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OpenClaw

"EXFOLIATE! EXFOLIATE!" — A space lobster, probably

Any OS gateway for AI agents across WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, iMessage, and more. Send a message, get an agent response from your pocket. Plugins add Mattermost and more.

What is OpenClaw?​

OpenClaw is a self-hosted gateway that connects your favorite chat apps — WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, iMessage, and more — to AI coding agents like Pi. You run a single Gateway process on your own machine (or a server), and it becomes the bridge between your messaging apps and an always-available AI assistant.

Who is it for? Developers and power users who want a personal AI assistant they can message from anywhere — without giving up control of their data or relying on a hosted service.

What makes it different?

  • Self-hosted: runs on your hardware, your rules
  • Multi-channel: one Gateway serves WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, and more simultaneously
  • Agent-native: built for coding agents with tool use, sessions, memory, and multi-agent routing
  • Open source: MIT licensed, community-driven

What do you need? Node 22+, an API key from your chosen provider, and 5 minutes. For best quality and security, use the strongest latest-generation model available.

How it works​

The Gateway is the single source of truth for sessions, routing, and channel connections.

Key capabilities​

  • Multi-channel gateway — WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, and iMessage with a single Gateway process.

  • Plugin channels — Add Mattermost and more with extension packages.

  • Multi-agent routing — Isolated sessions per agent, workspace, or sender.

  • Media support — Send and receive images, audio, and documents.

  • Web Control UI — Browser dashboard for chat, config, sessions, and nodes.

Quick start​

Install OpenClaw​

npm install -g openclaw@latest

Onboard and install the service​

openclaw onboard --install-daemon

Pair WhatsApp and start the Gateway​

openclaw channels login
openclaw gateway --port 18789

Need the full install and dev setup? See Quick start.

Dashboard​

Open the browser Control UI after the Gateway starts.

Configuration (optional)​

Config lives at ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json.

  • If you do nothing, OpenClaw uses the bundled Pi binary in RPC mode with per-sender sessions.
  • If you want to lock it down, start with channels.whatsapp.allowFrom and (for groups) mention rules.

Example:

{
  "channels": {
    "whatsapp": {
      "allowFrom": ["+15555550123"],
      "groups": { "*": { "requireMention": true } }
    }
  },
  "messages": { "groupChat": { "mentionPatterns": ["@openclaw"] } }
}

Start here​

Learn more​