By default you operate OpenClaw from the Dashboard. That works fine, but you have to open a browser, sign in, and find the page.
Once it's connected to a messaging platform, giving it a command is like texting a friend — from your phone, on the commute, in the gap before a client meeting.
30-second overview
| Item | Telegram | Discord |
|---|---|---|
| Setup difficulty | Low | Medium |
| Steps involved | Just chat with BotFather | Create an app, set permissions, generate an invite link |
| Mobile experience | Good | Average |
| Team collaboration | Average | Good (split across channels) |
| Best for | Personal use | Shared team use |
If it's just for you, Telegram is clearly the easier choice. Discord is worth the extra setup time only when a team shares the agent and you want different projects in different channels.
Connecting Telegram
Step 1: create a bot
Find the official BotFather in Telegram, send the command to create a new bot, and follow the prompts to pick a name and username. When it's done, it hands you a bot token.
That token is the key to your bot, so don't paste it anywhere public — anyone who has it gets full control of the bot.
Step 2: enter it in OpenClaw
Open the settings in your Dashboard, find the Telegram section, paste the token, and save. The system establishes the connection automatically.
Step 3: test it
Search for the bot username you just created in Telegram and send it a message. If it replies, you're connected.
You have to send that first message yourself — a Telegram bot can't start a private conversation with someone it has never interacted with. That's a platform rule, not a configuration problem.
Connecting Discord
Step 1: create an application and bot
Go to the Discord developer portal, create a new application, create a bot on the Bot tab, and copy the bot token.
Step 2: set permissions and invite it to your server
In the OAuth2 URL Generator, tick the bot scope and permissions, generate the invite link, and use that link to add the bot to your server.
This step is why Discord is more work than Telegram: creating the bot doesn't put it in your server — the invite is an extra round trip.
Step 3: enter it in OpenClaw
Back in the Dashboard settings, find the Discord section, paste the token, and save. The bot comes online automatically.
Troubleshooting order when it won't connect
| Symptom | Check first |
|---|---|
| The bot doesn't respond at all | Whether the token was pasted wrong or picked up whitespace |
| Telegram can't find the bot | You need to search the bot username, not the display name |
| The Discord bot is offline | Whether you actually added it to the server with the invite link |
| It replies, but slowly | That's the AI model's response time, not an integration problem |
| It worked before and suddenly stopped | Whether the token was regenerated somewhere else |
That last row gets overlooked: regenerating a token on the platform side invalidates the old one immediately, and you have to update it in OpenClaw to match.
You can connect both platforms at once
A single instance can be connected to Telegram and Discord simultaneously, and you can issue commands from either.
In practice: Telegram for yourself, Discord for the team. Ad-hoc personal requests go through Telegram; shared team work goes through dedicated Discord channels.
Things to keep in mind after connecting
Response speed comes from the model, not the integration
Messages reach OpenClaw quickly, but it has to call the AI model before it can answer. When it feels slow, check whether that's the model's own response time — switching to a faster model helps more than adjusting the integration.
Messaging platforms are optional
You never have to connect one; the Dashboard works the same either way. The integration solves "I don't want to open a browser," not any functional requirement.
Keep bot tokens and API keys separate
A bot token is the key to your messaging platform; an AI model's API key is a different thing entirely. Leaking each has different consequences — one lets someone control your bot, the other lets someone spend your quota. See the API key setup guide for configuration.
How people actually use it once it's connected
Finishing setup is only the start; the real difference shows up in habits. A few common patterns:
Fire off whatever comes to mind
You remember mid-meeting that you need to look something up, or think of a list to compile during the commute — no waiting until you're back at a computer. Send the message, and the result is waiting when you return.
Use it as an inbox for to-dos
Instead of holding it in your head until you have time, send it to the bot. It handles what it can, and what it can't at least leaves a record.
Split channels when a team shares it
This is where Discord wins: a separate channel per project keeps commands and results from mixing. Doing the same thing in a Telegram group gets hard to read as soon as three people are issuing commands.
When you don't need the integration at all
Honestly: if you're always sitting at a computer, the Dashboard is the better experience — you can watch the whole run, copy results, and adjust settings.
Messaging platforms solve the case where you're away from your computer. If that isn't your situation, you can skip this step for now.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Do I have to connect a messaging platform?
No. It's optional, and every feature works normally in the Dashboard without it.
Q: What do I do if a token leaks?
Generate a new one in that platform's console; the old one stops working immediately. Then update the setting in OpenClaw. Regenerating is the only effective response — changing a password or similar does nothing.
Q: Can several people share one bot?
Discord's channel model suits multiple people better. You can also add a Telegram bot to a group, but everyone's commands end up mixed into one conversation.
Q: Do integrations disappear after a format and rebuild?
Yes. Paired devices are on the list of things that get wiped, so you have to set them up again afterward. See the format and rebuild guide for details.
Sources and further reading
The official documentation is the authority on bot specs and limits for both platforms:
- Telegram bot documentation — how to use BotFather
- Telegram Bot API reference
- Discord developer documentation
- Discord developer portal — create applications and bots
Related articles
- OpenClaw post-install setup: launching your AI agent from scratch
- API key setup guide: configuring an AI model for OpenClaw
- What OpenClaw can and can't do: limits and how to pick a plan
- OpenClaw FAQ
- RoamerHost OpenClaw hosting plans
Want someone to build it for you?
If you'd rather not assemble these workflows yourself, or the scale is big enough that you want someone planning alongside you, Roamer Tech (RoamerHost's parent company) takes on contract work for business process automation and AI agent development:
