How to Connect OpenClaw to Telegram, Gmail, Slack, and Discord in 2026

OpenClaw is a powerful self-hosted AI gateway that routes requests across multiple LLM providers. But its real power emerges when you connect it to the messaging platforms your team already uses every day. In this guide, you will learn exactly how to wire up OpenClaw integrations with Telegram, Gmail, Slack, and Discord so your AI workflows respond wherever your users are.

Whether you are building a customer support bot, an internal knowledge assistant, or an automated notification pipeline, this tutorial covers every step from initial setup through troubleshooting. We also cover a bonus HubSpot integration and share how GetClaw Hosting managed OpenClaw templates can cut your setup time from hours to minutes.

Prerequisites

Before diving into any specific platform integration, make sure you have the following in place:

• A running OpenClaw instance — Either self-hosted or via a managed provider like GetClaw Hosting
• OpenClaw admin access — You need credentials to configure routes and webhook endpoints
• HTTPS endpoint — All integrations require a publicly accessible HTTPS URL pointing to your OpenClaw instance. Self-signed certificates will not work.
• API keys for your LLM providers — OpenAI, Anthropic, or whichever providers you have configured in OpenClaw
• Node.js 18+ or Python 3.10+ — For running any local test scripts

If you are using GetClaw Hosting, your OpenClaw instance comes pre-configured with a valid SSL certificate and a public endpoint, so you can skip the HTTPS setup steps.

Connecting OpenClaw to Telegram

Telegram remains one of the most developer-friendly messaging platforms for bot integrations. The process involves creating a bot via BotFather, then pointing that bot at your OpenClaw webhook endpoint.

Step 1: Create a Telegram Bot via BotFather

Open Telegram and search for @BotFather. Send the command /newbot and follow the prompts:

1. Choose a display name for your bot (for example, "MyCompany AI Assistant")
2. Choose a username ending in bot (for example, mycompany_ai_bot)
3. BotFather will return your bot token — a string like 7123456789:AAHdqTcvCH1vGWJxfSeofSoqCkd5DVKBcPU

Save this token securely. You will need it in every subsequent step.

Step 2: Configure the OpenClaw Webhook Receiver

In your OpenClaw admin panel, navigate to Integrations > Webhooks and create a new webhook receiver with these settings:

• Platform: Telegram
• Path: /webhooks/telegram
• Response format: telegram_message
• Route: Select the LLM route you want Telegram messages to use

OpenClaw will generate a full webhook URL like https://your-openclaw-domain.com/webhooks/telegram.

Step 3: Register the Webhook with Telegram

Run the following command to register your webhook (replace the placeholders with your actual values):

curl -X POST "https://api.telegram.org/bot[YOUR_BOT_TOKEN]/setWebhook" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"url": "https://your-openclaw-domain.com/webhooks/telegram"}'

A successful response looks like:

{"ok": true, "result": true, "description": "Webhook was set"}

Step 4: Test the Telegram Integration

Send your bot a message in Telegram. Within 2–3 seconds you should receive an AI-powered reply routed through OpenClaw. If you do not receive a response, check the OpenClaw logs at Admin > Logs > Webhook Events.

Connecting OpenClaw to Gmail

The Gmail integration is more involved because it relies on Google OAuth 2.0 for authentication and Google Cloud Pub/Sub for real-time email event delivery.

Step 1: Create a Google Cloud Project

1. Go to console.cloud.google.com and create a new project
2. Enable the Gmail API and Cloud Pub/Sub API for your project
3. Navigate to APIs and Services > Credentials and create an OAuth 2.0 Client ID for a web application
4. Set the authorized redirect URI to https://your-openclaw-domain.com/oauth/google/callback

Download the credentials JSON file and note your Client ID and Client Secret.

Step 2: Configure OAuth in OpenClaw

In your OpenClaw admin panel, go to Integrations > Gmail and enter:

• Google Client ID: Your OAuth client ID
• Google Client Secret: Your OAuth client secret
• Scopes: https://www.googleapis.com/auth/gmail.readonly https://www.googleapis.com/auth/gmail.send

Click Authorize and complete the OAuth flow. OpenClaw will store the refresh token automatically and handle token renewal.

Step 3: Set Up Google Pub/Sub Push Notifications

To receive new email notifications in real time without polling, configure Pub/Sub:

1. In Google Cloud Console, navigate to Pub/Sub > Topics and create a topic named openclaw-gmail-events
2. Add a push subscription with the endpoint https://your-openclaw-domain.com/webhooks/gmail
3. Grant the Gmail service account (gmail-api-push@system.gserviceaccount.com) the Pub/Sub Publisher role on your topic
4. Run the Gmail watch command via the API to start push notifications

Step 4: Create an OpenClaw Gmail Route

Back in OpenClaw, configure how incoming Gmail events are processed:

• Trigger: New email matching a label or sender filter
• Action: Route message content through your chosen LLM
• Output: Reply via Gmail API or forward to another channel

This enables scenarios like automatic email triage, AI-drafted replies, and routing urgent emails to Slack or Telegram.

Connecting OpenClaw to Slack

Slack integration uses the official Slack App framework with Event Subscriptions and Slash Commands. This gives your team AI capabilities directly inside their workspace.

Step 1: Create a Slack App

1. Go to api.slack.com/apps and click Create New App
2. Choose From an app manifest for the fastest setup
3. Use the manifest below (replace your-openclaw-domain.com with your actual domain)

display_information:
  name: OpenClaw AI
  description: AI assistant powered by OpenClaw
features:
  slash_commands:
    - command: /ask
      url: https://your-openclaw-domain.com/webhooks/slack/slash
      description: Ask the AI assistant a question
      usage_hint: "[your question here]"
  bot_user:
    display_name: OpenClaw AI
oauth_config:
  scopes:
    bot:
      - chat:write
      - commands
      - app_mentions:read
settings:
  event_subscriptions:
    request_url: https://your-openclaw-domain.com/webhooks/slack/events
    bot_events:
      - app_mention
  interactivity:
    is_enabled: false

Step 2: Handle the Slack URL Verification Challenge

When you enter your event subscription URL, Slack sends a url_verification challenge. OpenClaw handles this automatically, but you can verify it is working by checking the webhook logs.

Step 3: Install the App and Get Tokens

1. Navigate to OAuth and Permissions in your Slack App settings
2. Click Install to Workspace
3. Copy the Bot User OAuth Token (starts with xoxb-)
4. In OpenClaw admin, go to Integrations > Slack and paste the bot token

Step 4: Configure OpenClaw Slack Routes

Create routes for each trigger type:

• Slash Command route: When /ask [question] is used, send the text to your LLM and return the response. Slack requires a synchronous response or async acknowledgment within 3 seconds.
• App Mention route: When someone mentions @OpenClaw AI, route the message thread to the LLM

For responses that take longer than 3 seconds, OpenClaw uses Slack delayed responses via the response_url provided in the original event payload.

Connecting OpenClaw to Discord

Discord integration uses the Discord Bot framework with slash commands and message event listeners.

Step 1: Create a Discord Application and Bot

1. Go to discord.com/developers/applications and click New Application
2. Give it a name and navigate to the Bot section
3. Click Add Bot and then Reset Token to get your bot token
4. Enable the following Privileged Gateway Intents:
   • Server Members Intent (if you need member data)
   • Message Content Intent (required to read message content in non-slash-command events)

Step 2: Configure Bot Permissions

In the OAuth2 > URL Generator section:

1. Under Scopes, select bot and applications.commands
2. Under Bot Permissions, select: Read Messages/View Channels, Send Messages, Use Slash Commands, Read Message History
3. Copy the generated OAuth URL and use it to invite the bot to your Discord server

Step 3: Configure OpenClaw Discord Integration

In OpenClaw admin, go to Integrations > Discord and enter:

• Bot Token: Your Discord bot token
• Application ID: Found on the General Information page of your Discord application
• Public Key: Also on the General Information page — used to verify incoming interaction signatures

Set the Interactions Endpoint URL in your Discord application settings to https://your-openclaw-domain.com/webhooks/discord.

Step 4: Register Slash Commands

OpenClaw can register Discord slash commands automatically when you configure them in the admin panel. Discord slash commands are registered globally or per-guild. Global registration takes up to an hour to propagate; guild-specific registration is instant and ideal for testing.

Bonus: Connecting OpenClaw to HubSpot

While not a messaging platform, HubSpot integrates naturally with OpenClaw via its Workflows Webhooks feature. This enables AI enrichment of contacts, deals, and tickets automatically.

In HubSpot, navigate to Automation > Workflows, add a Send a webhook action, and set the URL to https://your-openclaw-domain.com/webhooks/hubspot. OpenClaw can return enriched data that HubSpot writes back to the CRM, creating a bidirectional AI enrichment pipeline without custom code.

Troubleshooting Common Integration Problems

Problem 1: Webhook Not Receiving Events

Cause: Your OpenClaw instance is not publicly accessible or the SSL certificate is invalid. Fix: Confirm your endpoint responds at https://your-domain.com/health. Use a valid certificate from Let's Encrypt or another trusted CA.

Problem 2: Telegram Bot Not Responding

Cause: The webhook URL is not registered or there is a routing mismatch in OpenClaw. Fix: Call the getWebhookInfo endpoint to check webhook status. Verify the path in OpenClaw matches exactly.

Problem 3: Slack 3-Second Timeout Errors

Cause: Your LLM is taking longer than 3 seconds to respond and OpenClaw is not using async response mode. Fix: Enable the Async Response option in your OpenClaw Slack route configuration.

Problem 4: Discord Interaction Signature Verification Failing

Cause: The Public Key in OpenClaw does not match your Discord application settings, or server time is out of sync. Fix: Double-check the Public Key and ensure server time is synchronized via NTP.

Problem 5: Gmail OAuth Token Expiry

Cause: The Google OAuth refresh token has been revoked or expired due to inactivity. Fix: Navigate to Integrations > Gmail in OpenClaw and click Re-authorize. For production workflows, consider using a Google service account.

GetClaw Hosting: Pre-Built Integration Templates

Setting up all four integrations from scratch can take several hours. GetClaw Hosting managed OpenClaw plans include pre-built skill templates that reduce setup time to under 15 minutes.

Every GetClaw Hosting plan includes:

• Telegram Customer Support Template — Routes incoming Telegram messages to your chosen LLM with conversation memory and escalation logic
• Gmail Triage Template — Classifies incoming emails and routes urgent items to Slack or Telegram
• Slack Knowledge Base Template — Answers /ask commands using a document corpus loaded into OpenClaw
• Discord Moderation Assistant Template — Monitors messages and flags policy violations for moderator review

GetClaw Hosting handles webhook registration, SSL, and OpenClaw configuration automatically. You only need to provide the platform tokens.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I connect OpenClaw to multiple platforms at the same time?

Yes. OpenClaw supports concurrent integrations across Telegram, Gmail, Slack, Discord, and other platforms. Each integration has its own webhook path and can route to different LLM providers or models based on the platform or message content.

Do I need to self-host OpenClaw to use these integrations?

No. GetClaw Hosting provides a fully managed OpenClaw instance that supports all of these integrations. You do not need to manage servers, SSL certificates, or OpenClaw updates.

What happens if my LLM provider goes down?

OpenClaw includes a fallback routing feature. You can configure a priority list of LLM providers, and OpenClaw automatically routes to the next available provider if the primary is unavailable.

How do I secure my webhook endpoints?

Telegram supports a secret token parameter in the webhook URL. Slack uses HMAC-SHA256 signature verification. Discord uses Ed25519 signature verification. OpenClaw handles all of these automatically when properly configured.

Can I use different LLM models for different platforms?

Yes. OpenClaw allows per-route model selection. You could use GPT-4o for Slack and Claude Haiku for Telegram, optimizing for cost, speed, and quality depending on the platform and use case.

Start Building Today

Connecting OpenClaw to Telegram, Gmail, Slack, and Discord unlocks AI capabilities across every touchpoint your team and customers use. GetClaw Hosting managed OpenClaw plans start at $29 per month and include all integration templates, automatic updates, and 24/7 uptime monitoring.

Ready to connect your first integration? Start your free trial at getclawhosting.com and have your first webhook live in under 15 minutes.