Can OpenClaw connect to WhatsApp?

Yes. OpenClaw connects to WhatsApp via a bridge that links a dedicated WhatsApp number (or your own number on a second device slot) to your OpenClaw instance. It uses WhatsApp's multi-device feature — no third-party API required.

Do I need a second phone number for OpenClaw WhatsApp?

Not necessarily. WhatsApp's multi-device feature lets OpenClaw connect as one of up to 4 linked devices on your existing number. You can also use a separate number (a cheap SIM or virtual number) to keep your AI on its own dedicated contact.

Is connecting OpenClaw to WhatsApp against WhatsApp's terms of service?

WhatsApp's ToS prohibits automated messaging at scale (spam). Personal use automation — where you're messaging your own assistant — is in a grey area. Most users use a dedicated number or a secondary WhatsApp account to reduce any risk. See the security guide for the full picture.

How is Telegram easier than WhatsApp for OpenClaw?

Telegram has an official bot API with no third-party bridges needed. You create a bot with BotFather, get a token, add it to your .env, and OpenClaw responds to that bot in any Telegram chat or DM. It's the quickest messaging integration to set up.

How to Connect OpenClaw to WhatsApp and Telegram (2026 Guide)

This guide assumes you have OpenClaw running (if not, see the getting started guide). Here we connect it to Telegram (easiest) and WhatsApp.

Telegram Setup (Start Here — 15 minutes)

Telegram is the simplest platform to connect because it has an official bot API. No bridges, no workarounds.

Step 1: Create a Telegram Bot with BotFather

Open Telegram and search for @BotFather
Send /newbot
Choose a name for your bot (e.g. "My AI Assistant")
Choose a username (must end in bot, e.g. my_ai_assistant_bot)
BotFather gives you a token that looks like: 1234567890:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrSTUvwxyz

Copy that token — you need it in the next step.

Step 2: Add the Token to OpenClaw

Edit your .env file:

nano .env

Add:

TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=1234567890:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrSTUvwxyz

Restart OpenClaw:

docker compose restart openclaw
# or
pm2 restart openclaw

Step 3: Test the Connection

In Telegram, find your bot by searching its username and send /start. OpenClaw should reply.

Send any message — your AI assistant will respond through the bot.

Optional: Allow group chats

To use OpenClaw in a Telegram group (useful for team setups), send BotFather the command /setjoingroups and enable it for your bot. Then add the bot to any group.

Step 4: Lock the Bot to Only You

By default, anyone who finds your bot can message it. To restrict access to your Telegram user ID only:

Find your Telegram user ID:

Message @userinfobot in Telegram
It returns your numeric ID (e.g. 123456789)

Add to .env:

TELEGRAM_ALLOWED_USER_IDS=123456789
# For multiple users:
# TELEGRAM_ALLOWED_USER_IDS=123456789,987654321

Restart OpenClaw. Now only your account can interact with the bot.

WhatsApp Setup (30–60 minutes)

WhatsApp is more involved because there's no official bot API. OpenClaw uses a WhatsApp bridge that connects via WhatsApp Web's multi-device protocol.

Option A: Dedicated Number (Recommended)

Using a separate number for your AI keeps it clean and avoids any risk to your main WhatsApp account.

Get a number:

A cheap prepaid SIM (easiest)
A virtual Indian number via services like TextNow or similar
A Google Voice number (if you have US access)

Option B: Multi-Device on Your Existing Number

WhatsApp allows up to 4 linked devices. OpenClaw can be one of them — no second number needed. Your AI and your phone share the same WhatsApp account.

Tradeoff: All messages to your number go through OpenClaw too. Configure the WHATSAPP_RESPOND_TO_ALL setting carefully.

Step 1: Enable WhatsApp in OpenClaw

In .env:

WHATSAPP_ENABLED=true
WHATSAPP_SESSION_PATH=./data/whatsapp-session

Restart:

docker compose restart openclaw

Step 2: Scan the QR Code

After restarting, OpenClaw displays a QR code in the terminal/logs:

docker compose logs -f openclaw | grep -A 20 "WhatsApp QR"

Or visit the OpenClaw web UI at localhost:3000 → Settings → WhatsApp — the QR code shows there.

To link using a dedicated number:

Open WhatsApp on the phone with the dedicated number
Go to Settings → Linked Devices → Link a Device
Scan the QR code from OpenClaw

To link as a multi-device on your main number: Same process — link from your own WhatsApp number.

Step 3: Test

Send a WhatsApp message to the connected number. OpenClaw should reply within a few seconds.

If it's your own number: send a message to yourself from another device or contact.

Step 4: Keep the Session Alive

WhatsApp sessions occasionally expire if the server restarts without saving state. Make sure the session path is persistent:

# In .env:
WHATSAPP_SESSION_PATH=./data/whatsapp-session

# Make sure the data/ directory persists across Docker restarts
# If using Docker, ensure your docker-compose.yml mounts the data directory:

Check your docker-compose.yml has a volume mount for the data directory:

services:
  openclaw:
    volumes:
      - ./data:/app/data  # this line ensures session data persists

Step 5: Control Which Messages OpenClaw Responds To

By default, OpenClaw responds to direct messages to the connected number. Configure this in .env:

# Respond only to messages that start with "ai" or "/"
WHATSAPP_TRIGGER_PREFIX=/

# Or respond to all direct messages (default)
WHATSAPP_RESPOND_TO_ALL=true

# Ignore group chats (recommended to start)
WHATSAPP_RESPOND_IN_GROUPS=false

# Only respond to specific contacts (comma-separated phone numbers with country code)
WHATSAPP_ALLOWED_NUMBERS=+919876543210,+919123456789

Discord Setup (Optional, 20 minutes)

If you use Discord for community or team work:

Create a Discord Bot

Go to discord.com/developers/applications
Click New Application, give it a name
Go to Bot → Add Bot
Copy the Bot Token
Under Privileged Gateway Intents, enable Message Content Intent
Go to OAuth2 → URL Generator, select bot scope + Send Messages + Read Message History permissions
Use the generated URL to add the bot to your server

Add to .env:

DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN=your-discord-bot-token
DISCORD_RESPOND_IN_CHANNELS=channel-id-1,channel-id-2

Running All Platforms at Once

OpenClaw handles multiple platform connections simultaneously. Once configured, your .env looks something like:

# LLM
OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...
OPENAI_MODEL=gpt-4o-mini

# Telegram
TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=...
TELEGRAM_ALLOWED_USER_IDS=123456789

# WhatsApp
WHATSAPP_ENABLED=true
WHATSAPP_SESSION_PATH=./data/whatsapp-session
WHATSAPP_ALLOWED_NUMBERS=+919876543210

# Discord
DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN=...

All three run concurrently. You can message your AI from any platform and it maintains the same memory and context across all of them.

Why 24/7 Uptime Matters

Messaging integrations only work when OpenClaw is running. If your laptop is off, your WhatsApp AI goes silent.

For messaging to always work, you need an always-on machine. The options:

Home server / Raspberry Pi — free but requires home hardware
Cloud VPS — reliable, ~₹600–900/month on Hostinger

I cover the full VPS setup in Self-Hosting OpenClaw on Hostinger VPS.

Troubleshooting

Telegram bot not responding:

# Check logs
docker compose logs openclaw | grep -i telegram
# Verify token is correct — no spaces, no quotes in .env

WhatsApp QR code expired: QR codes expire after 60 seconds. Restart OpenClaw to generate a fresh one:

docker compose restart openclaw

WhatsApp session keeps logging out: Make sure the data directory is mounted as a Docker volume (see Step 4 above). The session file must persist across container restarts.

Getting responses from strangers on WhatsApp: Set WHATSAPP_ALLOWED_NUMBERS to restrict to your number only. Or use a dedicated number that you don't share publicly.

Discord bot can't read messages: Ensure Message Content Intent is enabled in the Discord developer portal for your app.

This guide assumes you have OpenClaw running (if not, see the getting started guide). Here we connect it to Telegram (easiest) and WhatsApp.

Telegram Setup (Start Here — 15 minutes)

Telegram is the simplest platform to connect because it has an official bot API. No bridges, no workarounds.

Step 1: Create a Telegram Bot with BotFather

Open Telegram and search for @BotFather
Send /newbot
Choose a name for your bot (e.g. "My AI Assistant")
Choose a username (must end in bot, e.g. my_ai_assistant_bot)
BotFather gives you a token that looks like: 1234567890:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrSTUvwxyz

Copy that token — you need it in the next step.

Step 2: Add the Token to OpenClaw

Edit your .env file:

nano .env

Add:

TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=1234567890:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrSTUvwxyz

Restart OpenClaw:

docker compose restart openclaw
# or
pm2 restart openclaw

Step 3: Test the Connection

In Telegram, find your bot by searching its username and send /start. OpenClaw should reply.

Send any message — your AI assistant will respond through the bot.

Optional: Allow group chats

To use OpenClaw in a Telegram group (useful for team setups), send BotFather the command /setjoingroups and enable it for your bot. Then add the bot to any group.

Step 4: Lock the Bot to Only You

By default, anyone who finds your bot can message it. To restrict access to your Telegram user ID only:

Find your Telegram user ID:

Message @userinfobot in Telegram
It returns your numeric ID (e.g. 123456789)

Add to .env:

TELEGRAM_ALLOWED_USER_IDS=123456789
# For multiple users:
# TELEGRAM_ALLOWED_USER_IDS=123456789,987654321

Restart OpenClaw. Now only your account can interact with the bot.

WhatsApp Setup (30–60 minutes)

WhatsApp is more involved because there's no official bot API. OpenClaw uses a WhatsApp bridge that connects via WhatsApp Web's multi-device protocol.

Option A: Dedicated Number (Recommended)

Using a separate number for your AI keeps it clean and avoids any risk to your main WhatsApp account.

Get a number:

A cheap prepaid SIM (easiest)
A virtual Indian number via services like TextNow or similar
A Google Voice number (if you have US access)

Option B: Multi-Device on Your Existing Number

WhatsApp allows up to 4 linked devices. OpenClaw can be one of them — no second number needed. Your AI and your phone share the same WhatsApp account.

Tradeoff: All messages to your number go through OpenClaw too. Configure the WHATSAPP_RESPOND_TO_ALL setting carefully.

Step 1: Enable WhatsApp in OpenClaw

In .env:

WHATSAPP_ENABLED=true
WHATSAPP_SESSION_PATH=./data/whatsapp-session

Restart:

docker compose restart openclaw

Step 2: Scan the QR Code

After restarting, OpenClaw displays a QR code in the terminal/logs:

docker compose logs -f openclaw | grep -A 20 "WhatsApp QR"

Or visit the OpenClaw web UI at localhost:3000 → Settings → WhatsApp — the QR code shows there.

To link using a dedicated number:

Open WhatsApp on the phone with the dedicated number
Go to Settings → Linked Devices → Link a Device
Scan the QR code from OpenClaw

To link as a multi-device on your main number: Same process — link from your own WhatsApp number.

Step 3: Test

Send a WhatsApp message to the connected number. OpenClaw should reply within a few seconds.

If it's your own number: send a message to yourself from another device or contact.

Step 4: Keep the Session Alive

WhatsApp sessions occasionally expire if the server restarts without saving state. Make sure the session path is persistent:

# In .env:
WHATSAPP_SESSION_PATH=./data/whatsapp-session

# Make sure the data/ directory persists across Docker restarts
# If using Docker, ensure your docker-compose.yml mounts the data directory:

Check your docker-compose.yml has a volume mount for the data directory:

services:
  openclaw:
    volumes:
      - ./data:/app/data  # this line ensures session data persists

Step 5: Control Which Messages OpenClaw Responds To

By default, OpenClaw responds to direct messages to the connected number. Configure this in .env:

# Respond only to messages that start with "ai" or "/"
WHATSAPP_TRIGGER_PREFIX=/

# Or respond to all direct messages (default)
WHATSAPP_RESPOND_TO_ALL=true

# Ignore group chats (recommended to start)
WHATSAPP_RESPOND_IN_GROUPS=false

# Only respond to specific contacts (comma-separated phone numbers with country code)
WHATSAPP_ALLOWED_NUMBERS=+919876543210,+919123456789

Discord Setup (Optional, 20 minutes)

If you use Discord for community or team work:

Create a Discord Bot

Go to discord.com/developers/applications
Click New Application, give it a name
Go to Bot → Add Bot
Copy the Bot Token
Under Privileged Gateway Intents, enable Message Content Intent
Go to OAuth2 → URL Generator, select bot scope + Send Messages + Read Message History permissions
Use the generated URL to add the bot to your server

Add to .env:

DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN=your-discord-bot-token
DISCORD_RESPOND_IN_CHANNELS=channel-id-1,channel-id-2

Running All Platforms at Once

OpenClaw handles multiple platform connections simultaneously. Once configured, your .env looks something like:

# LLM
OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...
OPENAI_MODEL=gpt-4o-mini

# Telegram
TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=...
TELEGRAM_ALLOWED_USER_IDS=123456789

# WhatsApp
WHATSAPP_ENABLED=true
WHATSAPP_SESSION_PATH=./data/whatsapp-session
WHATSAPP_ALLOWED_NUMBERS=+919876543210

# Discord
DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN=...

All three run concurrently. You can message your AI from any platform and it maintains the same memory and context across all of them.

Why 24/7 Uptime Matters

Messaging integrations only work when OpenClaw is running. If your laptop is off, your WhatsApp AI goes silent.

For messaging to always work, you need an always-on machine. The options:

Home server / Raspberry Pi — free but requires home hardware
Cloud VPS — reliable, ~₹600–900/month on Hostinger

I cover the full VPS setup in Self-Hosting OpenClaw on Hostinger VPS.

Troubleshooting

Telegram bot not responding:

# Check logs
docker compose logs openclaw | grep -i telegram
# Verify token is correct — no spaces, no quotes in .env

WhatsApp QR code expired: QR codes expire after 60 seconds. Restart OpenClaw to generate a fresh one:

docker compose restart openclaw

WhatsApp session keeps logging out: Make sure the data directory is mounted as a Docker volume (see Step 4 above). The session file must persist across container restarts.

Getting responses from strangers on WhatsApp: Set WHATSAPP_ALLOWED_NUMBERS to restrict to your number only. Or use a dedicated number that you don't share publicly.

Discord bot can't read messages: Ensure Message Content Intent is enabled in the Discord developer portal for your app.

Telegram Setup (Start Here — 15 minutes)

Step 1: Create a Telegram Bot with BotFather

Step 2: Add the Token to OpenClaw

Step 3: Test the Connection

Step 4: Lock the Bot to Only You

WhatsApp Setup (30–60 minutes)

Option A: Dedicated Number (Recommended)

Option B: Multi-Device on Your Existing Number

Step 1: Enable WhatsApp in OpenClaw

Step 2: Scan the QR Code

Step 3: Test

Step 4: Keep the Session Alive

Step 5: Control Which Messages OpenClaw Responds To

Discord Setup (Optional, 20 minutes)

Create a Discord Bot

Running All Platforms at Once

Why 24/7 Uptime Matters

Troubleshooting

Related articles

Best LLM for OpenClaw: Anthropic vs OpenAI vs Local Models (2026)

Is OpenClaw Safe? Security Risks, the Google Ban, and What to Do

Building Custom Skills and Plugins for OpenClaw

Telegram Setup (Start Here — 15 minutes)

Step 1: Create a Telegram Bot with BotFather

Step 2: Add the Token to OpenClaw

Step 3: Test the Connection

Step 4: Lock the Bot to Only You

WhatsApp Setup (30–60 minutes)

Option A: Dedicated Number (Recommended)

Option B: Multi-Device on Your Existing Number

Step 1: Enable WhatsApp in OpenClaw

Step 2: Scan the QR Code

Step 3: Test

Step 4: Keep the Session Alive

Step 5: Control Which Messages OpenClaw Responds To

Discord Setup (Optional, 20 minutes)

Create a Discord Bot

Running All Platforms at Once

Why 24/7 Uptime Matters

Troubleshooting

Related articles

Best LLM for OpenClaw: Anthropic vs OpenAI vs Local Models (2026)

Is OpenClaw Safe? Security Risks, the Google Ban, and What to Do

Building Custom Skills and Plugins for OpenClaw