Connect Telegram to OpenClaw

Run your OpenClaw AI assistant as a Telegram bot. This guide walks you through getting your user ID, creating a bot, and launching your instance. The whole process takes about 2 minutes.

How it works

OpenClaw connects to Telegram using the Bot API. You create a bot with @BotFather, get a token, and paste it into the setup wizard. Your instance then runs the bot so only people you approve (your allowlist) can message it.

You'll need:

• Your Telegram user ID — so the bot knows you're allowed to message it (and so you can add more users later).
• Bot token — from BotFather, so OpenClaw can run your bot.

Step 1: Get your Telegram user ID

OpenClaw uses an allowlist: only Telegram users you add can message your bot. To add yourself (and others), you need numeric user IDs. The easiest way is our helper bot:

1. Open Telegram and go to @openclaw_setup_helper_bot.
2. Send any message (e.g. /start or "Hi").
3. The bot replies instantly with your numeric user ID (e.g. 123456789).
4. Copy that number — you'll paste it into the setup wizard as your first allowlist user.

Tip: To allow more people later, they can message @openclaw_setup_helper_bot to get their ID, then you add their ID in the dashboard allowlist.

Step 2: Create your Telegram bot

1. In Telegram, open @BotFather.
2. Send /newbot and follow the prompts: choose a name and username for your bot (e.g. "My OpenClaw Assistant" and my_openclaw_bot).
3. BotFather replies with a token that looks like 1234567890:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrsTUVwxyz.
4. Copy the token and keep it secret — treat it like a password.

Step 3: Enter everything in OpenClaw Setup

1. Go to the OpenClaw Setup dashboard.
2. Start the setup wizard and choose Telegram (or Telegram + Slack).
3. Paste your Telegram user ID (from Step 1) in the allowlist step.
4. Paste your bot token (from Step 2).
5. Configure your LLM provider and click Launch.

Your OpenClaw assistant will connect to Telegram and start responding. Only users on your allowlist can message the bot; everyone else is ignored.

Step 4: Manage the allowlist (optional)

After launch, you can add or remove allowed users from the dashboard:

1. Open your instance and go to the Telegram section.
2. Add more Telegram user IDs (each person can get theirs from @openclaw_setup_helper_bot).
3. You can also configure group access if you want the bot in specific Telegram groups.

Troubleshooting

Bot doesn't respond to me

Check that your Telegram user ID is in the allowlist. Get it from @openclaw_setup_helper_bot and add it in the dashboard.

Token validation fails

Make sure you copied the full token from BotFather (no extra spaces). The token usually has numbers, a colon, and a long alphanumeric string.

I need another user's ID

They can message @openclaw_setup_helper_bot — it replies with their ID. Then add that ID to your instance's Telegram allowlist.