Connect OpenClaw to WhatsApp, Telegram & Discord

One of OpenClaw's greatest strengths is its ability to work across multiple messaging platforms simultaneously. Instead of maintaining separate bots for each service, you have one unified AI assistant accessible from WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, and Slack. This guide walks through connecting each platform with detailed, step-by-step instructions.

Why Connect Messaging Platforms?

Accessing OpenClaw only through the web dashboard limits its usefulness. By connecting messaging platforms, you can:

• Text your AI from anywhere: Send commands from your phone without opening a web browser
• Get proactive notifications: Receive alerts and summaries on apps you already use
• Maintain context: Keep conversations natural without switching between interfaces
• Integrate with workflows: Use OpenClaw with existing messaging workflows and groups

Let's set up each platform.

Platform 1: Telegram (Easiest to Start)

Telegram is the quickest to set up and most popular with OpenClaw users.

Step 1: Create a Telegram Bot

1. Open Telegram app (or web.telegram.org)
2. Search for "@BotFather" and open the conversation
3. Send the message: /newbot
4. BotFather asks: "Alright, a new bot. How are we going to call it?" Send a display name: My OpenClaw Bot
5. BotFather asks: "Good. Now let's choose a username for your bot..." Send a username: my_openclaw_bot_yourname (must be unique and end with "bot")
6. BotFather responds with your bot token. It looks like:

Use this token to access the HTTP API:
   6217664110:AAHdqTzGVI41-O2jjjQ3aaa-11xxxxx-yyy

1. Copy this token—you'll need it for OpenClaw

Step 2: Add Telegram to OpenClaw

1. Log into OpenClaw dashboard
2. Go to Settings > Integrations > Telegram
3. Click Connect Telegram
4. Paste your bot token in the "Bot Token" field
5. Click Save
6. You should see: "Telegram bot connected successfully"

Step 3: Test Your Telegram Bot

1. Go back to Telegram
2. Search for your bot by the username you created (@my_openclaw_bot_yourname)
3. Click Start button or send /start
4. Type a test message: "Hello!"
5. Your OpenClaw assistant should respond within seconds

Congratulations! You can now control OpenClaw from your phone via Telegram. Try sending:

• "What time is it?"
• "Summarize my emails"
• "Create a reminder for 3pm"

Telegram Advanced Configuration

Set bot commands to make them discoverable:

1. Go back to @BotFather
2. Send: /setcommands
3. Choose your bot
4. Send a list of commands:

summary - Get an email summary
   weather - Check weather
   reminder - Set a reminder
   note - Save a note
   search - Search the web

These commands appear as suggestions when users type "/" in your bot chat.

Platform 2: Discord (Best for Teams)

Discord is ideal if you want OpenClaw in a team server or private Discord channel.

Step 1: Create a Discord Application

1. Go to discord.com/developers/applications
2. Click New Application
3. Name it: OpenClaw
4. Accept the ToS and create
5. Go to the Bot tab on the left
6. Click Add Bot
7. Under TOKEN, click Copy to copy your bot token
8. Keep this token secret—never share it

Step 2: Configure Bot Permissions

1. In the Developer Portal, go to OAuth2 > URL Generator
2. Under SCOPES, select:

- bot

1. Under PERMISSIONS, select:

- Send Messages

- Read Messages/View Channels

- Embed Links

- Read Message History

- Mention Everyone

1. Copy the generated URL at the bottom
2. Open this URL in your browser—it lets you add the bot to your Discord server

Step 3: Add Bot to Your Discord Server

1. Paste the OAuth2 URL from above into your browser
2. Select the Discord server where you want the bot
3. Click Authorize
4. Grant the requested permissions
5. The bot will appear in your server's member list

Step 4: Configure OpenClaw for Discord

1. In OpenClaw dashboard, go to Settings > Integrations > Discord
2. Click Connect Discord
3. Paste your bot token
4. For "Server ID", right-click your Discord server name (or on the server icon) and select "Copy Server ID"
5. Paste the Server ID
6. For "Channel ID", right-click the channel where you want OpenClaw active and select "Copy Channel ID"
7. Paste the Channel ID
8. Click Save

Step 5: Test the Discord Bot

1. Go to your Discord server
2. In the configured channel, type: @OpenClaw Hello!
3. Your bot should respond within seconds

You can now @mention your OpenClaw bot in Discord for instant responses.

Discord Advanced Configuration

Create a dedicated channel for OpenClaw:

1. In your Discord server, create a new channel (e.g., "#openclaw-bot")
2. Right-click and get the Channel ID
3. Update the OpenClaw settings to point to this channel
4. Set channel permissions so only specific roles can use it

This keeps bot conversations in one place and prevents clutter in other channels.

Platform 3: WhatsApp (Most Accessible)

WhatsApp is the most widely used messaging app globally. Setting it up requires a business account.

Step 1: Create a WhatsApp Business Account

1. Go to developers.facebook.com
2. Create a Meta Developer account (if you don't have one)
3. Go to My Apps and create a new app
4. Choose Business as the app type
5. Name your app: OpenClaw WhatsApp Bot
6. Complete the setup wizard

Step 2: Set Up WhatsApp Business API

1. In your app dashboard, click + Add Product
2. Search for "WhatsApp"
3. Click Set Up
4. Choose "Phone Number" as your starting point
5. You'll be prompted to add a phone number. This can be:

- Your personal number (for testing)

- A business number (for production)

1. Verify the phone number with a code sent via SMS
2. You'll receive your WhatsApp Business Phone Number ID and Access Token

Step 3: Configure OpenClaw for WhatsApp

1. In OpenClaw dashboard, go to Settings > Integrations > WhatsApp
2. Click Connect WhatsApp
3. Paste your Access Token (from Meta Developer setup)
4. Paste your Phone Number ID
5. Set up a Webhook URL (OpenClaw will display this—use the provided URL)
6. Click Save

Step 4: Verify Webhook

Meta needs to verify that your webhook is legitimate:

1. OpenClaw will show a webhook verification token
2. Go back to Meta Developer console
3. Under Webhooks, paste:

- Callback URL: The webhook URL from OpenClaw

- Verify Token: The token from OpenClaw

1. Click Verify and Save
2. Meta will send a test request to confirm

Step 5: Test with WhatsApp

To start using your bot:

1. Send a WhatsApp message to your verified number
2. Or share the link: https://wa.me/1234567890?text=Hello (replace number with yours)
3. Your bot will respond

Great! You now have OpenClaw on WhatsApp.

WhatsApp Advanced Notes

Business vs. Personal:

• Business account: Professional branding, higher message limits, templates
• Personal account: Faster to set up, testing only

Message Templates:

Create pre-approved message templates for common responses (cost-effective for high-volume):

1. In Meta Developer Console, go to Message Templates
2. Create templates for responses like:

- "Order confirmation"

- "Support response"

- "Reminder notification"

Managing Multiple Platforms Simultaneously

Now that you have OpenClaw on multiple platforms, ensure consistency:

Configure Global Settings

In OpenClaw Settings, create platform-agnostic configuration:

1. Global Response Templates: Same response format for all platforms
2. Unified Conversation History: All messages (Telegram, Discord, WhatsApp) appear in one timeline
3. Platform-Specific Formatting: OpenClaw automatically formats responses for each platform (emojis in Discord, simple text for WhatsApp)

Set Platform Priorities

Some platforms may have different rate limits or capabilities:

1. Go to Settings > Integrations > Platform Priorities
2. Set priority for platforms (Telegram might be your primary, Discord secondary, etc.)
3. This affects which notifications are sent first if systems are busy

Testing All Platforms

Create a test automation that sends the same message to all platforms:

1. Go to Automations > New
2. Set trigger: Manual (test button)
3. Add actions:

- Send to Telegram: "Test message from OpenClaw"

- Send to Discord: "Test message from OpenClaw"

- Send to WhatsApp: "Test message from OpenClaw"

1. Click Test
2. Verify the message appears on all three platforms

Troubleshooting Connection Issues

Telegram Bot Not Responding

• Verify bot token is correct (check @BotFather)
• Ensure OpenClaw is running (check dashboard)
• Check Settings > System > Integrations for errors
• Try restarting: docker-compose restart openclaw-api

Discord Bot Offline

• Verify bot token hasn't expired (regenerate if needed)
• Check bot has "View Channels" permission on the server
• Ensure OpenClaw can reach Discord servers (firewall issue?)
• Try reconnecting in Settings > Integrations > Discord

WhatsApp Not Receiving Messages

• Verify webhook is properly configured in Meta Console
• Check phone number is verified and approved
• Ensure access token hasn't expired
• For first message, you may need to send a template message first

General Connectivity Issues

Check system logs:

docker-compose logs openclaw-api | grep -i "telegram\|discord\|whatsapp"

Look for error messages about connectivity or authentication.

Security Best Practices for Messaging Integration

Protect Your Tokens

• Never commit tokens to Git or share them publicly
• Store tokens in .env file with restricted file permissions
• Rotate tokens regularly (quarterly recommended)
• If a token is exposed, immediately regenerate it

Set Message Limits

To prevent abuse:

1. Go to Settings > Security > Rate Limiting
2. Set limits:

- Max messages per user per hour: 100

- Max messages per platform per minute: 50

- Burst limit: 10 messages in 1 second

1. Save

Audit Platform Access

1. Go to Settings > Audit Log
2. Review who's accessing OpenClaw through which platform
3. Look for unusual activity (lots of messages at odd hours, etc.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I use the same bot on multiple Discord servers?

A: Yes. The bot can be added to any number of servers. Each server needs its own channel configuration.

Q: What happens if I disconnect a platform?

A: OpenClaw will stop responding on that platform, but all conversation history is preserved. Reconnecting restores access.

Q: Can I set different rules per platform?

A: Yes. In Automations, you can add conditions like "If message from Telegram, do X; if from Discord, do Y."

Q: Are messages encrypted across platforms?

A: Messages between your phone/computer and messaging platforms use platform encryption. Messages within OpenClaw are encrypted with your database encryption key.

Q: Can multiple people use the same OpenClaw instance?

A: Yes. Each person can have their own login and conversation thread. Admins can control permissions per user.

Next Steps

With messaging platforms connected, you're mobile-ready. Next:

• Finding and Installing Skills — Add capabilities like email, calendar, smart home
• Email Automation — Receive email summaries on your messaging apps
• Build Your First Custom Skill — Create platform-specific automations