Building an Automated Motivational Message Sender in Python with WhatsApp Integration

Imagine waking up each day with a fresh dose of inspiration delivered straight to your phone. In this tutorial, we’re going to create an automated motivational message sender using Python and WhatsApp. By the end of this post, you’ll have a functional application that leverages the power of OpenAI’s GPT-3.5 Turbo to generate motivational messages that can be sent via WhatsApp using the pywhatkit library.

Use Case

This project is not only a fun exercise in Python programming but also a practical application of integrating AI with messaging platforms. Whether you want to inspire your friends, motivate your team, or simply enjoy sending uplifting messages, this project will help you automate that process. Imagine a small script running on your server every day at 9 AM, sending out a motivational quote to your WhatsApp contacts. Let’s dive in!

import os
from openai import OpenAI  # Updated OpenAI SDK (v1.0+)

# Initialize OpenAI client
client = OpenAI(api_key=os.getenv("OPENAI_API_KEY"))  # Make sure OPENAI_API_KEY is set

Prerequisites and Setup

Before getting started, ensure you have the following:

def get_motivational_message(day_of_week):
    """
    Uses OpenAI GPT-3.5 Turbo to generate a motivational message.
    """
    prompt = f"Write a short commentary about Sunil Gavaskar."
    
    try:
        response = client.chat.completions.create(
            model="gpt-3.5-turbo",  # Using GPT-3.5 Turbo for cost efficiency
            messages=[
                {"role": "system", "content": "You are an expert in Sports (Cricket)."},
                {"role": "user", "content": prompt}
            ]
        )
        return response.choices[0].message.content.strip()
    except Exception as e:
        return f"Error generating message: {str(e)}"

• Basic Python knowledge: Familiarity with Python syntax and libraries.
• Python environment: Make sure you have Python 3.6 or higher installed.
• OpenAI API Key: Sign up for OpenAI and get your API key, which is necessary for accessing the GPT-3.5 Turbo model.
• WhatsApp Web setup: Ensure you have WhatsApp Web linked to your phone.
• Required libraries: Install openai and pywhatkit using pip. You can do this by running pip install openai pywhatkit in your terminal.

Core Concepts Explanation

Before we jump into the implementation, let’s break down some core components of our project.

import datetime

# Get current day and time
now = datetime.datetime.now()
day_of_week = now.strftime("%A")  # e.g., "Monday"

1. OpenAI API Integration

The OpenAI API allows us to harness the power of AI for generating text-based content. In our case, we will be using the GPT-3.5 Turbo model, which is efficient and cost-effective for generating short motivational messages. By initializing the OpenAI client with our API key, we can easily make requests to generate content based on predefined prompts.

2. WhatsApp Messaging with pywhatkit

pywhatkit is a Python library that simplifies sending messages through WhatsApp Web. By specifying the recipient’s phone number and the message, we can automate the process of sending motivational quotes directly to WhatsApp. One important aspect of using this library is the scheduling functionality, which allows us to send messages at a specific time.

3. Working with Date and Time

To create time-sensitive messages, we’ll use Python’s datetime module. This module allows us to retrieve the current day of the week and format it appropriately. In our case, it helps us personalize the motivational message based on the day, adding relevance and appeal.

Step-by-Step Implementation Walkthrough

Now that we’ve covered the essential concepts, let’s dive into the step-by-step implementation of our automated motivational message sender.

# Generate the message
motivational_message = get_motivational_message(day_of_week)

# Combine with a hardcoded prefix
final_message = (
    "Hi! This is an automated message sent via Python using OpenAI GPT-3.5 Turbo.\n\n"
    f"Your motivational message for {day_of_week}:\n\n{motivational_message}"
)

Step 1: Initialize the OpenAI Client

The first step in our implementation is to set up the OpenAI client. This involves importing the necessary libraries and initializing the client with the API key stored as an environment variable. This is a recommended best practice to keep sensitive information like API keys secure.

Step 2: Generate a Motivational Message

Next, we’ll define a function that generates a motivational message. This function will communicate with the OpenAI API, sending it a prompt to create a short commentary about a specific topic—in our case, Sunil Gavaskar. Handling potential errors during the API call is crucial, as it ensures our application runs smoothly even if the API encounters issues.

Step 3: Get the Current Day of the Week

Using the datetime module, we retrieve the current date and format it to get the day of the week. This information will be used to personalize the message we send, making it relevant to the day.

Step 4: Combine Messages

After generating the motivational message, we’ll combine it with a hardcoded introduction. This string composition is vital for creating a friendly and engaging message that sets a positive tone for the recipient.

Step 5: Schedule and Send the WhatsApp Message

Finally, we’ll use the pywhatkit library to send our message via WhatsApp. By scheduling the message to be sent two minutes in advance of the current time, we ensure that the recipient receives it at the desired time without any delays.

Advanced Features or Optimizations

Once you have the basic implementation working, consider adding more advanced features:

import pywhatkit as kit

# Schedule WhatsApp message (2 minutes ahead)
send_time_min = now.minute + 2
try:
    kit.sendwhatmsg(
        phone_no="+7330651452",  # Replace with recipient's number
        message=final_message,
        time_hour=now.hour,
        time_min=send_time_min
    )
    print(f"✅ Message scheduled for {day_of_week} at {now.hour}:{send_time_min:02d}")
except Exception as e:
    print(f"❌ Failed to send: {str(e)}")

• Dynamic Recipient List: Modify the script to accept a list of phone numbers to send messages to multiple contacts at once.
• Customizable Prompts: Allow users to input their own prompts for generating messages, offering more variety and personalization.
• Message Logging: Implement logging to keep track of sent messages, which can help in debugging and monitoring message delivery.
• Improved Error Handling: Enhance error handling to manage network issues or incorrect input gracefully.

Practical Applications

This project can serve various practical applications beyond just sending motivational messages:

• Daily reminders for tasks or events.
• Inspirational quotes for teams in a work environment.
• Health and wellness tips sent to clients or colleagues.
• Event notifications, such as meeting reminders or deadlines.

Common Pitfalls and Solutions

As with any project, you may encounter some common pitfalls:

• API Key Issues: Ensure that the API key is correctly set in your environment variables. If you receive authentication errors, double-check your key and its permissions.
• WhatsApp Message Not Sending: If messages fail to send, verify that your WhatsApp Web is connected and that your computer’s browser is active during the scheduled time.
• Rate Limits: Be mindful of OpenAI’s API rate limits. Sending too many requests in a short time can result in temporary bans.

Conclusion and Next Steps

Congratulations! You’ve successfully built an automated motivational message sender in Python with WhatsApp integration. This project not only demonstrates your ability to integrate AI with messaging platforms but also serves as a foundation for more complex applications.

As next steps, consider experimenting with the advanced features mentioned above or even extending the application to support other messaging platforms, such as Telegram or Slack. The possibilities are endless!

Happy coding, and may your messages always inspire!