How to Deploy an AI Agent on Telegram (Step-by-Step, 2026)

# 1. Open Telegram and search for @BotFather
# 2. Send /newbot
# 3. Choose a display name (e.g., "My AI Assistant")
# 4. Choose a username ending in "bot" (e.g., "myai_assistant_bot")
# 5. BotFather gives you a token like:
#    7123456789:AAHxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
#
# Save this token — you will need it in Step 2.

# Optional: customize your bot
# /setdescription — set what users see before starting a chat
# /setabouttext — set the bio shown in the bot profile
# /setuserpic — upload an avatar for your bot

# Initialize OpenClaw (skip if already done)
openclaw init

# Set your AI model provider
openclaw models auth paste-token --provider anthropic
# Paste your Anthropic API key when prompted

# Set your Telegram bot token
openclaw config set telegram.token 7123456789:AAHxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

# Set your Telegram chat ID (your personal chat)
# To find your chat ID:
# 1. Message your bot on Telegram
# 2. Visit: https://api.telegram.org/bot<YOUR_TOKEN>/getUpdates
# 3. Look for "chat":{"id": 123456789}
openclaw config set telegram.chatId 123456789

# Create a workspace for your agent
mkdir -p ~/agents/assistant
cd ~/agents/assistant

# Create the SOUL.md file
cat > SOUL.md << 'EOF'
# Personal Assistant

## Identity
You are a personal AI assistant on Telegram.
You help with tasks, answer questions, and keep things organized.

## Rules
- Be concise. Telegram messages should be short and scannable.
- Use bullet points for lists.
- When asked to remind, confirm the time and topic.
- Never share personal data outside this chat.
- If unsure, say so. Do not make things up.

## Skills
- quick-answer: Answer factual questions clearly and briefly
- summarize: Condense long text into key bullet points
- brainstorm: Generate ideas on any topic
- draft: Write emails, messages, or short documents
- explain: Break down complex topics in simple terms

## Tone
Friendly but efficient. No filler. Get to the point.
Use casual language, not corporate speak.
EOF

# Register the agent with OpenClaw
openclaw agents add assistant --workspace ~/agents/assistant --non-interactive

# Start the OpenClaw gateway
openclaw gateway start

# Your agent is now live on Telegram.
# Open Telegram, find your bot, and send a message.

# Test it:
# You: "What can you help me with?"
# Agent: responds based on your SOUL.md configuration

# To test from the command line instead:
openclaw agent --agent assistant --message "Hello, what can you do?"

# Check logs if something is not working:
openclaw gateway logs

# Create separate workspaces for each agent
mkdir -p ~/agents/writer ~/agents/researcher ~/agents/monitor

# Each agent has its own SOUL.md
# ~/agents/writer/SOUL.md     — drafts content
# ~/agents/researcher/SOUL.md — answers research questions
# ~/agents/monitor/SOUL.md    — monitors servers and alerts

# Register each agent
openclaw agents add writer --workspace ~/agents/writer --non-interactive
openclaw agents add researcher --workspace ~/agents/researcher --non-interactive
openclaw agents add monitor --workspace ~/agents/monitor --non-interactive

# Create a Telegram bot for each agent via @BotFather
# Each bot gets its own token

# Configure routing in OpenClaw
# The gateway routes messages from each bot to the correct agent
openclaw config set agents.writer.telegram.token BOT_TOKEN_1
openclaw config set agents.researcher.telegram.token BOT_TOKEN_2
openclaw config set agents.monitor.telegram.token BOT_TOKEN_3

# Start the gateway — all agents go live
openclaw gateway start