ClawdBot + Telegram Integration

💬 Why Telegram is the Best Platform for ClawdBot

Telegram is the most popular choice for ClawdBot users. Here's why:

📋 Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure you have:

• ✅ ClawdBot installed and working (see Installation Guide)
• ✅ A Telegram account
• ✅ Telegram app installed on your phone or computer
• ✅ 10 minutes of time

🤖 Step 1: Create Your Telegram Bot

1.1 Open BotFather

BotFather is Telegram's official bot for creating and managing bots.

• Open Telegram
• Search for @BotFather
• Start a chat with BotFather

1.2 Create New Bot

Send the following command to BotFather:

/newbot

1.3 Choose Bot Name

BotFather will ask for two things:

1. Display Name: This is what users see (e.g., "My Personal AI")
2. Username: Must end in "bot" (e.g., "mypersonal_ai_bot")

Example conversation:

You: /newbot
BotFather: Alright, a new bot. How are we going to call it?
You: My ClawdBot Assistant
BotFather: Good. Now let's choose a username for your bot.
You: myclawdbot_assistant_bot
BotFather: Done! Congratulations on your new bot.

1.4 Save Your Bot Token

BotFather will give you a token that looks like this:

6234567890:AAHdqTcvCH1vGWJxfSeofSAs0K5PALDsaw

⚠️ IMPORTANT: Keep this token secret! Anyone with this token can control your bot.

1.5 Configure Bot Settings (Optional)

Recommended settings for better UX:

# Set bot description
/setdescription
# Then select your bot and enter:
"Your personal AI assistant powered by ClawdBot"

# Set profile picture
/setuserpic
# Upload an image

# Disable group privacy (allows bot to read all messages in groups)
/setprivacy
# Select your bot, then choose "Disable"

⚙️ Step 2: Configure ClawdBot

Method 1: Using the Setup Wizard (Easiest)

# Run ClawdBot setup wizard
clawdbot setup --wizard

# When prompted:
# 1. Select "Add new channel"
# 2. Choose "Telegram"
# 3. Enter your bot token
# 4. Give it a name (e.g., "telegram-main")

Method 2: Manual Configuration

Edit your ClawdBot configuration file:

# Open config file
nano ~/.clawdbot/config.yaml

Add this section:

channels:
  telegram-main:
    type: telegram
    token: "YOUR_BOT_TOKEN_HERE"
    enabled: true
    # Optional settings:
    allowedUsers:  # Restrict to specific Telegram user IDs
      - 123456789
      - 987654321
    # Or leave empty to allow anyone

Save and exit (Ctrl+X, then Y, then Enter).

Finding Your Telegram User ID

To restrict access to only yourself:

1. Message @userinfobot on Telegram
2. It will reply with your user ID
3. Add this ID to allowedUsers in config

✅ Step 3: Start Gateway and Test

3.1 Start ClawdBot Gateway

# Start the Gateway
clawdbot gateway start

# Or restart if already running
clawdbot gateway restart

3.2 Check Logs

Verify Telegram channel connected successfully:

# View logs
clawdbot gateway logs

# Look for:
# ✓ Telegram channel 'telegram-main' connected

3.3 Send Test Message

1. Open Telegram
2. Find your bot (search for the username you created)
3. Start a chat with /start
4. Send a message: Hello! Who are you?

Your ClawdBot should respond within 1-3 seconds!

Troubleshooting Connection Issues

If bot doesn't respond:

# Check Gateway status
clawdbot gateway status

# Verify token is correct
cat ~/.clawdbot/config.yaml | grep token

# Check firewall isn't blocking Telegram API
curl https://api.telegram.org/bot<YOUR_TOKEN>/getMe

🚀 Advanced Features

Using Bot in Group Chats

1. Add your bot to a Telegram group
2. Make it an admin (or disable privacy mode in BotFather)
3. Mention the bot: @yourbotname what's the weather?

Inline Mode

Enable inline queries to use your AI in any chat:

# In BotFather
/setinline
# Select your bot
# Set placeholder text: "Ask your AI..."

# Now in any chat, type:
@yourbotname what is ClawdBot?

Custom Commands

Set up command menu for your bot:

# In BotFather
/setcommands
# Select your bot
# Enter commands:
start - Start conversation
help - Show help
reset - Clear conversation history
status - Check bot status

File Uploads

Your bot can receive and process files:

• 📄 Documents (PDF, DOCX, TXT)
• 🖼️ Images (for vision models like GPT-4V)
• 🎵 Audio (for transcription)

Just send a file to your bot - ClawdBot will automatically process it!

Voice Messages

If you have speech-to-text configured:

# Install Whisper skill
clawdbot skills install whisper

# Now send voice messages to your bot
# They'll be transcribed and processed

🔧 Troubleshooting Common Issues

Bot doesn't respond

Possible causes:

• ❌ Gateway not running: clawdbot gateway start
• ❌ Wrong token: Double-check token in config
• ❌ No AI model configured: Add API key in clawdbot setup
• ❌ User not in allowedUsers list: Remove restriction or add your ID

"Unauthorized" error in logs

Solution: Your bot token is invalid or revoked.

# Get new token from BotFather
/token
# Select your bot
# Copy new token and update config

Bot responds slowly

Possible causes:

• Slow AI model (switch to faster model)
• Network latency to AI provider
• Server overloaded (check CPU/RAM usage)

Bot stops working after some time

Solution: Set up auto-restart:

# Use systemd or LaunchAgent
# See: clawdbot-mac-mini.html for auto-start guide

💡 Pro Tips

1. Use Multiple Bots for Different Purposes

channels:
  telegram-personal:
    type: telegram
    token: "TOKEN_1"
    model: claude-3-5-sonnet  # Smart model
  
  telegram-quick:
    type: telegram
    token: "TOKEN_2"
    model: gemini-flash  # Fast, cheap model

2. Set Up Notifications

Make your AI proactively message you:

# Example: Daily briefing at 8 AM
# Use ClawdBot's scheduler skill
clawdbot skills install scheduler

3. Privacy Best Practices

• ✅ Always use allowedUsers to restrict access
• ✅ Don't share your bot username publicly
• ✅ Revoke and regenerate token if compromised
• ✅ Use Telegram's "Secret Chat" feature for sensitive conversations

4. Combine with Other Channels

You can run Telegram + Discord + WhatsApp simultaneously!

• Add Discord Integration
• Add WhatsApp Integration