Auto-Delete Manager

AutoDeleteManager is a client-side scheduled message deletion engine (Layer 4.5) in Leaves Guardian. It allows bots to schedule message revocations ("Delete for Everyone") automatically after a specified delay.

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Core Methods

1. client.sendAndAutoDelete()

The most common helper for atomically sending a message and scheduling its deletion:

// Signature: client.sendAndAutoDelete(jid, contentOrBuilder, delayMs, options)

// Send a verification OTP that self-destructs in 30 seconds (30,000 ms)
const { message, task } = await client.sendAndAutoDelete(
  msg.chat.id,
  '🔐 Your verification code is *849201*. This message will delete in 30s.',
  30000
);

console.log(`Scheduled auto-delete task ID: ${task.id}`);

2. client.autoDelete.schedule()

To schedule deletion for an already-sent message or an incoming message:

// Schedule deletion for an existing message in 60 seconds
const task = client.autoDelete.schedule(sentMessage, 60000);

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Delay Validation Rules

Leaves Guardian applies strict atomic delay validation (validateDelay):

• Non-Negative: delayMs >= 0 must be satisfied. Passing negative numbers will throw a LeavesValidationError with code AUTODELETE_INVALID_DELAY.
• Finite Integer: delayMs must be a valid integer in milliseconds (e.g., 5000 for 5 seconds).

// Valid: 0 ms (immediate scheduled queue execution)
await client.sendAndAutoDelete(msg.chat.id, 'Test', 0);

// Invalid: Throws LeavesValidationError
await client.sendAndAutoDelete(msg.chat.id, 'Test', -1000); // ❌ Throws error

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Task Management & Cancellation

Scheduled tasks return an AutoDeleteTask instance that can be inspected and cancelled prior to execution:

const { task } = await client.sendAndAutoDelete(msg.chat.id, 'Notice', 60000);

// Later, if the condition changes:
task.cancel(); // Cancels the scheduled timer cleanly

You can also cancel tasks via the manager using the task ID or message key:

client.autoDelete.cancel(taskId);
client.autoDelete.cancelByKey(messageKey);

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Task Lifecycle States (AUTODELETE_STATES)

State	Description
AUTODELETE_STATES.PENDING	Timer is active, waiting for the delay duration to elapse.
AUTODELETE_STATES.EXECUTING	Delay elapsed, revocation request sent to WhatsApp.
AUTODELETE_STATES.COMPLETED	Deletion request succeeded.
AUTODELETE_STATES.CANCELLED	Task was cancelled before execution.
AUTODELETE_STATES.FAILED	Deletion request failed on the network.

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AutoDelete vs Ephemeral Messages

It is important to understand the fundamental difference between AutoDeleteManager and EphemeralMessage:

Feature	AutoDeleteManager	EphemeralMessage
Mechanism	Client-side Node.js timer triggering explicit deleteMessage()	Native WhatsApp server-side disappearing protocol
Duration	Any custom millisecond duration (delayMs >= 0)	Fixed WhatsApp presets (24 Hours, 7 Days, 90 Days)
Node.js Timers	Active setTimeout tracked in memory	Zero (0) Node.js timers
Revocation Signal	Sends explicit message revocation stanza	Native disappearance handled by WhatsApp apps

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Related Documentation

• Ephemeral Messages: Native WhatsApp disappearing message wrapper.
• Deleting Messages: Manual message deletion method.
• Sending Text Messages: Standard text dispatching.