title: “Openclaw Telegram Bot Setup”
date: 2026-04-24
description: “A step-by-step guide to setting up and configuring Openclaw Telegram bot integration. Covers bot token creation via BotFather, installation, configuration, security best practices, and troubleshooting common issues.”
categories: [OpenClaw, AI Agents, Telegram Bots, Python, Automation]
Setting up your first Openclaw Telegram bot is easier than you think. In this guide, I’ll walk you through every step—from creating your bot token with BotFather to deploying your fully functional agent.
Creating Your Bot Token with BotFather
The first step is creating your bot on Telegram using @BotFather:
- Open Telegram and search for “@BotFather”
- Send
/newbotcommand - Choose your bot name (e.g., “My Openclaw Bot”)
- Set unique username ending in “bot” (e.g., “my_openclaw_bot”)
- Copy the token provided (format:
1234567890:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrsTUVwxyz)
Installing Openclaw and Dependencies
You’ll need Python 3.9+ and pip:
pip install openclaw python-dotenv
Quick Configuration Example
Create config.yaml:
telegram:
token: "YOUR_BOT_TOKEN_HERE"
chat_id:
openclaw:
agents_dir: "./agents"
log_level: "INFO"
Security Best Practices
- Store tokens in environment variables
- Rate limit conversations to prevent abuse
- Validate all user input
- Monitor bot activity with logging
FAQ
Q: How do I get my chat ID for testing?
A: Add @userinfobot to any Telegram chat and send a message—it will return the chat ID.
Q: What permissions does my bot need?
A: Enable “messages”, “inline queries”, and “callback queries” in BotFather settings.
Q: How do I deploy my Openclaw telegram bot?
A: Run python -m openclaw.cli run --config config.yaml and ensure your virtual environment is activated.
Q: What’s the fastest way to test my setup?
A: Send /start to your bot after starting Openclaw—you should receive a welcome response.
Q: How do I troubleshoot connection issues?
A: Check Openclaw logs for errors, verify token validity, and ensure bot isn’t rate limited.
