Use OpenClaw on Multiple Channels

What You Will Achieve

By following this guide, you will learn how to use OpenClaw across multiple messaging platforms at the same time. You can chat with AI through Telegram, Discord, and WhatsApp, all managed from a single OpenClaw installation.

Before You Start

Make sure you have:

1. OpenClaw installed and running on your computer
2. At least one channel already connected (Telegram, Discord, or WhatsApp)
3. Accounts on the platforms you want to add

How Multi-Channel Works

OpenClaw acts as a central hub for all your messaging platforms:

┌─────────────┐     ┌─────────────┐     ┌─────────────┐
│  Telegram   │     │   Discord   │     │  WhatsApp   │
└──────┬──────┘     └──────┬──────┘     └──────┬──────┘
       │                   │                   │
       └───────────────────┼───────────────────┘
                           │
                    ┌──────▼──────┐
                    │   OpenClaw  │
                    │   Gateway   │
                    └──────┬──────┘
                           │
                    ┌──────▼──────┐
                    │  AI Service │
                    └─────────────┘

Key benefits:

• One AI, many platforms: Same AI assistant across all your apps
• Unified settings: Configure once, use everywhere
• Single configuration file: Manage all channels from ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json

Adding Multiple Channels

Check Your Current Channels

First, see what channels you have connected:

openclaw channels status

For more detailed status with connectivity checks:

openclaw channels status --probe

Add Additional Channels

Each channel has its own setup process. Follow the appropriate guide:

• Telegram - Connect to Telegram (Easy)
• Discord - Connect to Discord (Easy)
• WhatsApp - Connect to WhatsApp (Moderate)

After adding each channel, restart the gateway:

openclaw gateway restart

Verify All Channels

Check that all your channels are connected:

openclaw status

Channel Configuration in Config File

All channels are configured in ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json. Here is an example with multiple channels:

{
"channels": {
  "telegram": {
    "enabled": true,
    "botToken": "123456:ABC...",
    "dmPolicy": "pairing",
    "groups": {
      "*": { "requireMention": true }
    }
  },
  "discord": {
    "enabled": true,
    "token": "your-discord-bot-token",
    "guilds": {
      "*": { "requireMention": true }
    }
  },
  "whatsapp": {
    "enabled": true,
    "dmPolicy": "pairing"
  }
}
}

Channel-Specific Settings

Each channel can have its own configuration while sharing the core AI behavior.

Telegram settings:

• botToken: Your bot token from BotFather
• dmPolicy: "pairing", "allowlist", "open", or "disabled"
• groupPolicy: "open", "allowlist", or "disabled"
• groups: Per-group configuration with requireMention option

Discord settings:

• token: Your Discord bot token
• dm.enabled: Enable or disable DMs
• dm.policy: "pairing", "allowlist", "open", or "disabled"
• guilds: Per-server configuration

WhatsApp settings:

• dmPolicy: "pairing", "allowlist", "open", or "disabled"
• groupPolicy: Controls group message handling

Enable or Disable a Channel

To temporarily disable a channel without removing its configuration, set enabled to false in the config file:

{
"channels": {
  "whatsapp": {
    "enabled": false
  }
}
}

Then restart the gateway:

openclaw gateway restart

Managing Pairing Across Channels

When you use multiple channels, you need to manage who can use your AI on each platform.

View Pairing Requests

Check pending pairing requests for each channel:

openclaw pairing list telegram
openclaw pairing list discord
openclaw pairing list whatsapp

Approve Pairing

openclaw pairing approve telegram 123456

Replace telegram with the channel type and 123456 with the actual pairing code.

Routing Different Channels to Different Agents

You can configure different AI agents for different channels using the bindings configuration:

{
"agents": {
  "list": [
    { "id": "home", "default": true },
    { "id": "work" }
  ]
},
"bindings": [
  { "agentId": "home", "match": { "channel": "whatsapp" } },
  { "agentId": "work", "match": { "channel": "discord" } }
]
}

This routes WhatsApp messages to the "home" agent and Discord messages to the "work" agent.

Monitoring Multiple Channels

View Logs

Watch logs in real-time:

openclaw logs --follow

View recent logs:

openclaw logs --limit 50

Run Diagnostics

Check for configuration issues:

openclaw doctor

Fix detected issues automatically:

openclaw doctor --fix

Dashboard View

Open the OpenClaw dashboard in your browser:

http://127.0.0.1:18789/

The dashboard shows:

• Active connections for each channel
• Recent messages
• Response times
• Error alerts

Common Problems and Solutions

One channel disconnects frequently

Each channel has different connection requirements:

• Telegram: Most stable, rarely disconnects
• Discord: May disconnect if bot is kicked or token is reset
• WhatsApp: Requires phone to stay online

Solution: Check the specific channel's status:

openclaw channels status --probe

Channel not starting

Check if the channel is enabled in your configuration:

openclaw doctor

Look for warnings about missing tokens or disabled channels.

Pairing not working on one channel

1. Check that the gateway is running: openclaw status
2. Verify the channel is connected: openclaw channels status
3. Check the logs for errors: openclaw logs --limit 20
4. Try restarting: openclaw gateway restart

Multi-Account Support

OpenClaw supports multiple accounts per channel. This is useful if you want separate bots for different purposes:

{
"channels": {
  "telegram": {
    "accounts": {
      "default": { "botToken": "123:ABC..." },
      "alerts": { "botToken": "456:XYZ..." }
    }
  }
}
}

The default account is used when no specific account is specified.

Best Practices

1. Start Simple

Add one channel at a time. Make sure each works before adding the next.

2. Use Consistent Naming

If you create separate bots for each platform, use similar names so people recognize them:

• Telegram: @MyAI_bot
• Discord: MyAI Bot

3. Set Appropriate Policies

Different platforms have different cultures:

• Discord: Consider requireMention: true for busy servers
• WhatsApp: Use dmPolicy: "pairing" to control access
• Telegram: Configure groups settings for group chats

4. Monitor Resource Usage

Multiple channels use more resources:

openclaw health

5. Regular Maintenance

Periodically check all channels:

openclaw doctor
openclaw channels status --probe

Resource Considerations

Running multiple channels uses more system resources.

Memory Usage

Each channel uses approximately:

• Telegram: ~50MB
• Discord: ~80MB
• WhatsApp: ~150MB

Recommended Specifications

For 3 channels simultaneously:

• RAM: 4GB minimum, 8GB recommended
• CPU: 2 cores minimum
• Internet: Stable connection (not mobile hotspot)

What To Do Next

Now that you have multiple channels set up:

1. Your First Agent - Customize your AI behavior
2. OpenClaw Glossary - Learn the terminology
3. Keep OpenClaw Local Only - Security best practices

Last updated: February 3, 2026 | Found an error? Contact us