channel guides / telegram

CONNECT
TELEGRAM.

Create a bot with BotFather, grab your token, and paste it into OpenClaw. Takes about 5 minutes.

Need OpenClaw running first? → Get the 30-minute setup guide

Step 1 of 3

Create Your Bot with BotFather

  • 1Open Telegram on your phone or desktop
  • 2Search for @BotFather and open the chat
  • 3Send the message /newbot
  • 4Follow the prompts — give your bot a name and a username (username must end in bot, e.g. MyOpenClawbot)
  • 5BotFather will reply with your API Token — copy it, you'll need it in the next step
Step 2 of 3

Connect the Bot in OpenClaw

  • 1In OpenClaw, click Channels in the left sidebar
  • 2Click Add Channel
  • 3Select Telegram
  • 4Paste your API Token into the field
  • 5Click Connect
Step 3 of 3

Send a Test Message

  • 1Open Telegram and search for your bot by its username
  • 2Start the chat and send it any message
  • 3In OpenClaw go to Channels → Telegram → Test to confirm the message came through

It replied? You're live on Telegram. Your OpenClaw will now respond to anyone who messages your bot.

// If it's not working

Token not accepted? Make sure you copied the full token from BotFather — it looks like 123456789:ABCdef... with a colon in the middle.
Bot doesn't respond? You need to send it a message first — bots can't initiate conversations on Telegram.
Still stuck? Message us — [email protected] — happy to help.