How do I set up an OpenClaw Zalo bot?

Create a bot at bot.zaloplatforms.com and copy the token. Go to OpenClaw Launch, select Zalo, paste your token, choose an AI model, and click Deploy. Your bot is live in 10 seconds. DM it to pair and start chatting.

What is the difference between Zalo Bot API and Zalo Personal in OpenClaw?

The Zalo Bot API creates an official Marketplace bot using a token from bot.zaloplatforms.com — safe and intended for business use, but limited to DMs only. Zalo Personal connects your own Zalo account via QR code login, supports groups and media, but is unofficial and may risk account suspension.

Can I use OpenClaw with Zalo group chats?

Yes, but only with the Zalo Personal (zalouser) plugin. The official Zalo Bot API does not support group chats for Marketplace bots. With zalouser, OpenClaw responds when mentioned in groups by default.

Is the OpenClaw Zalo bot free?

OpenClaw Launch hosting starts at $3/month with AI credits included. There is also a free-tier model you can use with no API costs.

Is the Zalo Personal plugin safe to use?

The Zalo Personal (zalouser) plugin is unofficial — it automates a personal Zalo account using the open-source zca-js library. This may violate Zalo terms of service and could result in account suspension. The official Zalo Bot API is the safer option.

← Home

Guide

How to Set Up an OpenClaw Zalo Bot

Connect OpenClaw to Zalo — Vietnam's most popular messaging app with 75M+ users. Use the official Zalo Bot API for business bots, or connect your personal Zalo account for private AI conversations. Deploy in 10 seconds with OpenClaw Launch.

What Is an OpenClaw Zalo Bot?

An OpenClaw Zalo bot is a full AI agent that lives inside your Zalo conversations. Powered by leading AI models like Claude, GPT-5.2, Gemini, or DeepSeek — and extended with 3,200+ skills from ClawHub — it understands natural language, holds multi-turn conversations, browses the web, writes code, and performs real-world actions.

OpenClaw supports two ways to connect to Zalo, each for different use cases:

Zalo Bot API — Create an official Marketplace bot for business or public use
Zalo Personal Account — Connect your own Zalo account for private AI conversations

Option A: Official Zalo Bot API

The Zalo Bot API integration uses Zalo's official Bot Creator platform to create a Marketplace bot — similar to how Telegram uses BotFather. This is the recommended approach for business use.

Step 1: Create a Zalo Bot

Go to bot.zaloplatforms.com and sign in with your Zalo account.
Create a new bot. Give it a name and description.
Copy the bot token — a string in the format 123456789:abc-xyz.

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

Go to openclawlaunch.com and open the configurator.
Select "Zalo" as your chat platform, then paste your bot token.
Pick your AI model — Claude Sonnet 4.6 is recommended for the best balance of speed and intelligence.
Click Deploy. Your Zalo bot launches in under 10 seconds.

Step 3: Pair via DM

Open Zalo and send a DM to your bot.
The bot replies with a pairing code.
Go to your Dashboard page on OpenClaw Launch and enter the pairing code.
Click Approve. The bot now responds to your messages.

Zalo Bot API Capabilities

Feature	Status
Direct messages (1:1)	Supported
Group chats	Not available (Marketplace bot limitation)
Text messages	Supported (2,000 char limit per message)
Images (inbound)	Limited
Voice / video / files	Not supported
Reactions & stickers	Not supported
Streaming	Blocked (2,000 char limit)
Webhook mode	Supported (HTTPS required)

Option B: Personal Zalo Account

The zalouser plugin connects your personal Zalo account to OpenClaw. Instead of creating a bot, you log in with your own Zalo via QR code — turning your personal account into an AI-powered assistant.

Important: This is an unofficial integration using the open-source zca-js library. It automates a personal account, which may violate Zalo's terms of service and could result in account suspension. Use at your own risk.

Step 1: Deploy with OpenClaw Launch

Go to openclawlaunch.com and select Zalo (Personal) as your platform.
Pick your AI model and click Deploy.

Step 2: Log In with QR Code

After deployment, open your instance on the Dashboard page.
Run the login command: openclaw channels login --channel zalouser
A QR code appears. Scan it with the Zalo app on your phone.
Once scanned, your Zalo session is saved and persists across restarts.

Step 3: Pair and Start Chatting

By default, dmPolicy is set to "pairing". When someone messages you on Zalo, OpenClaw sends a pairing code. Approve it from your dashboard to allow the conversation.

Zalo Personal Account Capabilities

Feature	Status
Direct messages (1:1)	Supported
Group chats	Supported (mention-gated by default)
Text messages	Supported (~2,000 char limit)
Images & media	Supported
Reactions	Supported
Multi-account	Supported
Streaming	Blocked

Which Option Should You Choose?

Feature	Zalo Bot API	Personal Account
Setup	Bot token from bot.zaloplatforms.com	QR code login
Account type	Official Marketplace bot	Your personal Zalo
Group chats	Not available	Supported
Risk	Low (official API)	Possible account suspension
Best for	Business / customer-facing bots	Personal AI assistant
Media support	Limited	Full

Troubleshooting

Bot Not Responding

Make sure both channels.zalo.enabled and plugins.entries.zalo.enabled are set to true. OpenClaw Launch handles this automatically.
Check that the credentials/ directory exists inside the OpenClaw config folder. Without it, pairing codes are silently dropped.
Verify your bot token is correct and hasn't been revoked.

Personal Account Login Fails

Try logging out and back in: openclaw channels logout --channel zalouser && openclaw channels login --channel zalouser
Check your session status: openclaw channels status --probe
Make sure you're scanning the QR code with the latest Zalo mobile app.

2,000 Character Limit

Zalo limits messages to ~2,000 characters. OpenClaw automatically chunks longer responses into multiple messages. Streaming is blocked for this reason.

Self-Hosting vs. OpenClaw Launch

You can self-host an OpenClaw Zalo bot with Docker, but it requires a VPS, manual config files, plugin installation, and ongoing maintenance. See our install guide for the full process. OpenClaw Launch skips all of that — configure visually and deploy in seconds. Plans start at $3/month with AI credits included.

What's Next?

Telegram bot setup guide — Set up OpenClaw on Telegram alongside your Zalo bot
Browse 3,200+ skills — Add web search, image generation, file management, and more to your Zalo bot
Compare AI models — See pricing and capabilities for Claude, GPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, and more
WhatsApp bot setup guide — Connect OpenClaw to WhatsApp for another messaging channel