OpenClaw: Build Your Own AI Assistant on WhatsApp, Telegram & Discord

What if you could chat with an AI assistant right inside your favorite messenger — WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, or iMessage? Not a limited chatbot, but a full-powered AI agent that can run code, search the web, manage files, and remember your conversations?

OpenClaw makes this possible. It’s an open-source gateway that connects AI models (Claude, GPT, etc.) to your messaging apps.

Photo by Google DeepMind on Unsplash

What is OpenClaw?

OpenClaw is a personal AI assistant gateway. It sits between your messaging apps and AI models:

Your Phone (WhatsApp/Telegram/Discord)
        │
        ▼
  ┌─────────────────────┐
  │     OpenClaw         │
  │     Gateway          │  ← Single process manages all channels
  └─────────┬───────────┘
            │
            ▼
      AI Agent (Pi)       ← Claude, GPT, Gemini, etc.

Key Features

Links: Official Docs · GitHub · Discord Community

Prerequisites

• OS: macOS, Linux, or Windows (via WSL2)
• Node.js: Version 22 or higher
• AI API Key: Anthropic (recommended), OpenAI, or others

Install Node.js

# macOS (Homebrew)
brew install node

# Ubuntu/Debian
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_22.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt-get install -y nodejs

# Verify
node -v   # Should show v22.x.x or higher

Installation

Option 1: One-Line Installer (Recommended)

curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash

This installs OpenClaw globally and launches the onboarding wizard.

Windows (PowerShell):

iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1 | iex

Option 2: Manual npm Install

npm install -g openclaw@latest

Option 3: From Source (Developers)

git clone https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw.git
cd openclaw
pnpm install
pnpm ui:build
pnpm build

Setup: The Onboarding Wizard

The wizard walks you through everything:

openclaw onboard --install-daemon

What the Wizard Configures

1. Mode — Local (your machine) or Remote (server)
2. AI Model Auth — API keys or OAuth
3. Gateway — Port, binding, auth token
4. Channels — WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, etc.
5. Daemon — Background service (launchd on macOS, systemd on Linux)
6. Skills — Additional capabilities

Model Authentication

The wizard supports multiple AI providers:

💡 Recommendation: Anthropic API key + Claude Opus 4.5 offers the best long-context understanding and security against prompt injection.

Starting the Gateway

After onboarding, the daemon should be running:

# Check status
openclaw gateway status

# Manual start (foreground mode)
openclaw gateway --port 18789 --verbose

Access the Dashboard

Open your browser to:

http://127.0.0.1:18789/

Or use the CLI shortcut:

openclaw dashboard

The Dashboard (Control UI) lets you:

• Chat with the AI directly
• Manage sessions and channels
• Configure cron jobs
• Monitor system health
• Edit configuration

Connecting Channels

WhatsApp Setup

1. Run the login command:

   openclaw channels login
   

2. A QR code appears in the terminal
3. On your phone: WhatsApp → Settings → Linked Devices → Link a Device
4. Scan the QR code
5. Done!

Recommended: Use a separate phone number for the assistant. If you link your personal WhatsApp, every message to you becomes AI input.

Configuration (~/.openclaw/openclaw.json):

{
  "channels": {
    "whatsapp": {
      "dmPolicy": "allowlist",
      "allowFrom": ["+1234567890"]
    }
  }
}

Telegram Setup

1. Message @BotFather on Telegram
2. Send /newbot and follow the prompts
3. Copy the bot token

{
  "channels": {
    "telegram": {
      "enabled": true,
      "botToken": "YOUR_BOT_TOKEN",
      "dmPolicy": "pairing",
      "groups": { "*": { "requireMention": true } }
    }
  }
}

Discord Setup

1. Go to Discord Developer Portal
2. Create New Application → Bot → Add Bot
3. Enable Message Content Intent under Privileged Gateway Intents
4. Copy the bot token
5. Invite the bot to your server

{
  "channels": {
    "discord": {
      "enabled": true,
      "token": "YOUR_BOT_TOKEN"
    }
  }
}

DM Security (Pairing)

OpenClaw blocks unknown senders by default. When someone DMs your bot for the first time, they receive a pairing code:

# List pending pairing requests
openclaw pairing list whatsapp

# Approve a request
openclaw pairing approve whatsapp <code>

The Workspace: Your AI’s Brain

The AI assistant operates from a workspace directory:

~/.openclaw/workspace/
├── AGENTS.md       # Behavioral rules
├── SOUL.md         # Personality & tone
├── USER.md         # Info about you
├── IDENTITY.md     # Agent identity
├── TOOLS.md        # Tool configurations
├── HEARTBEAT.md    # Periodic tasks
└── memory/         # Persistent memory
    └── 2026-02-03.md

Edit these files to customize your AI’s personality, knowledge, and behavior.

Full Configuration Example

Here’s a complete personal assistant setup:

{
  "logging": { "level": "info" },
  "agent": {
    "model": "anthropic/claude-opus-4-5",
    "workspace": "~/.openclaw/workspace",
    "thinkingDefault": "high",
    "timeoutSeconds": 1800,
    "heartbeat": { "every": "30m" }
  },
  "channels": {
    "whatsapp": {
      "allowFrom": ["+1234567890"],
      "groups": { "*": { "requireMention": true } }
    },
    "telegram": {
      "enabled": true,
      "botToken": "YOUR_TOKEN",
      "dmPolicy": "pairing"
    },
    "discord": {
      "enabled": true,
      "token": "YOUR_TOKEN"
    }
  },
  "session": {
    "scope": "per-sender",
    "resetTriggers": ["/new", "/reset"],
    "reset": {
      "mode": "daily",
      "atHour": 4,
      "idleMinutes": 10080
    }
  }
}

Heartbeats: Proactive AI

OpenClaw can run periodic tasks automatically (default: every 30 minutes). Define tasks in HEARTBEAT.md:

• 📧 Check emails
• 📅 Calendar reminders
• 🌤️ Weather updates
• 📈 Stock monitoring
• 🔔 Custom notifications

Verification & Troubleshooting

# Full status report
openclaw status --all

# Health check
openclaw health

# Security audit
openclaw security audit --deep

# Diagnose issues
openclaw doctor

Common Issues

Next Steps

• 🖥️ macOS Menu Bar App — Voice activation
• 📱 iOS/Android Nodes — Camera, location integration
• ⏰ Cron Jobs — Scheduled automation
• 🔧 Skills System — Extend capabilities
• 🌐 Remote Access — SSH tunnel, Tailscale
• 🐳 Docker Setup — Containerized deployment

Conclusion

OpenClaw puts a full-powered AI assistant in your pocket — through the messaging apps you already use. It’s open-source, self-hosted, and privacy-friendly. Whether you want a coding helper, a personal organizer, or a creative companion, OpenClaw gives you the foundation to build it.

Get started now:

• 📖 Official Documentation
• 💻 GitHub Repository
• 💬 Discord Community
• 🚀 Quick Start Guide