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Telegram integration allows interaction with the Gclaw AI assistant directly from Telegram. This requires creating a Telegram bot and configuring the Gclaw instance with the bot token. A running Gclaw instance and a Telegram account are required.
Ask the Gclaw assistant directly: “How do I connect Telegram?” The assistant provides interactive instructions in the chat.

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Step 1. Create a Telegram bot

To create a bot and obtain a bot token:
  1. Open Telegram and search for @BotFather.
  2. Start a chat with BotFather and send the command /newbot.
  3. Follow the prompts: enter a display name and a username ending with “bot”.
  4. After successful creation, BotFather sends a message containing the bot token — a string in the format 123456789:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrSTUvwxYZ.
  5. Copy and save this token for the next step.
Keep the bot token secure. Anyone with access to this token can control the bot.

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Step 2. Add the token to OpenClaw

In the Gclaw chat interface, provide the bot token to the assistant: “I have a Telegram bot token: YOUR_TOKEN_HERE - can you add it to my configuration?” The assistant applies the token directly to the OpenClaw configuration. The gateway automatically restarts and the Telegram bot becomes active within seconds.
Gclaw chat showing Telegram bot token setup instructions and BotFather steps

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Step 3. Connect a Telegram account

Gclaw uses pairing mode by default to connect Telegram accounts:
  1. Open Telegram and find the newly created bot by searching for its username.
  2. Send any message to the bot.
  3. The bot responds with a pairing code in the format openclaw pairing approve telegram XXX123.
  4. Paste the pairing code in the Gclaw chat interface. The assistant approves the pairing automatically.

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Verify the connection

After completing the pairing, send a test message to the bot in Telegram. The Gclaw assistant responds to the message.
If no response is received, verify that the bot token is correct and the pairing was completed successfully. If the instance is unresponsive, click Restart in Settings.

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Advanced configuration

Additional Telegram configuration options are available by asking the Gclaw assistant:
  • “How do I set up group support for Telegram?”
  • “Configure my Telegram bot to require @mentions in groups”
  • “How do I allow multiple accounts on my Telegram bot?”