OpenClaw Telegram setup

Telegram is the fastest channel to connect to OpenClaw: it needs only a bot token, no QR linking, and it works the same on a laptop or a VPS. Ten minutes end to end. You need a working OpenClaw install first; see how to install OpenClaw.

1. Create the bot with BotFather

1. In Telegram, open @BotFather and send /newbot.
2. Pick a display name, like "OpenClaw".
3. Pick a unique username ending in bot, like my_openclaw_bot.
4. BotFather replies with your bot token. Keep it secret; anyone holding it controls your bot.

2. Configure the token and access policy

Telegram does not use openclaw channels login; you set the token in config (or the TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN environment variable) and start the gateway. Add to your OpenClaw config:

{
  channels: {
    telegram: {
      enabled: true,
      botToken: "123:abc",
      dmPolicy: "pairing",
      groups: { "*": { requireMention: true } },
    },
  },
}

dmPolicy: "pairing" is the default and the right choice: unknown senders get a time-limited code instead of direct access to an agent that can run commands on your machine.

3. Start the gateway and approve yourself

openclaw gateway

DM your bot on Telegram, then approve the pairing request:

openclaw pairing list telegram
openclaw pairing approve telegram <CODE>

Pairing codes expire after one hour. Once approved, you are talking to your agent.

4. Group chats

Two separate gates control groups, and both bite first-time setups:

OpenClaw's side. Group chat IDs (negative numbers starting with -100) go under channels.telegram.groups, not groupAllowFrom:

{
  channels: {
    telegram: {
      groupPolicy: "allowlist",
      groups: {
        "-1001234567890": { requireMention: true },
      },
    },
  },
}

Telegram's side. Bots default to privacy mode and only see commands and replies. To let OpenClaw read the room: message @BotFather, run /setprivacy, turn it off, then remove and re-add the bot to the group (Telegram caches the old setting). Making the bot a group admin also works.

Finding your IDs without third-party bots

DM your bot, run openclaw logs --follow, and read the from.id field. That is the safest way; it avoids handing your chat metadata to an ID-lookup bot.

Troubleshooting

| Problem | Fix | | --- | --- | | Bot does not respond at all | Check openclaw gateway is running and the token is right; getMe returned 401 means a stale token, regenerate via BotFather | | DMs ignored | Your pairing request was never approved: openclaw pairing list telegram | | Group messages ignored | The group ID is missing from groups, or privacy mode is still on (disable and re-add the bot) | | BOT_COMMANDS_TOO_MUCH | Too many plugin or skill commands registered; trim them or disable native menus |

Lock it down

A Telegram-connected OpenClaw is reachable from any phone on earth, so harden it: keep dmPolicy: "pairing", set requireMention: true in groups, and run the built-in audit (openclaw security audit). Our safe-setup checklist covers the rest, and the OpenClaw cost page explains what an always-on channel does to your token bill.

Source: OpenClaw Telegram channel docs, checked June 2026.