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OpenClaw: what it is and how to have your AI assistant in WhatsApp or Telegram

A guide to OpenClaw, the open-source AI assistant that runs on your own computer and replies from your messaging apps: requirements, installation, safe configuration and limits.

By Cognenza editorial team · Updated · 4 min read · Sources cited

What it is

OpenClaw is an open-source AI assistant that runs on your own computer and replies to you from the messaging apps you already use. Its core is the Gateway: a program that connects your chats to an AI agent that can use tools, remember and automate tasks. It is developed in the open by the OpenClaw Foundation, a US non-profit organisation.

Who it’s for

According to its documentation: developers, power users and teams who want an assistant they can message from anywhere without relying on a hosted service. If you have never used a terminal, start with an ordinary assistant and come back later.

Requirements

  • Node 26 (recommended), or Node 24.16+ / 26.1+. The installer installs it if missing.
  • An API key from your model provider. The documentation recommends using the strongest, latest model you have access to, for quality and for safety.
  • macOS, Linux, Windows (with PowerShell) or WSL2.

Step-by-step installation

  1. Install. On macOS, Linux or WSL2:
curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash

On Windows (PowerShell):

iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1 | iex
  1. Onboarding. The installer launches the setup wizard. Quick start detects your AI access, tests it and opens the web dashboard on your computer (http://127.0.0.1:18789/).
  2. Keep it running in the background: press Ctrl+C and run openclaw gateway install.
  3. Open the dashboard whenever you like with openclaw dashboard.
  4. Connect a channel (Telegram is the quickest) from the dashboard or the channel documentation.

Safe configuration

According to its security documentation, OpenClaw ships with cautious defaults: the Gateway only listens on your own computer, most channels reply to an unknown sender with a pairing code and groups are allowlisted. To check:

openclaw security audit

There is a ready-to-copy recipe in OpenClaw on WhatsApp just for you.

Precautions

  • One Gateway, one circle of trust. The documentation makes clear it is not designed to be shared by people who don’t trust each other.
  • Prompt injection: a web page or message can contain hidden orders for the assistant. Read prompt injection.
  • Messages to third parties: by default, an agent with the message tool can write in other conversations; the documentation explains how to restrict it.
  • Don’t expose it to the internet without following its exposure guide and without authentication.

Limits

  • It requires some technical confidence and maintenance (frequent updates).
  • Quality and cost depend on the model you connect.

Frequently asked questions

Is OpenClaw free?

Yes. It is open source (MIT licence) and developed by the OpenClaw Foundation, a non-profit organisation. According to its documentation, there is no paid tier. What you pay for is your provider’s AI model.

Do my messages go through an OpenClaw server?

According to its documentation, there is no hosted middle service: the Gateway runs on your computer or server. But the model provider you choose does receive what the assistant sends it.

Which messaging apps does it support?

Discord, Google Chat, iMessage, Matrix, Microsoft Teams, Signal, Slack, Telegram, WhatsApp, Zalo and more through plugins, according to the official documentation.

Does it send usage data?

The documentation says there is no telemetry by default beyond a version check that you can turn off.

Keep reading

Sources

Official sources are linked in their original language.

  1. Documentación oficial de OpenClaw — OpenClaw Foundation
  2. Seguridad del Gateway — OpenClaw Foundation
  3. Repositorio oficial openclaw/openclaw — GitHub
  4. Versiones publicadas — GitHub

Change log

  • : First published with the official documentation consulted that day (stable version 2026.9.33).

Educational content, prepared with the help of AI tools, with sources cited. It is not a substitute for professional advice. Tools change fast: if you spot something out of date, write to us at contacto@cognenza.com. How we work.