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How to Connect OpenClaw to Telegram (And Why It's the Best Channel to Start With)

You've got OpenClaw running. Now what? You need a way to actually talk to your AI agent. And while there are multiple channels you can connect, Telegram is by far the best place to start.

This guide walks you through the entire process — from creating a Telegram bot to having a working conversation with your AI agent. Total time: about 5 minutes.

Why Start with Telegram?

Before we get into the how, here's why Telegram is the best first channel:

Zero friction. Unlike WhatsApp (which requires a business account and approval process) or Discord (which needs a server setup), Telegram lets you create a bot in 30 seconds with no approval, no waiting, no business verification.

Works everywhere. Telegram has native apps for iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Linux, and web. Your AI agent is instantly accessible from any device.

No cost. The Telegram Bot API is completely free. No per-message charges, no tier limits, no hidden fees.

Great developer experience. Telegram's Bot API is clean, well-documented, and reliable. It just works.

Rich messaging. Telegram supports formatted text, images, files, inline keyboards, and more — so your AI agent can send rich responses, not just plain text.

Step 1: Create a Telegram Bot

This is easier than you'd think. You create Telegram bots by talking to... a Telegram bot. Specifically, the official @BotFather.

  1. Open Telegram on your phone or desktop
  2. Search for @BotFather (make sure it has the blue verified checkmark ✓)
  3. Start a conversation and send: /newbot
  4. BotFather will ask you for a name for your bot. This is the display name — it can be anything, like "My AI Agent" or "ActivateClaw Bot"
  5. Next, it asks for a username. This must end in bot and be unique. For example: my_openclaw_bot or yourname_ai_bot

That's it. BotFather gives you a success message with your bot's token.

Step 2: Get Your Bot Token

After creating your bot, BotFather sends a message like this:

Done! Congratulations on your new bot. You will find it at t.me/your_bot_username.

Use this token to access the HTTP API:
7123456789:AAHxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Copy that token. The long string that starts with numbers, a colon, and then a mix of letters and characters. This is your bot's API token — it's essentially the password that lets OpenClaw control your bot.

⚠️ Keep this token private. Anyone with this token can control your bot. Don't share it publicly or commit it to a public repository.

Step 3: Connect the Bot to OpenClaw

Now you need to tell OpenClaw about your Telegram bot. Here's how:

  1. Log into your OpenClaw dashboard — This is the web interface at your OpenClaw URL (e.g., yourname.botlive.me)
  2. Navigate to Channels — Look for a "Channels" or "Integrations" section in the dashboard
  3. Select Telegram — Click on Telegram as your channel
  4. Paste your bot token — Enter the token you copied from BotFather
  5. Save / Connect — Click save or connect

OpenClaw will register a webhook with Telegram's API. This tells Telegram: "When someone sends a message to this bot, forward it to this OpenClaw server."

Step 4: Test It

Open Telegram and find your bot:

  1. Search for your bot's username (the one ending in bot)
  2. Click Start or send any message
  3. Your bot should respond using whichever AI provider you've configured in OpenClaw (OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.)

If it responds — you're done. You now have a working AI agent on Telegram. 🎉

Troubleshooting

Bot doesn't respond? Check these things:

  • AI provider configured? Make sure you've added at least one AI provider API key in your OpenClaw dashboard (OpenAI, Anthropic, or OpenRouter)
  • Token correct? Double-check that you pasted the full token from BotFather, with no extra spaces
  • Server running? Make sure your OpenClaw instance is actually up and accessible at its URL
  • Webhook set? In some setups, you may need to manually trigger the webhook registration. Check the OpenClaw docs for your version

With ActivateClaw: Even Easier

If you deployed OpenClaw via ActivateClaw, you might already have Telegram connected. During the ActivateClaw checkout process, there's an optional field where you can enter your Telegram bot token. If you filled that in, your bot was automatically connected during deployment.

If you skipped it or want to add a different bot, you can still follow the steps above to connect via the dashboard. ActivateClaw gives you full access to the OpenClaw interface — it's your server, configured and ready.

What to Do Next

Now that your Telegram bot is live, here are some things to try:

Configure Your AI Model

In the OpenClaw dashboard, go to your AI provider settings. You can:

  • Choose which model to use (GPT-4, GPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, etc.)
  • Adjust the system prompt to give your agent a personality or specific instructions
  • Set temperature and other model parameters

Try Different Conversations

Test your bot with different types of requests:

  • Ask it questions about a topic
  • Have it write something (emails, summaries, code)
  • Test multi-turn conversations (it should remember context within a conversation)

Add Skills

OpenClaw's skills system lets you extend your agent's capabilities. Check the skills section of the dashboard to see what's available and add new ones.

Share It

One of the best things about a Telegram bot is sharing. Just send someone the link t.me/your_bot_username and they can start chatting with your AI agent immediately. No downloads, no sign-ups, no friction.

Why Telegram Is Just the Beginning

Telegram is the fastest path from "I have OpenClaw" to "I'm actually using my AI agent." But it's not the only channel. OpenClaw is building integrations for more platforms — and because it's open source, the community is also contributing.

For now, though, Telegram gives you everything you need: a reliable, feature-rich, cross-platform way to interact with your private AI agent. Five minutes of setup for an agent you'll use every day — that's a pretty good deal.

Ready to get started? If you don't have OpenClaw running yet, ActivateClaw can deploy it on a dedicated server in just a few minutes. Then come back here and connect your Telegram bot.

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