How to Connect OpenClaw to Telegram (Step-by-Step Guide)

Connecting OpenClaw to Telegram takes 3 steps: create a bot via @BotFather (takes 60 seconds), paste the bot token into your OpenClaw config, and restart the service. Telegram is the simplest OpenClaw integration — no public URL required, free, and works cross-platform on iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, and web.

Published 2026-03-01. Updated 2026-08-30.

Telegram is one of the fastest and cleanest ways to interact with your OpenClaw AI assistant. The bot API is well-documented, setup is straightforward, and the app is lightweight on any device.

Here's how to get it connected.

Why Telegram?

• Fast and lightweight. Telegram is one of the snappiest messaging apps out there.
• Excellent bot support. Telegram was built with bots in mind — the API is clean and well-documented.
• Cross-platform. Native apps for iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux, and web.
• Rich messages. Your AI can send formatted text, inline buttons, files, and images.
• Free. No per-message costs, no premium required.

What you need before you start

• A working OpenClaw installation — if you want a business outcome without DIY, book a fit call for one scoped workflow instead.
• A Telegram account — free, takes 60 seconds to create.

That's it. Telegram is the simplest of the three chat platform integrations.

Step 1: Create a Telegram bot

Telegram makes this remarkably easy — you create bots by chatting with a bot:

1. Open Telegram and search for @BotFather
2. Start a conversation and send /newbot
3. BotFather will ask for a name — this is the display name (e.g., "My AI Assistant")
4. Then it asks for a username — this must end in bot (e.g., myai_assistant_bot)
5. BotFather responds with a bot token — a long string like 123456789:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrsTUVwxyz

⚠️ Keep your bot token secret. Anyone with this token can control your bot. Never share it publicly or commit it to git.

Optional: Customise your bot

While chatting with BotFather, you can also:

• /setdescription — set the text users see when they first open your bot
• /setabouttext — the short bio in the bot's profile
• /setuserpic — upload a profile picture for your bot

Step 2: Connect to OpenClaw

OpenClaw configuration is done via the config file or the onboard CLI wizard — there's no web UI for this step.

1. Open your OpenClaw config file (typically ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json), or run the openclaw onboard wizard
2. Add your Telegram bot token from Step 1
3. Save the config and restart the OpenClaw service (systemctl restart openclaw or re-run the process)

💡 Tip: The exact config fields depend on your OpenClaw version. Check the OpenClaw documentation for your version's channel configuration format.

Telegram supports two modes for receiving messages:

• Polling: OpenClaw checks for new messages periodically. Simpler, works behind firewalls, no public URL needed.
• Webhook: Telegram pushes messages to your server in real-time. Faster responses, but requires a public HTTPS endpoint.

For most users, polling is the recommended approach — it works without exposing your server to the internet.

Step 3: Test the connection

1. Open Telegram and find your bot (search for the username you chose in Step 1)
2. Click Start (or send /start)
3. Type a message — something simple like "Hello, are you working?"
4. Your AI assistant should respond within a few seconds

Troubleshooting

Bot exists but no response

• Verify the bot token is correct (copy it again from BotFather)
• Check that OpenClaw is running (systemctl status openclaw or check your process manager)
• Restart the OpenClaw service
• Check OpenClaw logs for incoming messages

Bot responds slowly (10+ seconds)

• This is usually an AI model issue, not Telegram. Check your API key has credit
• If using a local model, ensure your hardware can handle the processing
• Polling interval may be set too high — check your OpenClaw configuration

"Bot token is invalid" error

• Go back to BotFather, send /mybots, select your bot, and verify the token
• If in doubt, use /revoke to reset the token and paste the new one

Messages received but formatting looks wrong

• Telegram supports Markdown and HTML formatting. Make sure OpenClaw is configured to output Telegram-compatible formatting
• Bold in Telegram uses *text*, code uses `text`

Security tips

• Use a private conversation. For business use, interact with the bot in a direct chat, not a large group.
• Restrict who can use it. You can configure OpenClaw to only respond to specific Telegram user IDs — ignoring messages from anyone else.
• Monitor usage. Check your AI API dashboard regularly to make sure usage matches expectations.
• Rotate the token periodically. If you suspect the token was exposed, use BotFather's /revoke command and update your OpenClaw config.

Telegram vs Discord vs WhatsApp for OpenClaw

Related reading

• How to Connect OpenClaw to Discord — Discord integration guide
• How to Connect OpenClaw to WhatsApp — WhatsApp Business API integration
• What Is OpenClaw? — the full explainer
• Secure OpenClaw Setup Guide — security essentials for your setup

Need help?

If you want results without DIY: most businesses start with one recurring workflow (from AUD $3,500) rather than a full agent install. See OpenClaw vs one workflow automation or book a fit call.