Telegram is one of the quickest channels to add to OpenClaw, but it is easy to mix up token setup, pairing, privacy mode, and allowlists. Keep them separate and the connection flow becomes straightforward.
Quick answer
Create the token in BotFather, add it to OpenClaw, approve the first DM or configure the allowlist, then probe the channel before you move to group chats.
Command line steps
1. Create the bot token and add Telegram
Once you have the BotFather token, attach it from the CLI.
BASH
$openclaw channels add --channel telegram --token "$TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN"
2. Approve or allow the first DM
OpenClaw uses pairing by default for Telegram DMs unless you change the policy.
BASH
$openclaw pairing list telegram
openclaw pairing approve telegram <CODE>
3. Verify the channel from the CLI
A probe and live logs are the fastest way to confirm the bot is actually receiving traffic.
BASH
$openclaw channels status --probe
openclaw logs --follow
What to check if it still fails
- If DMs work but groups do not, review Telegram privacy mode and the group allowlist separately.
- If you prefer a stable one-owner setup, move from pairing to
allowFrominstead of relying on old approvals forever. - If the bot token changed, remove the stale channel entry and add the token again instead of guessing which field is wrong.