Step-by-Step Guide to Using itchat for WeChat Automation with Python

The tutorial begins by stating its goal to reproduce the original documentation for using the itchat library in Python and invites readers to refer to the original link if any step is unclear.

1. Install itchat – Run pip install itchat to add the library to your environment.

2. Log in – Use itchat.login() to open the WeChat web login; the article notes that the official web API is blocked for security, so the login may fail unless using the desktop client.

3. Send a message – After a successful login, the script calls itchat.search_friends() and itchat.send() to deliver a text message to a friend, confirming the operation with a screenshot of the successful send.

4. Register message listeners – The @itchat.msg_register() decorator is used to listen for incoming messages, displaying them in the console when they arrive.

5. Handle different content types – The tutorial extends the listener to handle TEXT , PICTURE , and RECORDING messages, showing how to process and save media files.

6. Store media and notes – Using os.mkdir() and custom info() functions, the script creates directories and saves received images and audio files locally.

7. Detect and record retracted messages – By checking for NOTE type system messages, the script can identify messages that have been withdrawn and store their content for later review.

The article concludes with a confirmation that all steps were successfully reproduced on the author’s machine, providing screenshots for each stage and a link to the original source.