Telegram Setup for OpenClaw VPS with BotFather

If you want your hosted OpenClaw bot outside the browser, Telegram is the live messaging option to add next.

The good news is that the setup is straightforward once you know the exact order.

This guide walks you through the clean path so you can get a Telegram-connected bot working without turning it into a side quest.

What You Need Before You Start

Have these ready first:

• an OpenClaw VPS account
• a bot already created in your dashboard
• your BYOK provider key added and working
• a Telegram account on your phone or desktop

If you have not tested the bot in web chat yet, do that first.

Web chat is the fastest place to confirm that:

• your bot is running
• your key works
• your prompts behave the way you expect

Once that part is working, Telegram is much easier to add.

Step 1: Create A Telegram Bot With BotFather

Open Telegram and search for @BotFather.

Then:

1. Start a chat with BotFather
2. Send /newbot
3. Choose a display name for the bot
4. Choose a unique bot username that ends in bot

BotFather will return a bot token when setup is complete.

That token is the part you need for OpenClaw VPS.

Step 2: Keep The Token Somewhere Safe

Telegram bot tokens are sensitive credentials.

Do not paste them into screenshots, public notes, or shared chats.

Treat the token the same way you would treat any other integration secret:

• keep it private
• rotate it if you think it was exposed
• only use it in the setup flow where it belongs

Step 3: Open The Integrations Area In Your Dashboard

In your OpenClaw VPS dashboard:

1. Open the bot you want to connect
2. Go to the integrations area
3. Choose Telegram
4. Paste in the BotFather token

After that, save the integration and let the dashboard validate the connection.

Step 4: Send The First Message To The Bot

Once Telegram is connected:

1. Search for your new bot by username in Telegram
2. Open the conversation
3. Tap or send /start
4. Send a normal message

That first message is important because it confirms the bot is reachable from Telegram, not just connected in configuration.

What To Check If It Does Not Work

If Telegram does not respond, the most common causes are:

• the bot token was copied incorrectly
• the wrong bot was selected in the dashboard
• the bot was not fully working in web chat first
• the token was rotated in BotFather after setup

The fastest troubleshooting path is:

1. confirm the bot works in web chat
2. reconnect Telegram with a fresh token copy
3. send /start again

That sequence isolates whether the problem is the bot itself or the Telegram setup.

The Best Workflow In Practice

For most people, the cleanest path is:

1. create the bot
2. add BYOK
3. test in web chat
4. connect Telegram
5. use Telegram for day-to-day access

That way you are not debugging model setup and messaging setup at the same time.

When To Stay In Web Chat Instead

Telegram is useful, but it is not always the right first place to work.

Stay in web chat if you want:

• the fastest first-use experience
• file and image testing
• easier troubleshooting
• a browser-based chat history attached to the bot

Then add Telegram once the bot already behaves the way you want.

Start Simple

The main mistake people make is trying to connect Telegram before they know the bot is working.

Start in web chat first. Then add Telegram once the foundation is solid.

That is usually the fastest path to a bot that actually feels useful.