diff --git a/extensions/whatsapp/src/channel.ts b/extensions/whatsapp/src/channel.ts
index 95406ba92e..f0248823ca 100644
--- a/extensions/whatsapp/src/channel.ts
+++ b/extensions/whatsapp/src/channel.ts
@@ -7,19 +7,18 @@ import {
   escapeRegExp,
   formatPairingApproveHint,
   getChatChannelMeta,
-  isWhatsAppGroupJid,
   listWhatsAppAccountIds,
   listWhatsAppDirectoryGroupsFromConfig,
   listWhatsAppDirectoryPeersFromConfig,
   looksLikeWhatsAppTargetId,
   migrateBaseNameToDefaultAccount,
-  missingTargetError,
   normalizeAccountId,
   normalizeE164,
   normalizeWhatsAppMessagingTarget,
   normalizeWhatsAppTarget,
   readStringParam,
   resolveDefaultWhatsAppAccountId,
+  resolveWhatsAppOutboundTarget,
   resolveWhatsAppAccount,
   resolveWhatsAppGroupRequireMention,
   resolveWhatsAppGroupToolPolicy,
@@ -289,45 +288,8 @@ export const whatsappPlugin: ChannelPlugin<ResolvedWhatsAppAccount> = {
     chunkerMode: "text",
     textChunkLimit: 4000,
     pollMaxOptions: 12,
-    resolveTarget: ({ to, allowFrom, mode }) => {
-      const trimmed = to?.trim() ?? "";
-      const allowListRaw = (allowFrom ?? []).map((entry) => String(entry).trim()).filter(Boolean);
-      const hasWildcard = allowListRaw.includes("*");
-      const allowList = allowListRaw
-        .filter((entry) => entry !== "*")
-        .map((entry) => normalizeWhatsAppTarget(entry))
-        .filter((entry): entry is string => Boolean(entry));
-
-      if (trimmed) {
-        const normalizedTo = normalizeWhatsAppTarget(trimmed);
-        if (!normalizedTo) {
-          return {
-            ok: false,
-            error: missingTargetError("WhatsApp", "<E.164|group JID>"),
-          };
-        }
-        if (isWhatsAppGroupJid(normalizedTo)) {
-          return { ok: true, to: normalizedTo };
-        }
-        if (mode === "implicit" || mode === "heartbeat") {
-          if (hasWildcard || allowList.length === 0) {
-            return { ok: true, to: normalizedTo };
-          }
-          if (allowList.includes(normalizedTo)) {
-            return { ok: true, to: normalizedTo };
-          }
-          return {
-            ok: false,
-            error: missingTargetError("WhatsApp", "<E.164|group JID>"),
-          };
-        }
-        return { ok: true, to: normalizedTo };
-      }
-      return {
-        ok: false,
-        error: missingTargetError("WhatsApp", "<E.164|group JID>"),
-      };
-    },
+    resolveTarget: ({ to, allowFrom, mode }) =>
+      resolveWhatsAppOutboundTarget({ to, allowFrom, mode }),
     sendText: async ({ to, text, accountId, deps, gifPlayback }) => {
       const send = deps?.sendWhatsApp ?? getWhatsAppRuntime().channel.whatsapp.sendMessageWhatsApp;
       const result = await send(to, text, {
diff --git a/src/channels/plugins/outbound/whatsapp.ts b/src/channels/plugins/outbound/whatsapp.ts
index cbb66935a1..625051d58d 100644
--- a/src/channels/plugins/outbound/whatsapp.ts
+++ b/src/channels/plugins/outbound/whatsapp.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 import type { ChannelOutboundAdapter } from "../types.js";
 import { chunkText } from "../../../auto-reply/chunk.js";
 import { shouldLogVerbose } from "../../../globals.js";
-import { missingTargetError } from "../../../infra/outbound/target-errors.js";
 import { sendPollWhatsApp } from "../../../web/outbound.js";
-import { isWhatsAppGroupJid, normalizeWhatsAppTarget } from "../../../whatsapp/normalize.js";
+import { resolveWhatsAppOutboundTarget } from "../../../whatsapp/resolve-outbound-target.js";
 
 export const whatsappOutbound: ChannelOutboundAdapter = {
   deliveryMode: "gateway",
@@ -11,46 +10,8 @@ export const whatsappOutbound: ChannelOutboundAdapter = {
   chunkerMode: "text",
   textChunkLimit: 4000,
   pollMaxOptions: 12,
-  resolveTarget: ({ to, allowFrom, mode }) => {
-    const trimmed = to?.trim() ?? "";
-    const allowListRaw = (allowFrom ?? []).map((entry) => String(entry).trim()).filter(Boolean);
-    const hasWildcard = allowListRaw.includes("*");
-    const allowList = allowListRaw
-      .filter((entry) => entry !== "*")
-      .map((entry) => normalizeWhatsAppTarget(entry))
-      .filter((entry): entry is string => Boolean(entry));
-
-    if (trimmed) {
-      const normalizedTo = normalizeWhatsAppTarget(trimmed);
-      if (!normalizedTo) {
-        return {
-          ok: false,
-          error: missingTargetError("WhatsApp", "<E.164|group JID>"),
-        };
-      }
-      if (isWhatsAppGroupJid(normalizedTo)) {
-        return { ok: true, to: normalizedTo };
-      }
-      if (mode === "implicit" || mode === "heartbeat") {
-        if (hasWildcard || allowList.length === 0) {
-          return { ok: true, to: normalizedTo };
-        }
-        if (allowList.includes(normalizedTo)) {
-          return { ok: true, to: normalizedTo };
-        }
-        return {
-          ok: false,
-          error: missingTargetError("WhatsApp", "<E.164|group JID>"),
-        };
-      }
-      return { ok: true, to: normalizedTo };
-    }
-
-    return {
-      ok: false,
-      error: missingTargetError("WhatsApp", "<E.164|group JID>"),
-    };
-  },
+  resolveTarget: ({ to, allowFrom, mode }) =>
+    resolveWhatsAppOutboundTarget({ to, allowFrom, mode }),
   sendText: async ({ to, text, accountId, deps, gifPlayback }) => {
     const send =
       deps?.sendWhatsApp ?? (await import("../../../web/outbound.js")).sendMessageWhatsApp;
diff --git a/src/plugin-sdk/index.ts b/src/plugin-sdk/index.ts
index 4b60ac0473..eb2d6ae408 100644
--- a/src/plugin-sdk/index.ts
+++ b/src/plugin-sdk/index.ts
@@ -366,6 +366,7 @@ export {
   type ResolvedWhatsAppAccount,
 } from "../web/accounts.js";
 export { isWhatsAppGroupJid, normalizeWhatsAppTarget } from "../whatsapp/normalize.js";
+export { resolveWhatsAppOutboundTarget } from "../whatsapp/resolve-outbound-target.js";
 export { whatsappOnboardingAdapter } from "../channels/plugins/onboarding/whatsapp.js";
 export { resolveWhatsAppHeartbeatRecipients } from "../channels/plugins/whatsapp-heartbeat.js";
 export {
diff --git a/src/whatsapp/resolve-outbound-target.ts b/src/whatsapp/resolve-outbound-target.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..05e68e834b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/whatsapp/resolve-outbound-target.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+import { missingTargetError } from "../infra/outbound/target-errors.js";
+import { isWhatsAppGroupJid, normalizeWhatsAppTarget } from "./normalize.js";
+
+export type WhatsAppOutboundTargetResolution =
+  | { ok: true; to: string }
+  | { ok: false; error: Error };
+
+export function resolveWhatsAppOutboundTarget(params: {
+  to: string | null | undefined;
+  allowFrom: Array<string | number> | null | undefined;
+  mode: string | null | undefined;
+}): WhatsAppOutboundTargetResolution {
+  const trimmed = params.to?.trim() ?? "";
+  const allowListRaw = (params.allowFrom ?? [])
+    .map((entry) => String(entry).trim())
+    .filter(Boolean);
+  const hasWildcard = allowListRaw.includes("*");
+  const allowList = allowListRaw
+    .filter((entry) => entry !== "*")
+    .map((entry) => normalizeWhatsAppTarget(entry))
+    .filter((entry): entry is string => Boolean(entry));
+
+  if (trimmed) {
+    const normalizedTo = normalizeWhatsAppTarget(trimmed);
+    if (!normalizedTo) {
+      return {
+        ok: false,
+        error: missingTargetError("WhatsApp", "<E.164|group JID>"),
+      };
+    }
+    if (isWhatsAppGroupJid(normalizedTo)) {
+      return { ok: true, to: normalizedTo };
+    }
+    if (params.mode === "implicit" || params.mode === "heartbeat") {
+      if (hasWildcard || allowList.length === 0) {
+        return { ok: true, to: normalizedTo };
+      }
+      if (allowList.includes(normalizedTo)) {
+        return { ok: true, to: normalizedTo };
+      }
+      return {
+        ok: false,
+        error: missingTargetError("WhatsApp", "<E.164|group JID>"),
+      };
+    }
+    return { ok: true, to: normalizedTo };
+  }
+
+  return {
+    ok: false,
+    error: missingTargetError("WhatsApp", "<E.164|group JID>"),
+  };
+}