Part 4: Connect Messaging Channels

For most users, the moment OpenClaw becomes real is not when installation finishes. It is the first time a message sent from a real chat app gets a real reply back.

01 Channel Access Overview

OpenClaw can manage 20+ messaging platforms through one general pattern:

Create credentials -> write config -> start Gateway -> complete pairing

Common platforms and complexity

Recommended order for beginners

If your goal is just to prove the full loop works:

1. Telegram
2. QQ
3. Discord or Feishu
4. DingTalk, WeCom, or WhatsApp

02 International Platforms

Telegram: the easiest place to start

Telegram is the cleanest onboarding channel because it supports long-polling and does not require a public IP or reverse proxy.

Typical flow:

1. Find @BotFather
2. Run /newbot
3. Create the bot and get the token
4. Write the config and restart Gateway
5. Send the bot a message and complete DM pairing

Example:

channels:
  telegram:
    enabled: true
    botToken: "YOUR_BOT_TOKEN"
    dmPolicy: pairing

Discord: good for teams and communities

Discord is still straightforward, but there are more steps:

1. Create an application
2. Create a bot
3. Enable Message Content Intent and Server Members Intent
4. Invite the bot with OAuth2
5. Get Server ID and User ID
6. Pair through DM

WhatsApp: popular, but session hygiene matters

WhatsApp uses QR-based connection through Baileys rather than the official Business API.

Typical flow:

1. Run openclaw onboard
2. Choose WhatsApp
3. Scan the QR code from your phone

Practical guidance:

• use a dedicated number if possible
• treat session credentials like passwords
• expect occasional re-pairing
• prefer Node over Bun for this scenario

Slack: common in business environments

Slack often runs in Socket Mode, which avoids needing a public callback URL.

You usually need:

• an xapp- App-Level Token
• an xoxb- Bot Token
• a proper set of bot scopes

Because OpenClaw can execute real commands, it is safer to run Slack-connected agents on a dedicated VM or server rather than your primary workstation.

Signal and iMessage

Signal relies on signal-cli. iMessage usually relies on BlueBubbles.

For iMessage, two things matter most:

• a Mac must stay online
• webhook access should be protected with authentication

Example BlueBubbles config:

extensions:
  bluebubbles:
    enabled: true
    serverUrl: "http://localhost:1234"
    password: "YOUR_PASSWORD"

03 China-Focused Platforms

QQ: one of the easiest local entry points

QQ Bot setup is fast, QR-driven, and relatively friendly to media-rich messages.

Typical steps:

1. Register as a QQ Bot developer
2. Create the bot
3. Get App ID and Token
4. Write config
5. Start using private chat or group scenarios

Feishu: a natural fit for team workflows

Feishu support is a strong path for:

• internal assistants
• team notifications
• document and group workflows

A common path is:

1. Create a self-built app in the platform
2. Get App ID and App Secret
3. Run openclaw onboard
4. Choose Feishu and fill in credentials

DingTalk and WeCom

These are still mostly community-plugin driven, but already fairly mature.

DingTalk

Stream mode is generally the better option because it uses a long-lived WebSocket connection and avoids public callback plumbing.

WeCom

WeCom usually appears in two patterns:

• Agent mode
• Bot mode

It works well for internal automation and has already been validated by several cloud deployment stacks.

Personal WeChat: high demand, high complexity

This area should be approached carefully. There is no official bot API, which means every route carries maintenance and account-risk tradeoffs.

Common approaches include:

1. WeCom relay
2. iPad-protocol relay
3. Mini-program integration

General advice:

• do not use your main account
• do not treat it as permanently stable
• expect protocol breakage over time

openclaw-china

If you want multiple mainland channels at once, the unified plugin package saves time.

git clone https://github.com/BytePioneer-AI/openclaw-china.git
cd openclaw-china
pnpm install
pnpm build
openclaw china setup

04 Remote Access and Multi-Device Use

By default, Gateway listens only on ws://127.0.0.1:18789. If you want outside devices or services to reach it, you need explicit remote-access setup.

Tailscale Serve / Funnel

This is one of the most practical approaches.

tailscale serve --bg https+insecure://127.0.0.1:18789
tailscale funnel --bg https+insecure://127.0.0.1:18789

SSH forwarding

If OpenClaw runs on a remote server:

ssh -L 18789:127.0.0.1:18789 user@your-server
ssh -fNL 18789:127.0.0.1:18789 user@your-server

Dashboard and clients

Once Gateway is running, the Web UI can help you inspect:

• session state
• model settings
• channel status
• token usage

openclaw gateway --port 18789 --verbose

There is also a macOS menu-bar client, and iOS / Android client work has already appeared in the repo.

Best first path

For most people the smoothest route is:

Telegram or QQ -> private pairing works -> add Feishu / DingTalk / WeCom -> then solve remote access