How to Connect OpenClaw to Telegram: Bot Setup Guide
Telegram is one of the easiest messaging platforms to integrate with OpenClaw, making it an excellent starting point for your first AI agent deployment. Creating a Telegram bot takes just a few minutes, and connecting it to OpenClaw adds AI intelligence to that bot. This guide walks you through creating a Telegram bot, connecting it to OpenClaw, and configuring your agent for the best Telegram experience.
What You Need
- ✓A working OpenClaw installation
- ✓A Telegram account
- ✓Access to your OpenClaw dashboard
- ✓About 20-30 minutes
Step-by-Step Guide
Create a Telegram bot with BotFather
Open Telegram and search for @BotFather — the official Telegram bot for creating bots. Send the /newbot command. BotFather will ask you to choose a name for your bot (displayed in chats) and a username (must end in "bot"). Once created, BotFather gives you an API token — a long string of characters. Save this token securely; it is the key to controlling your bot.
Configure bot settings in BotFather
While still chatting with BotFather, set up your bot profile. Use /setdescription to add a description users see before starting a conversation. Use /setabouttext for the bot's profile page. Use /setuserpic to upload a profile picture. These details help users trust your bot and understand its purpose.
Connect the bot to OpenClaw
In your OpenClaw dashboard, go to integrations and select Telegram. Paste the API token from BotFather. OpenClaw will verify the connection and set up a webhook — this tells Telegram to forward all messages to your OpenClaw server. The connection is established instantly.
Configure agent behavior for Telegram
Add Telegram-specific guidelines to your Soul.md. Telegram supports rich formatting (bold, italic, code blocks, links) and inline buttons. Configure your agent to use these features where appropriate. Keep responses concise for the mobile messaging format. Consider adding commands that users can trigger (like /help or /status).
Test and deploy
Open a chat with your bot on Telegram and send a test message. Verify the agent responds correctly and promptly. Test various conversation scenarios. Once satisfied, share your bot link with your audience. Telegram bots can be easily shared via t.me/yourbotname links.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- !Losing the BotFather API token — if lost, you need to regenerate it, which disconnects existing integrations
- !Not setting a bot description — users will not know what your bot does when they first encounter it
- !Sending overly long messages — Telegram has a 4096-character message limit
- !Forgetting to handle the /start command — this is the first thing new users send
Want the full walkthrough? This guide covers the essentials, but the CampeloClaw course provides detailed video instruction for every step, troubleshooting guides, and hands-on practice exercises.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Telegram Bot API free?
Yes, completely free. Telegram does not charge for bot API usage, making it one of the most cost-effective messaging integrations for OpenClaw.
Can my Telegram bot handle group chats?
Yes. OpenClaw can be configured to respond in Telegram group chats, though it is most commonly used for direct (one-on-one) conversations.
Related Pages
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