Telegram Setup

Prerequisites

• OpenClaw installed and daemon running (openclaw status)
• A Telegram account
• A Telegram Bot Token from @BotFather

Step 1 — Create Your Bot

1. Open Telegram and message @BotFather
2. Send /newbot and follow the prompts to choose a name and username
3. Copy the API token BotFather gives you — you'll need it in step 3

Step 2 — Enable Telegram in OpenClaw

openclaw channels add telegram

When prompted, paste your Bot Token.

Step 3 — Verify the Connection

1. Start a conversation with your new bot in Telegram
2. Send /start
3. You should receive an OpenClaw welcome response within a few seconds
4. Confirm with: openclaw channels list

Advanced Config

Set a custom system prompt for Telegram users in config.yaml:

channels:
  telegram:
    enabled: true
    token: "YOUR_BOT_TOKEN"
    system_prompt: "You are a helpful assistant."