openclaw-channels

name	openclaw-channels
description	Use when the user wants to set up WhatsApp, configure Telegram, add Discord, connect Slack, pair a channel, manage OpenClaw channels, configure DM policies, set up group mention gating, or connect any messaging platform to OpenClaw.

OpenClaw Channel Setup

Guide the user through connecting messaging platforms to their OpenClaw gateway.

Supported Channels

Built-in: WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Slack, Signal, BlueBubbles, iMessage (legacy), IRC, Google Chat, WebChat

Plugin channels: Matrix, Mattermost, Microsoft Teams, Feishu, LINE, Nextcloud Talk, Nostr, Synology Chat, Tlon, Twitch, Zalo

Fastest setup: Telegram (simple bot token). Most popular: WhatsApp (QR pairing, more state on disk).

DM Policies

Each channel has a dmPolicy controlling who can message the bot:

Policy	Behavior
pairing	Unknown senders get 8-char code (expires 1hr). Owner approves via CLI. Default.
allowlist	Only sender IDs in allowFrom list. Requires at least one ID.
open	Any sender allowed. Requires allowFrom: ["*"].
disabled	No DM processing.

Manage pairing:

openclaw pairing list <channel>
openclaw pairing approve <channel> <CODE>

Group Mention Gating

Groups require explicit configuration. Two controls apply together:

1. Which groups - Configure groups section (acts as allowlist)
2. Which senders - Set groupPolicy (open/allowlist/disabled)

By default, groups require @mention to respond:

{
  channels: {
    telegram: {
      groups: {
        "*": { requireMention: true },
      },
    },
  },
}

Telegram Setup (BotFather + grammY)

1. Open Telegram, chat with @BotFather, run /newbot
2. Save the bot token (format: 123:abc...)
3. Configure:

{
  channels: {
    telegram: {
      enabled: true,
      botToken: "123:abc",
      dmPolicy: "pairing",
      groups: { "*": { requireMention: true } },
    },
  },
}

4. Start gateway, approve first DM:

openclaw gateway restart
openclaw pairing list telegram
openclaw pairing approve telegram <CODE>

Privacy mode: Disable via /setprivacy in BotFather, or make bot a group admin. Remove and re-add bot to groups after changing.

WhatsApp Setup (Baileys + QR)

1. Configure channel:

{
  channels: {
    whatsapp: {
      enabled: true,
      dmPolicy: "pairing",
      groups: { "*": { requireMention: true } },
    },
  },
}

2. Start gateway — QR code appears in terminal or Control UI
3. Scan QR with WhatsApp on your phone (Settings > Linked Devices)
4. Approve DMs via pairing codes

Discord Setup (Bot API + Gateway)

1. Create app at discord.com/developers, add Bot, enable Message Content Intent
2. Generate bot token, invite to server with appropriate permissions
3. Configure:

{
  channels: {
    discord: {
      enabled: true,
      botToken: "your-token",
      dmPolicy: "pairing",
    },
  },
}

Slack Setup (Bolt SDK)

1. Create Slack app at api.slack.com/apps
2. Enable Socket Mode, add Bot Token Scopes
3. Configure:

{
  channels: {
    slack: {
      enabled: true,
      botToken: "xoxb-...",
      appToken: "xapp-...",
    },
  },
}

Multi-Account Channels

Run multiple bots on the same channel:

{
  channels: {
    telegram: {
      defaultAccount: "main",
      accounts: {
        main: { botToken: "123:abc", dmPolicy: "pairing" },
        work: { botToken: "456:def", dmPolicy: "allowlist", allowFrom: ["111"] },
      },
    },
  },
}

Channel Status

openclaw channels status           # All channels
openclaw channels status --probe   # Probe connections

See references/channel-setup.md for per-channel checklists with detailed config snippets.