How to Connect OpenClaw to Telegram (2026 Complete Guide)

Telegram is the most popular platform for OpenClaw users — and for good reason. Telegram's bot API is fast, reliable, and works on every device. Once connected, your OpenClaw AI assistant receives your messages and responds just like a contact in your chat.

This guide covers the complete setup process: creating a Telegram bot, getting your token, and connecting it to OpenClaw — both via EZClaw (the fast path) and via manual self-hosting.

What You'll Need

• A Telegram account (any device)
• An OpenClaw hosting setup — either EZClaw (no technical knowledge required) or a self-hosted server
• An AI provider API key if self-hosting (not needed with EZClaw)

Step 1: Create Your Telegram Bot with BotFather

BotFather is Telegram's official bot management tool. Every Telegram bot in existence was created through it. Here's how:

1. Open Telegram on any device and search for @BotFather (the verified one with a blue checkmark).
2. Start a conversation and send the command: /newbot
3. BotFather will ask for a display name for your bot. This is what appears in the chat header. Example: My AI Assistant
4. Next, BotFather asks for a username. This must be unique across all of Telegram and must end in bot. Example: myaiassistant_bot
5. BotFather will confirm the bot was created and send you a bot token — a long string that looks like: 7841234567:AAHxyz...

Important: Keep your bot token private. Anyone who has it can control your bot. Do not share it in public forums or commit it to version control.

Step 2: Connect to OpenClaw

You now have two options depending on how you're running OpenClaw.

Option A: With EZClaw (Recommended — Under 1 Minute)

1. Go to ezclaw.cloud
2. Select your preferred AI model (GPT-5.2, Gemini 3, or GLM-5)
3. Click Telegram as your messaging channel
4. Paste the bot token BotFather gave you
5. Click Deploy

EZClaw handles everything from here — provisioning a cloud server, installing OpenClaw, configuring the Telegram webhook, connecting your AI provider, and starting the service. Your bot will be responding to messages within about 60 seconds.

Option B: Manual Self-Hosted Setup

If you're self-hosting OpenClaw on a VPS, the Telegram configuration requires setting up a webhook so Telegram can forward messages to your server:

1. Install OpenClaw on your VPS following the official Telegram integration guide.
2. Add your bot token to OpenClaw's environment configuration file (TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=your_token_here).
3. If you need inbound webhooks (for groups or certain features), configure your server's public domain and SSL certificate so Telegram can reach your instance.
4. Start the OpenClaw service. For polling mode (DMs only), no public domain is required.

Step 3: Test Your Bot

Once connected (via either method), open Telegram and find your bot by its username. Send it a message like “Hello! What can you help me with?”

You should receive a response within a few seconds. If you're using EZClaw, you can watch the deployment log in real time to confirm everything connected successfully.

Customizing Your Bot

Back in BotFather, you can customize your bot further with these commands:

• /setdescription — set the text users see when they first open the bot
• /setuserpic — add a profile photo for your bot
• /setcommands — configure the slash commands menu that appears in the chat
• /setprivacy — control whether the bot can read all messages in groups or only those directed at it

Troubleshooting

My bot isn't responding. Verify the bot token was copied correctly (no spaces, no line breaks). If using EZClaw, check the deployment log for error messages. If self-hosting, ensure the OpenClaw process is running and the Telegram webhook URL is correctly configured.

The bot responds but gives an error about AI credits. Your AI provider API key may have insufficient credits. Check your OpenAI/Google/Z.AI billing page. With EZClaw, your $15 monthly credit allowance is pre-configured.

I need the bot to work in a group chat. OpenClaw supports Telegram groups. Add your bot to the group and use /setprivacy off in BotFather so the bot can read all messages in the group (not just direct mentions).

Next Steps

Once your OpenClaw Telegram bot is running, you can teach it new skills through natural language — just tell it what you want it to do. Try:

• “Summarize any emails I forward you”
• “Remind me every morning at 9am with my priorities for the day”
• “When I send you a URL, summarize the page”

If you haven't deployed OpenClaw yet, the no-server deployment guide is the fastest way to get started without any technical knowledge.