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Telegram OpenClaw Agent Setup — Getting Agents to respond in Groups

Troubleshoot why a Telegram bot (OpenClaw agent) won't respond in group chats. Learn how Telegram Bot Privacy Mode blocks non-command messages, how to disable privacy via @BotFather, why you must remove and re-add the bot after changing privacy settings, and how to configure OpenClaw group allowlists, requireMention, and gateway logs for reliable group responses.

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Telegram OpenClaw Agent Setup — Getting Agents to respond in Groups

When setting up an OpenClaw agent in Telegram groups, you may notice the bot doesn't respond to messages. This is usually due to Telegram's Bot Privacy Mode.

The Problem

By default, Telegram bots have Privacy Mode enabled. This means the bot can only see:

  • Messages that directly mention the bot (@botname)
  • Commands (/start, /help, etc.)
  • Messages forwarded to the bot

Regular group messages are invisible to the bot.

The Solution

  1. Disable Privacy Mode via @BotFather:

    • Send /mybots
    • Select your bot
    • Go to Bot Settings → Group Privacy
    • Turn it off

  2. Remove and re-add the bot to the group. Privacy mode changes only take effect after the bot has been re-added.

  3. Configure OpenClaw:

    • Set requireMention: false if you want the bot to respond to all messages
    • Add the group chat ID to the allowlist
    • Check gateway logs for response issues

Verifying

After re-adding the bot, send a message in the group. Check the gateway logs to confirm the bot is receiving and processing messages.

Common Issues

  • Bot still not responding: Make sure you removed and re-added the bot after changing privacy settings
  • Bot responds but is slow: Check your gateway configuration and network connectivity
  • Bot responds to commands but not messages: Privacy mode is still active — repeat the steps above