Clawdbot Setup: Connect WhatsApp, Telegram & Slack to Your AI

OpenClaw connects to the messaging channels you already use. This guide covers setting up each channel so your personal AI assistant can respond on WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, and more.

Prerequisites

Before connecting channels:

1. Install OpenClaw: npm install -g openclaw@latest
2. Run the wizard: openclaw onboard --install-daemon
3. Start the Gateway: openclaw gateway --port 18789

WhatsApp Setup

Link your WhatsApp device to OpenClaw using Baileys.

# Login and link device
pnpm openclaw channels login

Credentials are stored in ~/.openclaw/credentials.

Configuration

Add to ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json:

{
  channels: {
    whatsapp: {
      allowFrom: ["+1234567890", "+0987654321"],
      // groups: ["*"] // Allow all groups, or list specific ones
    },
  },
}

Full guide: WhatsApp channel

Telegram Setup

Create a bot and connect it to OpenClaw.

Step 1: Create a Bot

1. Message @BotFather on Telegram
2. Send /newbot and follow the prompts
3. Copy your bot token

Step 2: Configure

Add to ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json:

{
  channels: {
    telegram: {
      botToken: "123456:ABCDEF",
      // Optional: allowFrom, webhookUrl, groups
    },
  },
}

Or set TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN environment variable.

Full guide: Telegram channel

Slack Setup

Connect Slack using Bolt.

Step 1: Create a Slack App

1. Go to api.slack.com
2. Create a new app
3. Add Bot Token Scopes:
   • app_mentions:read
   • chat:write
   • channels:history
   • groups:history
4. Install to your workspace
5. Copy the Bot Token and App Token

Step 2: Configure

Set environment variables:

export SLACK_BOT_TOKEN=xoxb-your-token
export SLACK_APP_TOKEN=xapp-your-token

Or add to ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json:

{
  channels: {
    slack: {
      botToken: "xoxb-your-token",
      appToken: "xapp-your-token",
    },
  },
}

Full guide: Slack channel

Discord Setup

Connect Discord using discord.js.

Step 1: Create a Bot

1. Go to Discord Developer Portal
2. Create a new application
3. Go to Bot section and copy the token
4. Enable the required intents

Step 2: Configure

Add to ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json:

{
  channels: {
    discord: {
      token: "your-discord-token",
      // Optional: dm.allowFrom, guilds, mediaMaxMb
    },
  },
}

Or set DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN environment variable.

Full guide: Discord channel

iMessage (macOS Only)

iMessage works on macOS when Messages is signed in.

Add to ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json:

{
  channels: {
    imessage: {
      // groups: ["*"] // Allow all groups, or list specific ones
    },
  },
}

Full guide: iMessage channel

Signal Setup

Signal requires signal-cli.

Full guide: Signal channel

Security: DM Pairing

By default, OpenClaw uses DM pairing for unknown senders:

1. Unknown sender messages your bot
2. Bot sends a short pairing code
3. You approve with: openclaw pairing approve <channel> <code>
4. Sender is added to the local allowlist

To allow public DMs (not recommended):

{
  channels: {
    telegram: {
      dm: {
        policy: "open",
        allowFrom: ["*"],
      },
    },
  },
}

Run openclaw doctor to check for risky DM policies.

Chat Commands

Send these commands in any channel to control your assistant:

| Command | Description | |---------|-------------| | /status | Compact session status (model + tokens) | | /new or /reset | Reset the session | | /compact | Compact session context (summary) | | /think <level> | off|minimal|low|medium|high|xhigh | | /verbose on\|off | Toggle verbose mode | | /usage off\|tokens\|full | Per-response usage footer | | /restart | Restart the gateway (owner-only) | | /activation mention\|always | Group activation toggle |

Troubleshooting

Channel not connecting?

Run openclaw doctor to diagnose issues.

Messages not arriving?

• Check allowFrom configuration
• Verify bot tokens are correct
• Ensure Gateway is running: openclaw gateway status

Security warning?

Review your DM policies. Public DMs (dmPolicy="open") should be avoided unless explicitly intended.

Next Steps

• Security Guide — Secure your channels
• Voice Wake — Always-on speech
• Skills — Extend capabilities
• Troubleshooting — Common issues