Setting Up Your First Channel

This tutorial will walk you through connecting OpenClaw (formerly Moltbot, Clawdbot) to your first messaging channel. We'll use Telegram as our example since it's the easiest to set up, but the process is similar for WhatsApp and Discord. Estimated time: 10-15 minutes.

Before starting, ensure you have:

• OpenClaw installed and running - Complete the Getting Started Tutorial first
• Gateway running - Your OpenClaw Gateway should be active
• Telegram account (for this tutorial) - Or WhatsApp/Discord if you prefer
• Access to terminal/command line

OpenClaw supports multiple messaging platforms. For this tutorial, we'll use Telegram because:

• Easiest to set up (just create a bot)
• No phone number required
• Great for testing and learning
• Works on all platforms

For other channels: See the Channels Reference for WhatsApp, Discord, Slack, Signal, iMessage, and more.

Telegram uses bots, which are special accounts that can be controlled programmatically. Here's how to create one:

Step 2.1: Open Telegram and Find BotFather

1. Open the Telegram app on your phone or computer
2. Search for @BotFather (official Telegram bot creator)
3. Start a conversation with BotFather
4. Send the command: /start

Step 2.2: Create Your Bot

1. Send BotFather: /newbot
2. BotFather will ask for a name for your bot (this is the display name, e.g., "My OpenClaw Assistant")
3. BotFather will ask for a username (must end in 'bot', e.g., "myopenclawbot")
4. BotFather will respond with a bot token - COPY THIS TOKEN (you'll need it in the next step)

Step 2.3: (Optional) Configure Your Bot

You can customize your bot with BotFather commands:

• /setdescription - Set what your bot does
• /setabouttext - Set bot bio
• /setuserpic - Set bot profile picture

These are optional - your bot will work without them.

Now we'll add your Telegram bot to OpenClaw's configuration.

Step 3.1: Open Configuration File

Your OpenClaw configuration is located at ~/.clawdbot/moltbot.json. Open it in your preferred text editor:

# On macOS/Linux:
nano ~/.clawdbot/moltbot.json
# or
code ~/.clawdbot/moltbot.json  # VS Code
# or
open ~/.clawdbot/moltbot.json  # Default editor

Step 3.2: Add Telegram Configuration

Add the Telegram channel configuration to your file. If you already have a configuration file, add the channels section:

{
  "agent": {
    "model": "anthropic/claude-opus-4-5"
  },
  "channels": {
    "telegram": {
      "enabled": true,
      "token": "YOUR_BOT_TOKEN_HERE"
    }
  }
}

Replace YOUR_BOT_TOKEN_HERE with the token you copied from BotFather.

Step 3.3: Save and Restart Gateway

After saving your configuration:

1. Save the configuration file
2. Restart your OpenClaw Gateway to load the new configuration

# If Gateway is running as a service:
openclaw gateway restart

# Or if running manually, stop and restart:
openclaw gateway --port 18789 --verbose

Now let's verify everything works!

Step 4.1: Find Your Bot on Telegram

1. Open Telegram
2. Search for your bot by its username (the one you created, e.g., "myopenclawbot")
3. Start a conversation with your bot
4. Send /start to initialize the bot

Step 4.2: Send a Test Message

Send a simple message to your bot, like:

• "Hello!"
• "What can you do?"
• "Introduce yourself"

Your OpenClaw assistant should respond! If it does, congratulations - your channel is working! 🎉

Bot Not Responding

If your bot doesn't respond:

1. Check Gateway is running: openclaw gateway status
2. Verify token is correct: Check for typos in the configuration file
3. Check Gateway logs: Look for error messages about Telegram connection
4. Restart Gateway: Sometimes a restart fixes connection issues

"Bot token is invalid" Error

This usually means:

• Token was copied incorrectly (check for extra spaces)
• Token was regenerated (get a new one from BotFather)
• Configuration file has syntax errors (check JSON formatting)

Bot Responds but Gateway Shows Errors

If bot works but you see errors:

• Check Gateway logs for specific error messages
• Verify your AI model is configured correctly
• Ensure you have API credits/quota available

For more troubleshooting help, see our Troubleshooting Guide.

Now that you have a channel connected, here's what to explore next:

Want to set up other channels? Here are quick links to their reference guides:

• WhatsApp Setup - QR code pairing with your WhatsApp account
• Discord Setup - Create a Discord bot and invite to servers
• All Channels - Complete list of supported messaging platforms

Each channel has its own setup process, but the general flow is similar: create/link account → get credentials → configure OpenClaw → test connection.