Guide

Connect Telegram to OpenClaw

Telegram is the fastest way to chat with your OpenClaw AI agent. This guide walks you through creating a Telegram bot and connecting it to OpenClaw — takes about 5 minutes.

⚡ Quick Answer

To connect Telegram to OpenClaw: (1) Create a bot via @BotFather on Telegram and copy the token. (2) In ClawSquire, go to Channels → Add Channel → select Telegram → paste the token. (3) Send /pair to your bot and enter the code. Done — you can now chat with your AI agent.

Prerequisites

  • • OpenClaw installed and running (installation guide)
  • • A Telegram account (free, available on all platforms)
  • • An LLM provider configured (e.g., DeepSeek, OpenAI)

⟩Recommended: Use ClawSquire

The easiest way to add Telegram is through ClawSquire — no terminal needed. Connect to your OpenClaw instance (local or VPS), then follow these two steps.

1

Open ClawSquire → Channels → Add Channel

Launch ClawSquire and connect to your OpenClaw instance (or use Remote Mode for a VPS). Go to the Channels page and click the blue + Add Channel button.

ClawSquire Channels page connected to remote VPS showing Telegram default channel with green Configured badge, token=config, enabled status, DeepSeek provider also configured, and blue Add Channel button for adding new messaging channels
2

Select Telegram → Paste Bot Token → Done

Choose Telegram from the channel list, paste the bot token you got from @BotFather, and save. The channel will show a green "Configured" badge when ready. Then open your bot in Telegram, send /pair, and enter the 6-character code to pair your device.

💡 Using a remote VPS?

ClawSquire connects to your VPS via SSH tunnel. Once connected, the Channels page works the same — add Telegram, paste your token, and pair. The screenshot above shows a Channels page connected to a remote VPS with Telegram already configured.

ClawSquire Dashboard in Remote Mode connected to a VPS showing OpenClaw Dashboard button, Safety Level Conservative, Quick Actions for setup and health check

⟩Manual CLI Setup

If you prefer the command line or don't have ClawSquire, follow these steps.

1

Create a Telegram Bot via BotFather

Open Telegram and search for @BotFather. Send the command:

/newbot

BotFather will ask you for a name (display name) and a username (must end in "bot", e.g., "MyOpenClawBot").

After creation, BotFather sends you a bot token — a long string like 7123456789:AAH.... Copy it.

🔒 Keep your token secret

Anyone with this token can control your bot. Never share it publicly.

2

Add the Telegram Channel via CLI

Run the following command with your bot token:

openclaw channels add telegram --bot-token YOUR_BOT_TOKEN

Replace YOUR_BOT_TOKEN with the token from BotFather.

3

Pair Your Device

Open your Telegram bot and send:

/pair

The bot responds with a 6-character pairing code. Enter this code in the Dashboard or confirm it in the CLI. Once paired, you can start chatting.

4

Start Chatting

Send any message to your bot — it will respond using the LLM model you configured. The conversation is managed as an OpenClaw session.

💡 Tips

  • • You can create multiple Telegram bots for different purposes
  • • Each bot can use a different model or system prompt
  • • Messages are processed locally — nothing leaves your server except to the LLM API

⟩Troubleshooting

Where do I get the Telegram bot token?+

Open Telegram, search for @BotFather, send /newbot, and follow the prompts for name and username. BotFather will send you a bot token (a long string like 7123456789:AAH...). Copy it and never share it publicly. The token grants full control over your bot — anyone with it can send messages as your bot or revoke access.

Bot doesn't respond+

First, check that the OpenClaw gateway is running (openclaw gateway or via ClawSquire Dashboard). Verify the bot token is correct — a typo or expired token will cause silent failures. Look at gateway logs (openclaw logs or Dashboard → Logs) for connection errors. If you're using a remote VPS, ensure ClawSquire is connected and the tunnel is active.

Pairing code not accepted+

The 6-character pairing code expires after a few minutes for security. Send /pair again to your bot to get a fresh code. If the code still fails, verify the channel is configured and running — check the Channels page in ClawSquire or Dashboard for a green 'Configured' status.

"No API key found" error+

OpenClaw needs an LLM provider configured before it can respond. Add your API key via ClawSquire → Config, or see the DeepSeek setup guide for the cheapest option. The key must be in your auth store (~/.openclaw/.env or Dashboard → Config). Restart the gateway after adding keys.

Can I use multiple Telegram bots with OpenClaw?+

Yes. Create multiple bots via @BotFather, then add each as a separate channel in ClawSquire or via openclaw channels add telegram. Each bot can use a different model, system prompt, or agent — useful for separating personal vs. work assistants, or different languages.

Related Guides

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