Connect Telegram to OpenClaw

The Main Event

This is where your server becomes an AI assistant. You installed OpenClaw in Lesson 7 — now you'll connect it to Telegram so you can chat with it from your phone.

Step 1: Connect Telegram

If you ran openclaw onboard in Lesson 7 and skipped the messaging channel, you can re-run it:

ssh claw@YOUR_SERVER_IP
openclaw onboard

Follow the wizard to:

1. Select Telegram as your channel
2. Paste your bot token from Lesson 8
3. OpenClaw will automatically start polling for messages

Step 2: Send Your First Message

Open Telegram and send a message to your bot. Something simple:

Hello, are you there?

Watch the logs in real time to confirm the message arrives:

journalctl --user -u openclaw-gateway -n 10 -f

Press Ctrl+C to stop following the logs.

Troubleshooting

• Bot doesn't respond: Check journalctl --user -u openclaw-gateway -n 50 for errors. Most common cause: wrong bot token.
• Service keeps restarting: Check logs with journalctl --user -u openclaw-gateway -n 50 — usually a config error.
• OpenClaw not running: If systemctl --user status openclaw-gateway shows inactive, start it: systemctl --user start openclaw-gateway.

When You're Done

• OpenClaw running (systemctl --user status openclaw-gateway shows active)
• Telegram channel connected via bot token
• Sent a test message to your bot
• Message appears in logs