OpenClaw Setup Guide (2026): Install, Dashboard, WhatsApp, and Telegram

Quick Answer

As of March 17, 2026, the fastest reliable way to set up OpenClaw is:

1. Install OpenClaw.
2. Run openclaw onboard --install-daemon.
3. Confirm the service with openclaw gateway status.
4. Run openclaw dashboard and verify the local Control UI opens.
5. Add WhatsApp with openclaw channels login, or add Telegram with a bot token plus pairing approval.
6. Send one test message with openclaw message send --target ....

That order is important. The dashboard is the fastest official proof that your local Gateway is healthy, so it should come before channel-specific debugging.

Verified against the official Getting Started, Telegram, Pairing, message CLI, and OAuth docs on March 17, 2026.

Who This OpenClaw Setup Guide Is For

This guide is for you if you want to:

• run OpenClaw on your own computer instead of a hosted workspace
• use the local dashboard first, then connect WhatsApp or Telegram
• avoid outdated community posts that still describe the old Telegram flow
• get one working setup path that is easy to verify and easy to debug

What You Need Before You Start

As of March 17, 2026, the official Getting Started guide says OpenClaw needs:

• Node.js 22 or newer
• macOS, Linux, or Windows
• one supported auth method, such as an API key or a supported OAuth flow
• a WhatsApp account or Telegram bot token only if you want those channels

One useful update versus older articles: the official onboarding flow can help install Node.js if it is missing. Another important update: OpenClaw does not always require a plain API key. The official OAuth docs list supported OAuth paths, including OpenAI Codex OAuth. For Anthropic, the same docs note that setup-token is supported, but Anthropic API key auth is still the safer production default.

Step 1: Install OpenClaw

The current quick start recommends the official installer.

macOS / Linux

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

Windows PowerShell

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

If you prefer a package manager, these still work:

npm install -g openclaw@latest
# or
pnpm add -g openclaw@latest
# or
bun add -g openclaw@latest

Then confirm the CLI is available:

openclaw --version

Step 2: Run Onboarding and Check Gateway Status

Run the onboarding wizard:

openclaw onboard --install-daemon

What this does:

• configures your model auth
• creates or updates ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
• installs the background service when you keep --install-daemon
• can guide you through channel setup later

After onboarding, check the Gateway:

openclaw gateway status

If the service is not running yet, start it in the foreground for a quick test:

openclaw gateway --port 18789

Step 3: Open the Dashboard First

Before you debug WhatsApp or Telegram, verify the local admin UI:

openclaw dashboard

What success looks like:

• your browser opens the dashboard automatically, or
• http://127.0.0.1:18789/ loads when you open it manually

If you get an auth error, run openclaw dashboard again and use the fresh link it prints. The dashboard docs also treat this UI as an admin surface, so do not expose it publicly.

Step 4: Connect OpenClaw to WhatsApp

For a phone-first setup, WhatsApp is still the simpler path.

1. Start login:

openclaw channels login

2. Scan the QR code with WhatsApp on your phone.
3. Restrict who can message the bot.

Example config:

{
  "channels": {
    "whatsapp": {
      "allowFrom": ["+1234567890"]
    }
  }
}

Replace +1234567890 with your own number. A simple test is to message yourself from WhatsApp and confirm OpenClaw replies in the same thread.

Step 5: Connect OpenClaw to Telegram the Current Way

Telegram is where many older tutorials are now wrong.

5.1 Create the bot token

Open Telegram, chat with @BotFather, run /newbot, and save the token.

5.2 Add Telegram config

Telegram does not use openclaw channels login telegram.

Put the token in config or in an environment variable:

{
  "channels": {
    "telegram": {
      "enabled": true,
      "botToken": "123:abc",
      "dmPolicy": "pairing",
      "groups": {
        "*": {
          "requireMention": true
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Environment-variable fallback for the default account:

export TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=123:abc

5.3 Approve the first DM

This is the step many community guides miss.

openclaw gateway
openclaw pairing list telegram
openclaw pairing approve telegram <CODE>

Why this matters: the official Telegram docs say the default Telegram DM policy is pairing, so the first DM is not processed until you approve the pairing code.

5.4 Move to allowlist for a personal bot

If this is your own bot, switch to a durable allowlist instead of relying on old pairing approvals.

{
  "channels": {
    "telegram": {
      "enabled": true,
      "botToken": "123:abc",
      "dmPolicy": "allowlist",
      "allowFrom": ["123456789"]
    }
  }
}

To find your numeric Telegram user ID without a third-party bot:

1. DM your bot.
2. Run openclaw logs --follow.
3. Read from.id from the incoming event.

Step 6: Send Your First Test Message

The current outbound CLI syntax uses --target, not --to.

WhatsApp

openclaw message send --channel whatsapp --target +1234567890 --message "Hello from OpenClaw"

Telegram

openclaw message send --channel telegram --target @mychat --message "Hello from OpenClaw"

If you configured only one channel, --channel is often optional. If you configured more than one, keep it explicit.

Common OpenClaw Setup Mistakes

1. Following an outdated Node requirement

The current official requirement is Node.js 22 or newer. Do not copy older posts that assume a different pinned version.

2. Debugging channels before the dashboard

If the dashboard does not open, fix the Gateway first. Channel issues are often downstream of a broken local service.

3. Treating Telegram like WhatsApp

Telegram is token-based. WhatsApp is QR-based. openclaw channels login is not a Telegram setup step.

4. Forgetting Telegram pairing approval

A bot token alone is not enough under the default dmPolicy: "pairing" flow.

5. Copying old --to examples

The up-to-date message CLI docs use --target.

OpenClaw Setup FAQ

Does OpenClaw require an API key?

Not always. The official OAuth docs list supported OAuth options, including OpenAI Codex OAuth. If you use Anthropic, the docs note that setup-token works, but Anthropic API key auth is still the safer production default.

Why does Telegram not reply to my first message?

Because the default Telegram DM policy is pairing. Start the Gateway, list pending Telegram pairings, and approve the code.

What is the fastest way to confirm OpenClaw works?

Open the dashboard. If openclaw gateway status is healthy and openclaw dashboard opens, your local setup is working before you touch WhatsApp or Telegram.

Final Checklist

Check	Done when
Install	openclaw --version works
Gateway	openclaw gateway status reports running
Dashboard	openclaw dashboard opens successfully
WhatsApp	QR login succeeds and your number can message the bot
Telegram	first DM is approved with pairing or allowlist
CLI send	openclaw message send --target ... reaches the right destination

Verification Note

Latest facts in this article were checked on March 17, 2026 against official docs:

• OpenClaw Getting Started
• OpenClaw Home / feature overview
• OpenClaw Telegram
• OpenClaw Pairing
• OpenClaw message CLI
• OpenClaw OAuth