How to Setup a Telegram Channel with OpenClaw

Published: March 9, 2026

Category: OpenClaw Channels

Tags: OpenClaw, Telegram, Setup Guide, Bot API, grammY

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Introduction

Telegram is the fastest and most developer-friendly channel to set up with OpenClaw. With its excellent Bot API, comprehensive documentation, and robust feature set, Telegram provides an ideal starting point for your multi-channel AI assistant.

This guide will walk you through creating a Telegram bot and connecting it to OpenClaw in under 10 minutes.

Why Choose Telegram?

Lightning-Fast Setup

• No QR codes or complex pairing processes
• Simple bot token authentication
• Instant activation once configured
• Reliable API with excellent uptime

Developer-Friendly Features

• Comprehensive API documentation
• Rich message formatting support
• Inline keyboards and custom interfaces
• Webhook and polling options
• Group management capabilities

Step-by-Step Setup Process

Step 1: Create Your Telegram Bot

1. Open Telegram and search for @BotFather
2. Start a chat with BotFather
3. Create a new bot by typing /newbot
4. Choose a name for your bot (e.g., "My OpenClaw Assistant")
5. Choose a username ending in "bot" (e.g., "@myopenclawbot")

BotFather Response:

Done! Congratulations on your new bot. You will find it at t.me/myopenclawbot.
Use this token to access the HTTP API:
1234567890:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrsTUVwxyz


Important: Save your bot token securely!

Step 2: Configure OpenClaw for Telegram

Add Telegram to your OpenClaw configuration:

{
  "channels": {
    "telegram": {
      "enabled": true,
      "botToken": "1234567890:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrsTUVwxyz",
      "allowFrom": ["@yourusername"],
      "groups": {
        "*": {
          "requireMention": true
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Step 3: Environment Variable Alternative

You can also set the bot token as an environment variable:

export TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN="1234567890:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrsTUVwxyz"

Then simplify your configuration:
json
{
"channels": {
"telegram": {
"enabled": true
}
}
}


Step 4: Start the Gateway

Launch OpenClaw with Telegram enabled:

openclaw gateway --port 18789 --verbose

You should see Telegram initialization:

[Telegram] Initializing grammY client...
[Telegram] Bot token configured successfully
[Telegram] Telegram channel ready!


Step 5: Test Your Bot

1. Find your bot on Telegram by searching for @yourbotusername
2. Start a chat by clicking "Start"
3. Send a test message like "Hello"
4. Verify response from OpenClaw

Advanced Configuration

Group Chat Setup

Configure how your bot behaves in Telegram groups:

{
  "channels": {
    "telegram": {
      "groups": {
        "family_chat_id": {
          "requireMention": false
        },
        "work_group_id": {
          "requireMention": true,
          "mentionPatterns": ["@myopenclawbot"]
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Media Support

Enable media handling for images, videos, and documents:

{
  "channels": {
    "telegram": {
      "media": {
        "enabled": true,
        "maxSizeMB": 50
      }
    }
  }
}

Security Configuration

Restrict who can interact with your bot:

{
  "channels": {
    "telegram": {
      "allowFrom": [
        "@yourusername",
        "@trustedfriend"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Bot Token Issues

Problem: "Invalid bot token" error

Solutions:
1. Verify token format: 1234567890:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrsTUVwxyz
2. Check for extra spaces or characters
3. Ensure token is from BotFather
4. Regenerate token if compromised

Message Delivery Issues

Problem: Bot not responding to messages

Solutions:
1. Check allowlist configuration
2. Verify username formats (@username)
3. Check group mention requirements
4. Review Gateway logs for errors

Quick Setup Commands

One-Line Configuration

# Set environment variable
export TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN="your-bot-token-here"

# Create minimal config and start
openclaw gateway

Next Steps

Now that you have Telegram configured, you can:

1. Set up additional channels - Check our WhatsApp, Discord, and Slack guides
2. Configure advanced features - Explore media handling and group management
3. Monitor performance - Set up logging and analytics

Related Guides:
- How to Setup WhatsApp Channel - Most popular messaging platform
- How to Setup Discord Channel - Perfect for communities
- How to Setup Slack Channel - Enterprise collaboration

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Deep Layer provides cloud hosting for OpenClaw deployments, including Telegram bot setup and management.