How do I set up a Telegram bot with OpenClaw?
Definitive Answer
Create a bot via Telegram's BotFather to get a bot token, paste the token into your FetchOpenClaws agent integration settings, configure commands and group behavior, then deploy. Your OpenClaw agent will respond in private chats and group conversations with persistent memory and custom slash commands.
Step-by-Step Guide
- 1Open Telegram and message @BotFather. Send /newbot, choose a name and username.
- 2BotFather gives you a bot token (format: 123456:ABC-DEF...). Copy it.
- 3In FetchOpenClaws dashboard, go to your agent → Integrations → Telegram.
- 4Paste the bot token and configure settings: private chat mode, group chat mode, allowed groups.
- 5Map slash commands to agent skills (e.g., /help → help skill, /ask → query skill).
- 6Click Save and Deploy — your Telegram bot is now live.
- 7Add the bot to a Telegram group or start a private chat to test it.
Example Prompt
Set up a Telegram bot for my crypto community. It should answer questions about our project, moderate spam, provide price data via /price command, and remember each user's preferences.
Common Pitfalls
- Not adding the bot as an admin in groups — it cannot read messages without admin permissions
- Sharing the bot token publicly — treat it like a password and store it as an env variable
- Not setting group trigger mode — by default the bot may respond to every message in groups
- Forgetting to register commands with BotFather so they appear in the Telegram command menu
FAQ
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