OpenClaw Bot Not Responding? Here's How to Fix It

Quick Checklist

Before diving into detailed troubleshooting, run through these common causes. Most “bot not responding” issues are solved by one of these:

1. Is your instance running? — Check your dashboard. If the instance shows “stopped” or “error,” restart it.
2. Is your bot token correct? — For Telegram, check with @BotFather. For Discord, check the Developer Portal.
3. Did you wait 30–60 seconds after deploying? — OpenClaw needs initialization time to start all plugins and connect to your messaging platform.
4. Is your subscription active? — An expired subscription will stop your instance. Check your account settings.
5. Do you have AI model credits remaining? — If your OpenRouter credits or BYOK API key balance is exhausted, the bot will receive messages but cannot generate responses.

Telegram Bot Not Responding

1. Check if the Bot Token is Valid

An invalid or revoked bot token is the most common reason a Telegram bot stops working. To verify your token:

1. Open Telegram and message @BotFather
2. Send /mybots and select your bot
3. Tap API Token to view the current token
4. Compare it with the token in your OpenClaw configuration — they must match exactly

2. “Plugin Not Available” Error

If you see a “plugin not available” message in your instance logs, it means the Telegram plugin hasn't finished initializing. This is normal during the first 30–60 seconds after deployment.

• Wait 30–60 seconds after your first deploy — OpenClaw needs time to initialize the Telegram polling connection
• If it persists beyond 2 minutes, restart your instance from the dashboard
• Check that both channels.telegram.enabled and plugins.entries.telegram.enabled are set to true in your configuration — both are required for the plugin to start

3. Bot Shows Online But Doesn't Reply

If your Telegram bot appears online but ignores your messages, the issue is usually related to the DM policy or pairing configuration:

• Check dmPolicy: For Telegram, the recommended setting is "pairing". This requires users to pair with the bot through the web gateway before it will respond to messages.
• Complete the pairing process: DM the bot to receive a pairing code, then approve it in the gateway UI. Without pairing, the bot silently drops all incoming messages.
• If using OpenClaw Launch: After deployment, follow the on-screen pairing steps — DM the bot on Telegram to get a pairing code, then enter it in the dashboard. If pairing was not completed, the bot will not reply.

4. Bot Was Working But Stopped

If your Telegram bot was previously responding and suddenly went silent, check these causes in order:

1. AI model credits: Check if your OpenRouter credits or BYOK API key balance is exhausted. The bot receives messages but cannot generate responses without credits.
2. Subscription status: An expired or canceled subscription will stop your instance. Check your account settings or billing portal.
3. Container health: The instance may have crashed due to memory limits. Check your dashboard for error status and restart if needed.
4. Token revocation: If you regenerated your bot token in @BotFather, the old token is immediately invalidated. Update the token in your configuration and redeploy.

Discord Bot Not Responding

1. Bot Not Coming Online

If your Discord bot doesn't appear online in your server at all, verify these settings:

1. Verify the bot token: Go to the Discord Developer Portal, select your application, navigate to Bot, and confirm the token matches your OpenClaw configuration.
2. Invite the bot to your server: Use the OAuth2 URL Generator in the Developer Portal. Select bot scope and grant Send Messages, Read Message History, and Read Messages/View Channels permissions.
3. Enable Message Content Intent: In the Developer Portal under Bot → Privileged Gateway Intents, enable Message Content Intent. Without this, the bot cannot read message content.
4. Wait for initialization: Like Telegram, the Discord plugin needs 30–60 seconds to connect after deployment.

2. Bot Online But Not Replying

If your Discord bot shows as online (green dot) but doesn't respond to messages:

• Check dmPolicy: Discord bots should use "open" with allowFrom: ["*"]. Unlike Telegram, Discord bots are invite-only so “open” is safe. Using “pairing” on Discord causes a confusing UX.
• Check channel permissions: The bot needs permission to read and send messages in the specific channel. Check Server Settings → Roles and the channel's permission overrides.
• Try mentioning the bot: Some configurations require an @mention to trigger a response. Try @YourBotName hello in the channel.
• Check for missing allowFrom: If dmPolicy is set to "open" but allowFrom is missing, config validation fails silently. Always include allowFrom: ["*"] when using open DM policy.

Web Chat Not Responding

If the OpenClaw web chat (gateway control UI) is not responding to messages:

• Check if the gateway is running: The web chat connects directly to the OpenClaw gateway. If the gateway process has stopped, the chat will not work. Verify your instance is running in the dashboard.
• Verify the gateway token: The web chat authenticates using the gateway token. If you changed the token in the configuration, you need to use the new token to connect.
• Clear browser cache: Stale WebSocket connections can prevent reconnection. Clear your browser cache or try an incognito window.
• Check for “pairing required” errors: If connecting remotely, you may need gateway.controlUi.allowInsecureAuth: true in your configuration. See our gateway pairing guide for details.

General Fixes That Work for All Platforms

If you've checked the platform-specific troubleshooting above and your bot still isn't responding, try these universal fixes:

1. Restart your instance: Go to your dashboard, find your instance, and click the restart button. This resolves most transient issues.
2. Check your AI model: If using a BYOK (bring your own key) API key, verify it is valid and has sufficient credits. Test your API key directly with the provider (OpenRouter, OpenAI, etc.) to confirm it works.
3. Re-deploy from scratch: Sometimes a fresh deployment fixes persistent connection issues. Delete the current instance, reconfigure, and deploy again.
4. Check instance logs: Instance logs reveal the exact error. On OpenClaw Launch, view logs from your dashboard. For self-hosted setups, run docker logs openclaw --tail 100.
5. Verify plugin configuration: Each channel requires both the channel config (channels.telegram.enabled: true) and the plugin entry (plugins.entries.telegram.enabled: true). Missing either one means the channel won't start.

Reading Instance Logs

Instance logs are the fastest way to identify the exact problem. Here's what to look for:

# Self-hosted: view the last 100 lines
docker logs openclaw --tail 100

# Follow logs in real time
docker logs openclaw -f

Common error messages and their meanings:

• 401 Unauthorized or invalid token — Your bot token is wrong or has been revoked
• plugin not available — The channel plugin is still initializing (wait 30–60 seconds)
• ETELEGRAM 409 Conflict — Another instance is using the same bot token (only one instance can poll per token)
• rate limit exceeded — Your AI model provider is throttling requests
• insufficient_quota or credit limit reached — Your AI model credits are exhausted
• OOMKilled — The container ran out of memory and was killed by Docker

The Easy Way: Use OpenClaw Launch

Debugging bot tokens, plugin configurations, DM policies, and container health is time-consuming. OpenClaw Launch handles all of this for you with managed hosting that configures everything automatically.

With OpenClaw Launch, your bot connects on the first deploy because tokens, plugins, DM policies, and channel permissions are all pre-configured. Built-in health monitoring automatically restarts unhealthy instances, and you can view logs directly from your dashboard.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my OpenClaw Telegram bot not responding to messages?

The most common causes are: an invalid or revoked bot token, the Telegram plugin still initializing (wait 30–60 seconds after deploy), the pairing process not completed (for dmPolicy: "pairing"), or exhausted AI model credits. Check your instance dashboard for error status and review the instance logs for specific error messages.

My Discord bot is online but ignores all messages. What's wrong?

Discord bots need dmPolicy: "open" with allowFrom: ["*"] to respond to messages. Also verify that the bot has the Message Content Intent enabled in the Discord Developer Portal and has permission to read and send messages in the target channel. Try mentioning the bot with @BotName to trigger a response.

How do I check if my OpenClaw bot has run out of AI credits?

Check your instance logs for error messages like insufficient_quota or credit limit reached. If using OpenRouter, check your credit balance at openrouter.ai/settings/credits. If using a BYOK API key, check the balance directly with your AI provider. On OpenClaw Launch, credit issues appear as warnings in your dashboard.

Still Not Working?

If none of the fixes above resolved your issue, check these related guides or reach out to support:

• Complete Telegram Bot Setup Guide — Full walkthrough for setting up a Telegram bot with OpenClaw
• Complete Discord Bot Setup Guide — Full walkthrough for setting up a Discord bot with OpenClaw
• Fix “Relay Not Reachable” Error — Troubleshoot browser relay connection issues
• Fix Gateway “Pairing Required” Error — Solve gateway authentication problems
• Contact support: [email protected]