How to Set Messaging Channels During Setup in OpenClaw

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Setting up messaging channels is one of the most important steps during the OpenClaw onboarding process. These channels allow your AI agent to communicate with users through platforms like Telegram, WhatsApp, Slack, and more.

When configuring your OpenClaw instance, the setup wizard will prompt you to select a messaging channel so your agent can receive and send messages externally.

In this guide, we’ll walk through how to set messaging channels during setup in OpenClaw, using the QuickStart channel configuration shown in the onboarding terminal.

Watch the Setup Walkthrough

If you prefer a visual walkthrough, you can watch the full setup process in this video:

👉 https://www.loom.com/embed/33e90947a40b47358b819d254f5484ec

This video demonstrates how messaging channels are selected and connected during the OpenClaw onboarding process.

Why Messaging Channels Are Important

OpenClaw acts as the AI agent engine, but messaging channels are how users interact with that agent.

Without connecting a channel, the AI agent will still run internally but it will not be accessible through messaging platforms.

Messaging channels allow OpenClaw to:

Send AI responses to users

Receive messages from external platforms

Automate conversations

Trigger workflows and tasks

Integrate with collaboration tools

That’s why the channel selection step appears directly during onboarding.

Step 1: Start the OpenClaw Onboarding Process

To configure messaging channels, you first need to start the OpenClaw onboarding wizard.

Open the terminal inside your instance and run:

openclaw onboard

This launches the setup process where OpenClaw guides you through configuration steps such as:

Gateway configuration

Model provider selection

Messaging channel setup

Skills configuration

Hooks configuration

Once the model provider is configured, the setup wizard will move to channel configuration.

Step 2: OpenClaw Displays Channel Selection (QuickStart)

During onboarding, you’ll see a section called:

Select channel (QuickStart)

This screen lists multiple messaging platforms that OpenClaw can connect to.

From the screenshots in the setup wizard, available channels include:

Telegram (Bot API)

WhatsApp (QR link)

Discord (Bot API)

Google Chat (Chat API)

Slack (Socket Mode)

Signal (signal-cli)

iMessage (imsg)

Feishu / Lark

Nostr (NIP-04 DMs)

Microsoft Teams (Bot Framework)

Mattermost

Nextcloud Talk

Matrix

BlueBubbles (macOS app)

LINE Messaging API

Zalo (Bot API)

Zalo Personal Account

Tlon decentralized messaging

The wizard allows you to select one or more messaging platforms depending on your needs.

Step 3: Choose the Channel You Want to Connect

Using the keyboard selection menu in the terminal, you can highlight the channel you want to use.

In the example shown in the screenshots, WhatsApp (QR link) was selected.

Other common choices include:

Telegram (Bot API)

A popular option for automation bots.

WhatsApp (QR link)

Allows your agent to connect using a QR authentication method.

Discord (Bot API)

Ideal for community servers or developer teams.

Slack (Socket Mode)

Useful for internal team automation.

Once selected, the wizard will continue with channel authentication.

Step 4: Connect the Messaging Channel

After selecting the channel, OpenClaw begins connecting it to your agent.

For example:

WhatsApp Connection

When WhatsApp is selected, the setup process links your phone account through a QR connection.

Once successful, the terminal shows a confirmation message such as:

System: WhatsApp gateway connected

This confirms that your OpenClaw agent can now send and receive WhatsApp messages.

Step 5: Confirm the Selected Channel

After selecting the messaging channel, the setup wizard displays a confirmation section called:

Selected channels

This confirms which channel has been successfully configured.

For example, the screen may show:

WhatsApp — works with your own number

This means your OpenClaw instance is now connected to that messaging platform.

The configuration file is then updated automatically.

Step 6: Continue Setup or Skip Additional Channels

Once the messaging channel is configured, the onboarding wizard continues to the next setup steps.

These usually include:

Skills configuration

Hooks configuration

Agent session setup

If you want to add additional channels later, you can always rerun the onboarding process.

Step 7: Test the Messaging Channel

After completing setup, you should verify that the messaging channel works properly.

Open the OpenClaw dashboard and go to:

Chat

Send a simple message like:

Hi

If the channel is configured correctly, the AI agent will respond.

You may also see system messages confirming the connection.

Common Messaging Channel Setup Issues

While setting messaging channels during setup is usually straightforward, a few issues may appear.

Here are some common problems:

Channel authentication not completed

For example, failing to scan the WhatsApp QR code.

Incorrect bot credentials

Telegram or Discord bots require valid API tokens.

Network restrictions

Certain environments may block messaging APIs.

Multiple channels selected accidentally

This can cause configuration confusion during onboarding.

If any issue occurs, you can simply rerun:

openclaw onboard

to restart the configuration process.

What Happens After Messaging Channels Are Connected

Once your messaging channel is active, your OpenClaw agent becomes accessible through that platform.

This allows you to:

Chat with your AI agent directly

Automate replies

Trigger agent commands

Integrate workflows

Run scheduled tasks

Send notifications

Messaging channels essentially turn your OpenClaw instance into a fully interactive AI assistant.

Final Thoughts

Learning how to set messaging channels during setup in OpenClaw is a key step in making your AI agent usable outside the dashboard.

During onboarding, OpenClaw provides a simple QuickStart menu that lets you connect platforms like Telegram, WhatsApp, Discord, and Slack.

The basic process looks like this:

Run onboarding

Select a messaging channel

Authenticate the channel

Confirm the connection

Test the agent

Once the channel is connected, your OpenClaw agent is ready to interact with users across your chosen messaging platform.

And from there, you can start building powerful automations and AI-driven workflows.