How do I set up an OpenClaw Telegram bot?

Create a bot with @BotFather on Telegram and copy the token. Go to OpenClaw Launch, select Telegram, paste your token, choose an AI model, and click Deploy. Your bot is live in 30 seconds. DM it to pair and start chatting.

Why does OpenClaw say "Telegram plugin not available"?

This error means the Telegram plugin is not enabled in the OpenClaw config. Both channels.telegram.enabled and plugins.entries.telegram.enabled must be set to true. OpenClaw Launch handles this automatically — if you see this error while self-hosting, check your openclaw.json config.

What is OpenClaw Telegram pairing?

OpenClaw uses DM pairing for security. When you message the bot, it replies with a short pairing code. You enter this code on your OpenClaw Launch dashboard to approve the connection. Only paired users can interact with the bot.

Is the OpenClaw Telegram bot free?

OpenClaw Launch hosting starts at $3/month. AI model usage is billed at provider rates with zero markup. There is also a free-tier model (Arcee Trinity) you can use with no API costs.

Can I add the OpenClaw bot to Telegram groups?

Yes. Once your bot is deployed and paired, you can add it to Telegram groups. It responds when mentioned or when configured to listen to all messages in a group.

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Guide

How to Set Up an OpenClaw Telegram Bot

Get an AI-powered Telegram bot running in minutes. This guide covers creating a bot with BotFather, deploying with OpenClaw Launch, pairing via DM, and fixing common issues like "plugin not available."

What Is an OpenClaw Telegram Bot?

An OpenClaw Telegram bot is a full AI agent that lives in your Telegram chats. Powered by leading AI models like Claude, GPT-5.2, Gemini, or DeepSeek — and extended with 5,700+ skills from ClawHub — it goes far beyond basic Telegram bots. It understands natural language, holds multi-turn conversations, browses the web, manages files, writes code, and performs real-world actions.

You can use it as a personal AI assistant in DMs, add it to group chats, or run it as a 24/7 automated agent for tasks like web research, content creation, and coding help.

Step 1: Create a Bot with BotFather

Every Telegram bot starts with a token from BotFather. Here's how to get one:

Open Telegram and search for @BotFather.
Send /newbot and follow the prompts. Give your bot a display name and a unique username (must end in "bot", e.g., my_ai_bot).
BotFather replies with a bot token — a long string like 123456:ABC-DEF1234ghIkl-zyx57W2v1u123ew11. Copy it.

Keep your token secret. Anyone with your bot token can control your bot. Never share it publicly or commit it to version control.

Step 2: Deploy with OpenClaw Launch

With your bot token in hand, deploying on OpenClaw Launch takes 30 seconds:

Go to openclawlaunch.com and open the configurator.
Select "Telegram" as your chat platform, then paste your BotFather token.
Pick your AI model — Claude Sonnet 4.6 is recommended for the best balance of speed and intelligence. You can switch models later without redeploying.
Click Deploy. Your OpenClaw Telegram bot launches in under 30 seconds. Docker, config files, and networking are handled automatically.

Step 3: Pair via DM

OpenClaw uses DM pairing for security — this ensures only approved users can talk to your bot.

Open Telegram and DM your bot with any message.
The bot replies with a pairing code — a short alphanumeric string.
Go to your Dashboard page on OpenClaw Launch and paste the code in the DM Pairing section.
Click Approve. The bot now responds to your messages.

Each user who wants to chat with the bot must pair separately. This prevents unauthorized access — only approved users can interact.

Step 4: Customize Your Bot (Optional)

Back in BotFather, you can customize your bot's appearance:

/setdescription — Set the description shown when users first open the bot
/setabouttext — Set the "About" text on the bot's profile
/setuserpic — Upload a profile picture for the bot
/setcommands — Add a command menu (e.g., /help)

Step 5: Start Chatting

Once paired, your OpenClaw Telegram bot can:

Answer questions and hold multi-turn conversations
Browse the web and summarize links
Write and review code
Draft emails, documents, and creative content
Use 5,700+ ClawHub skills (web search, file management, and more)
Switch AI models on the fly with the /model command

See the OpenClaw Manual for a full list of chat commands.

Troubleshooting

"Telegram Plugin Not Available"

This is one of the most common OpenClaw errors. It means the Telegram channel plugin isn't enabled in the config. Two things must be true for Telegram to work:

channels.telegram.enabled: true — The Telegram channel config is turned on.
plugins.entries.telegram.enabled: true — The Telegram plugin is also enabled. Channel config alone is not enough.

If you're using OpenClaw Launch, this is handled automatically. If self-hosting, make sure both settings are present in your openclaw.json config file.

Bot Not Responding After Pairing

Make sure the credentials/ directory exists inside the OpenClaw config folder. Without it, the Telegram plugin silently drops all messages.
Check that dmPolicy is set to "pairing", not "open".
Verify the bot token is correct — a typo or revoked token will prevent connections.

Bot Token Invalid

If you regenerated your token in BotFather, the old token stops working immediately. Update your config with the new token and restart the instance.

Self-Hosting vs. OpenClaw Launch

You can also self-host an OpenClaw Telegram bot with Docker, but it requires a VPS, manual config files, port mapping, and ongoing maintenance. See our install guide for the full process. OpenClaw Launch skips all of that — configure visually and deploy in seconds.