social account: Continue with Google or Continue with GitHub. This speeds up the process and links your license automatically.
The license is linked to your email. Keep this email, as it will be needed for future activations or server migrations.

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Step 2: Login to the panel

After activating the license, you will be directed to the Evolution Go login screen. Evolution GO login screen

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How to log in

  1. In the “Evolution GO API URL” field, enter your instance URL:
    • For local installation: http://localhost:8080
    • For remote server: https://your-domain.com (or the server IP with port)
  2. In the “API Key (GLOBAL_API_KEY)” field, enter the API key you configured in the .env file during installation
The API Key is the value of the GLOBAL_API_KEY variable configured in the Evolution Go .env file. If you haven’t changed it, it’s the default key defined in .env.example — never use the default key in production.

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Where to find the API Key

The API Key is in the .env file at the root of your Evolution Go project:
If using Docker Compose, it’s in your docker-compose.yml:
  1. Click “Enter” to access the panel

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Step 3: Dashboard

After login, you will be directed to the Evolution Go Dashboard. Evolution GO main dashboard The panel has a sidebar with two main sections:
  • Dashboard — System overview (metrics and status will be implemented here)
  • Instances — Management of your WhatsApp instances
In the top right corner you will find:
  • Theme toggle (light/dark)
  • “Exit” button to log out

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Step 4: Create your first instance

Navigate to the Instances section in the sidebar to manage your WhatsApp connections. Instances screen with no instances created On the instances screen you will see:
  • A search field to filter instances
  • The ”+ New Instance” button in the top right corner
  • A message indicating no instances were found

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Creating the instance

Click ”+ New Instance” to open the creation form: New WhatsApp instance creation modal Fill in the fields: Click ”+ Create Instance” to finalize.

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Step 5: Connect to WhatsApp

After creating the instance, it will appear in the list with “Disconnected” status (in red). Instance created with Disconnected status Each instance displays:
  • Name and instance identifier
  • Current Status (close = disconnected)
  • Action buttons:
    • Connect (power icon, green) — Starts the WhatsApp connection
    • Settings (gear icon) — Opens instance settings
    • Delete (trash icon, red) — Removes the instance

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Configure connection

Click the “Connect” button or the gear icon to open the connection configuration modal: Connection and webhook configuration modal In this modal you can configure:

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Webhook URL (optional)

Enter the URL that will receive events from the instance. Example:
Use webhook.site for quick testing. In production, point to your server endpoint that will process the events.

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Webhook Events

Select which events will be sent to the webhook URL:
  • ALL — Selects all events (recommended to start)
  • Or choose individual events:

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Phone for Pairing Code (optional)

If you prefer to connect via pairing code instead of QR Code, enter the phone number in the format:
(country code + area code + number, without spaces or special characters)

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Advanced Settings

Expand to see additional instance configuration options.

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Finalize connection

After configuring, click “Connect” to start the connection. Depending on the chosen method:
  • QR Code: A QR Code will be displayed on screen. Open WhatsApp on your phone, go to Settings > Linked Devices > Link a Device and scan the code.
  • Pairing Code: An 8-digit code will be generated. On your phone’s WhatsApp, go to Settings > Linked Devices > Link a Device > Link with phone number and enter the code.
After successful connection, the instance status will change from “Disconnected” to “Connected” (in green) and events will start being sent to the configured webhook.

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Next steps

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