Channels

Channels connect messaging platforms to your OpenClaw instance so users can DM your AI assistant. Each channel has its own bot token, allow list, and pairing policy.

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Discord

Discord is the simplest channel to set up. Your bot runs as a standard Discord bot that users interact with via direct messages.

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Create a Discord bot

1. Go to the Discord Developer Portal.
2. Click New Application and give it a name.
3. Go to Bot in the left sidebar.
4. Click Reset Token and copy the token.
5. Under Privileged Gateway Intents, enable:
   • Message Content Intent
   • Server Members Intent

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Add the bot to a server

1. Go to OAuth2 > URL Generator.
2. Select the bot scope.
3. Select the permissions your bot needs (at minimum: Send Messages, Read Message History).
4. Copy the generated URL and open it to invite the bot to your server.

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Configure in Operator

1. Open your instance in the Operator dashboard.
2. Go to Channels > Discord.
3. Paste your bot token and click Save.
4. Add Discord usernames to the Allow List. Only these users can interact with the bot.

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DM pairing

When someone not on the allow list DMs the bot, they receive a pairing code. The pairing request appears in your dashboard, where you can approve or deny it. Approved users are added to the allow list automatically.

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Telegram

Telegram bots are created through the BotFather bot. Users interact with your assistant via private messages.

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Create a Telegram bot

1. Open Telegram and start a chat with @BotFather.
2. Send /newbot and follow the prompts to name your bot.
3. BotFather gives you a bot token. Copy it.

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Configure in Operator

1. Open your instance in the Operator dashboard.
2. Go to Channels > Telegram.
3. Paste your bot token and click Save.
4. Add Telegram user IDs to the Allow List.

To find a user’s Telegram ID, you can use bots like @userinfobot.

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Pairing

Users not on the allow list can send the /pair command to your bot. This generates a pairing request in your dashboard. Approve or deny it to control access.

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Slack

Slack uses Socket Mode for real-time communication, which requires both an app token and a bot token.

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Create a Slack app

1. Go to api.slack.com/apps and click Create New App.
2. Choose From scratch and select your workspace.
3. Go to Socket Mode and enable it. Copy the App-Level Token (starts with xapp-).
4. Go to OAuth & Permissions and add these bot token scopes:
   • chat:write
   • im:history
   • im:read
   • im:write
5. Install the app to your workspace and copy the Bot User OAuth Token (starts with xoxb-).

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Configure in Operator

1. Open your instance in the Operator dashboard.
2. Go to Channels > Slack.
3. Paste your App Token and Bot Token, then click Save.
4. Add Slack emails to the Allow List.

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DM pairing

Users not on the allow list who DM the bot receive a pairing code. Approve or deny pairing requests from the dashboard.

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Token reset

If you need to rotate a channel’s bot token:

1. Generate a new token from the platform’s developer portal (Discord, BotFather, or Slack).
2. Update the token in the Operator dashboard.
3. Operator encrypts the new token, syncs the updated configuration to Azure Files, and restarts the container.

No data is lost during a token reset. Conversation history and allow lists are preserved.

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Group policies

Group chat support (channels, servers, group DMs) is not available in the current release. All interactions happen via direct messages.

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Next steps

• Security — How tokens and data are encrypted.
• Instances — Instance configuration and lifecycle.
• What is OpenClaw — Learn about multi-agent routing across channels.