How to Set Up OpenClaw with Telegram (5-Minute Guide)

Control your AI assistant from anywhere — right from your phone.

Telegram is the fastest way to start using OpenClaw. In 5 minutes, you'll have a personal AI assistant that can:

• Answer questions and research topics
• Manage your calendar and send emails
• Run automations and execute tasks
• Work 24/7 — even when your laptop is closed

What You'll Need

Before starting, make sure you have:

• OpenClaw installed (Get started here)
• A Telegram account (free)
• 5 minutes

Step 1: Create Your Telegram Bot

Every OpenClaw user gets their own private bot. Here's how to create yours:

1. Open Telegram and search for @BotFather
2. Send the command: /newbot
3. Choose a name for your assistant (e.g., "My AI Assistant")
4. Choose a username ending in bot (e.g., myai_helper_bot)
5. Copy the API token — you'll need this in the next step

Tip: Your bot is private by default. Only you can message it unless you share the link.

Example token format:

7123456789:AAF1234567890abcdefghijklmnop

Step 2: Add Your Token to OpenClaw

Option A: During Onboarding (Recommended)

If you're setting up OpenClaw for the first time:

openclaw onboard --install-daemon

When prompted for a messaging channel, select Telegram and paste your bot token.

Option B: Add to Existing Setup

If OpenClaw is already running:

Method 1 — Environment Variable:

export TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN="your-token-here"
openclaw gateway restart

Method 2 — Config File: Edit ~/.openclaw/config.json:

{
  "channels": {
    "telegram": {
      "botToken": "your-token-here"
    }
  }
}

Then restart:

openclaw gateway restart

Step 3: Start Chatting

1. Open Telegram
2. Search for your bot's username (the one you created)
3. Tap Start
4. Send your first message: What can you do?

That's it! Your AI assistant is ready.

What Can You Ask?

Here are some things to try:

Quick Questions

• "What's the weather in Cape Town?"
• "Summarize this article: [paste URL]"
• "What's 15% tip on $67?"

Productivity

• "Check my calendar for tomorrow"
• "Remind me to call Mom at 5pm"
• "Draft an email to John about the project update"

Research

• "Find the top 5 restaurants near me"
• "What are the latest AI news today?"
• "Compare iPhone 15 vs Samsung S24"

Automation

• "When I get an email from my boss, send me a Telegram alert"
• "Every Monday at 9am, summarize my unread emails"

Troubleshooting

Bot not responding?

1. Check if the gateway is running:

   openclaw gateway status
   

2. Verify your token is set correctly
3. Make sure you clicked "Start" in Telegram

"Unauthorized" error?

Your bot token may be incorrect. Create a new bot with @BotFather and update the token.

Messages are slow?

Check your internet connection and API provider status. OpenClaw processes messages through your configured AI provider (Anthropic, OpenAI, etc.).

Advanced: Telegram Features

Reply to Specific Messages

Reply to any message to give context. OpenClaw will understand you're referring to that specific content.

Voice Messages

Send a voice note — OpenClaw will transcribe and respond. Great for hands-free use.

Inline Buttons

Some responses include interactive buttons. Tap to take action without typing.

Group Chats

Add your bot to a group and mention it with @yourbotname to get responses. Useful for team assistants.

Security & Privacy

• Your bot is private — only people with the link can message it
• Messages stay on your server — OpenClaw runs locally
• You control the data — nothing is stored in third-party systems
• Revoke anytime — use @BotFather to regenerate your token

Next Steps

• Connect WhatsApp — for iMessage-style experience
• Set Up Automations — make your assistant proactive
• Get Professional Setup — we'll deploy it for you

FAQ

Can I use the same bot on multiple devices? Yes! Your Telegram bot works on any device where you're logged into Telegram — phone, tablet, desktop.

Is Telegram free? Yes, Telegram is completely free. There are no costs for creating bots or sending messages.

Can I change my bot's name later? Yes. Message @BotFather and use /setname to change the display name, or /setusername to change the username.

What's the message limit? Telegram allows up to 30 messages per second for bots. For personal use, you'll never hit this limit.

Can I use multiple Telegram accounts? Yes. Create a separate bot for each account and configure them in your OpenClaw config.