Creating a Telegram Bot with OpenClaw

Telegram Bot Setup

Telegram is the easiest channel to set up with OpenClaw. You create a bot through Telegram's BotFather, paste the token, and you're live.

Step 1: Create a Bot with BotFather

1. Open Telegram and search for @BotFather
2. Send /newbot
3. Choose a display name (e.g., "My AI Assistant")
4. Choose a username ending in "bot" (e.g., "myai_assistant_bot")
5. BotFather gives you an API token — save this securely

Step 2: Configure OpenClaw

Add your Telegram bot token to the OpenClaw configuration:

{
  "channels": {
    "telegram": {
      "enabled": true,
      "token": "YOUR_BOT_TOKEN_HERE"
    }
  }
}

Or via the onboarding wizard — it prompts for the token automatically.

Step 3: Pair the Bot

1. Start the OpenClaw gateway
2. Open your Telegram bot and send any message
3. OpenClaw receives a pairing code
4. Enter the code when prompted in your terminal

Step 4: Test It

Send a message to your bot on Telegram. You should get an AI-powered response within seconds.

Customizing Your Bot

Bot Profile

Use BotFather to customize:

• /setdescription — What users see before starting the bot
• /setabouttext — Bot bio
• /setuserpic — Bot avatar

Bot Commands

Register commands with BotFather using /setcommands:

• /start — Introduction message
• /help — List capabilities
• /clear — Reset conversation

Group Chat Behavior

To use your bot in Telegram groups:

1. BotFather: /setjoingroups → Enable
2. Add the bot to your group
3. Configure mention-only mode to avoid spam

Pro Tips

• Inline mode: Enable inline queries for quick lookups
• Markdown: Telegram renders Markdown in bot messages automatically
• File sharing: Send documents to your bot for analysis
• Location sharing: Send locations for context-aware responses