Skip to main content

​
OpenClaw Gateway

Connect your Machine agents to messaging platforms — Telegram, Discord, WhatsApp — through a single gateway. OpenClaw gives you one place to select an agent, configure channels, and control your gateway.

​
Overview

Select Agent

Choose which agent to configure for messaging channels. That agent’s instructions and model power all connected channels.

Messaging Channels

Connect and manage Telegram, Discord, and WhatsApp from one dashboard. Gateway shows Active when ready.
When the gateway is active, use Open Gateway UI to manage your OpenClaw instance and see real-time status.

​
Machine Backend Configuration

Before connecting channels, configure how OpenClaw talks to Machine.
Set the default model used by this gateway. Changing it will restart the gateway so the new model takes effect.
Only required for certain models. Enter your key in the format sk-.... Need a key? Get one from your provider.
Click Save Machine Config after updating. The gateway will use these settings for all messaging channels.

​
Connecting Messaging Channels

​
Telegram

1

Open Telegram and search for @BotFather

Create a bot if you don’t have one yet.
2

Send the command /newbot

Follow BotFather’s instructions to name your bot and choose a username (must end in bot or Bot).
3

Copy the bot token

BotFather provides a token like 1234567890:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrsTUVwxyz. Copy it fully.
4

Paste in OpenClaw

In the Telegram section, paste the token and click Connect Telegram Bot.
5

Approve pairing

Start a chat with your bot in Telegram; you’ll receive a pairing code. Enter it in “Enter pairing code from Telegram” and click Approve Pairing.
After starting a chat with your bot, you’ll receive a pairing code. Enter it in the gateway UI to approve the connection.

​
Discord & WhatsApp

Use the same OpenClaw Gateway UI to add Discord and WhatsApp. Each channel has its own connect flow; follow the on-screen steps for each platform.

​
Gateway Control

Manage your OpenClaw instance from the gateway dashboard.

Open Gateway UI

Open the full OpenClaw gateway interface in a new tab.

Studio Link

Quick link to OpenClaw Studio for advanced configuration.

Open Console

Access the gateway console for logs and debugging.

Update OpenClaw

Check for and apply OpenClaw updates.
Open Machine Terminal gives full support — works with openclaw onboard, openclaw config --section channels, and all interactive commands. No timeout.
Use the terminal for:
  • openclaw onboard — guided setup
  • openclaw config --section channels — channel configuration
  • Any other interactive OpenClaw commands

​
Gateway Actions

Generate a new gateway URL if the current one has expired or changed.
Resolve origin/CORS issues if the gateway fails to load in the browser.
Restart the OpenClaw gateway process. Use after config changes or if the gateway is unresponsive.
Update the displayed gateway status (e.g. Running / Stopped).
Enable to automatically approve pairing requests for connected channels (e.g. Telegram).
Start the gateway if it is stopped. Required before messaging channels can receive messages.

​
Gateway URL & Status

After the gateway is running, you’ll see:
  • Gateway URL — A URL like https://...proxy.daytona.works?token=.... This is how messaging platforms reach your OpenClaw instance. Keep it private.
  • Status — Typically Running when the gateway is active.
Do not share your gateway URL or token publicly. Anyone with the URL could send traffic to your gateway.

​
Timeout & Sandbox

The gateway auto-stops after a period of inactivity (e.g. 1 hour) to save resources. The current setting is shown on the dashboard. To change the timeout, you may need to delete and recreate the setup.
If the gateway has stopped due to inactivity, click Wake Sandbox to reactivate it without recreating the setup.

​
Help & Troubleshooting

Use the Help & Troubleshooting section in the OpenClaw Gateway UI for:
  • Machine backend configuration issues
  • Channel connection and pairing problems
  • Gateway URL and origin errors
  • OpenClaw CLI and terminal usage

​
Removing the Setup

Click Delete Messaging Setup to remove the OpenClaw gateway and all channel connections. You can create a new setup later; you’ll need to reconnect each channel (Telegram, Discord, WhatsApp) and re-enter tokens or pairing codes as required.
Deleting the setup does not delete your agents — only the gateway and its channel links are removed.

​
Summary

ActionWhere
Select agent for messagingOpenClaw Gateway → Select Agent
Configure Machine model/API keyMachine Backend Configuration → Save Machine Config
Connect TelegramPaste bot token → Connect Telegram Bot → Approve Pairing with code from Telegram
Open full gateway UIOpen Gateway UI
Use CLI (no timeout)Open Machine Terminal
Reactivate after auto-stopWake Sandbox
Remove gateway and channelsDelete Messaging Setup