Signal Setup

New to channel setup? For a hands-on, step-by-step tutorial, check out our Channel Setup Tutorial. This page is a comprehensive reference covering all Signal features and configuration options.

Signal is a privacy-focused messaging platform with end-to-end encryption. OpenClaw (formerly Moltbot, Clawdbot) integrates with Signal using signal-cli, a command-line interface for Signal, enabling secure messaging through your OpenClaw assistant.

Setting up Signal requires installing signal-cli and linking your account:

1. Install signal-cli on your system
2. Link your Signal account
3. Configure in OpenClaw
4. Start secure messaging!

signal-cli is a command-line interface for Signal that OpenClaw uses to communicate with Signal. You need to install it before configuring Signal in OpenClaw.

macOS Installation

Install via Homebrew:

brew install signal-cli

Linux Installation

Install from package manager or build from source:

# Download latest release
wget https://github.com/AsamK/signal-cli/releases/latest/download/signal-cli-*.tar.gz
tar -xzf signal-cli-*.tar.gz
sudo mv signal-cli-*/bin/signal-cli /usr/local/bin/

Windows Installation

Windows requires WSL2 or a Linux environment. Install signal-cli in your WSL2 environment following Linux instructions.

Verify Installation

Verify signal-cli is installed correctly:

signal-cli --version

Before OpenClaw can use Signal, you need to link your Signal account with signal-cli. This process registers your phone number with Signal's servers.

Step 1: Register Phone Number

Register your phone number with signal-cli:

signal-cli -u +1234567890 register

Replace +1234567890 with your phone number in international format (including country code).

Step 2: Verify Registration

You'll receive a verification code via SMS. Verify it:

signal-cli -u +1234567890 verify <verification-code>

Step 3: Link to Existing Signal Account (Optional)

If you already have Signal on your phone, you can link this as a secondary device:

signal-cli -u +1234567890 link

This will generate a QR code that you can scan with your Signal mobile app to link the device.

Configure Signal in your OpenClaw configuration file:

{
  "channels": {
    "signal": {
      "enabled": true,
      "signalCliPath": "/usr/local/bin/signal-cli",
      "dataPath": "~/.local/share/signal-cli"
    }
  }
}

Configuration Options

• enabled - Enable or disable Signal channel (default: false)
• signalCliPath - Path to signal-cli executable (default: searches PATH)
• dataPath - Path to signal-cli data directory (default: ~/.local/share/signal-cli)

Environment Variables

You can also configure via environment variables:

export SIGNAL_CLI_PATH="/usr/local/bin/signal-cli"
export SIGNAL_DATA_PATH="~/.local/share/signal-cli"

OpenClaw supports various Signal features:

• End-to-End Encryption - All messages are encrypted
• Direct Messages - One-on-one conversations
• Group Chats - Participate in Signal groups
• Media Support - Send and receive images, files, and voice notes
• Read Receipts - See when messages are read
• Disappearing Messages - Support for self-destructing messages

Privacy & Encryption

• End-to-End Encryption - Signal uses the Signal Protocol for encryption
• No Metadata Collection - Signal minimizes metadata collection
• Local Storage - signal-cli data is stored locally
• Secure Key Management - Keys are managed by signal-cli

Best Practices

• Secure signal-cli Data - Protect the signal-cli data directory
• Regular Updates - Keep signal-cli updated for security patches
• Access Control - Use OpenClaw's allowlist features to control access
• Backup Keys - Backup your Signal keys if needed

signal-cli Not Found

If OpenClaw can't find signal-cli:

1. Verify signal-cli is installed: signal-cli --version
2. Check the path in configuration matches actual location
3. Ensure signal-cli is in your PATH or specify full path
4. Check file permissions on signal-cli executable

Account Linking Issues

If account linking fails:

1. Verify phone number format (include country code with +)
2. Check SMS verification code is correct
3. Ensure phone has network connectivity
4. Try linking as secondary device if primary registration fails

Messages Not Received

If messages aren't being received:

1. Check signal-cli is properly linked
2. Verify OpenClaw Gateway is running
3. Check signal-cli data directory permissions
4. Review Gateway logs for Signal channel errors
5. Ensure signal-cli daemon is running (if using daemon mode)

Permission Errors

If you encounter permission errors:

1. Check signal-cli data directory permissions
2. Ensure OpenClaw has read/write access to data directory
3. Check signal-cli executable permissions
4. Verify user permissions on system