Run your own AI assistant on your own server. Step-by-step guide to connecting Claude to WhatsApp, Telegram and Slack with OpenClaw.

⚠️ Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only. Getflow has not developed or officially endorsed OpenClaw. The user bears sole responsibility for any technical issues, data loss, security vulnerabilities or legal consequences arising from installation, use or third-party platform integration.

What Is OpenClaw?

OpenClaw is an open-source gateway that connects Claude, GPT or any AI model to 20+ platforms including WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack and Discord. No cloud service — everything runs on your own server, in your own database. Your data never leaves your infrastructure.

Why Use a Self-Hosted AI?

Most AI tools send customer conversations, sales data and internal messages to their own servers. With a self-hosted setup, the model runs on your machine and data stays in your hands. A critical advantage for GDPR and data compliance.

Prerequisites

Before starting the installation you will need: Node.js 24 (or minimum 22.19+), npm, pnpm or bun package manager, macOS, Linux or Windows operating system.

Installation: 3 Steps

First install OpenClaw globally: npm install -g openclaw@latest — Then launch the onboarding wizard: openclaw onboard --install-daemon — This step automatically configures the gateway, workspace, channels and system service. Finally check the status: openclaw gateway status

npm install -g openclaw@latest
openclaw onboard --install-daemon
openclaw gateway status

Connecting Claude

Open ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json and add your model definition. We recommend using Anthropic's latest flagship model.

{
  "agent": {
    "model": "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6"
  }
}

WhatsApp & Telegram Integration

By default unknown senders are blocked and a pairing code system is activated for security. To approve: openclaw pairing approve whatsapp CODE — To make it open to everyone set dmPolicy to open.

openclaw pairing approve whatsapp <code>
openclaw pairing approve telegram <code>

Useful Commands

After installation you can interact with your AI assistant using these commands.

openclaw agent --message "List today's tasks"
openclaw message send --target +1234567890 --message "Hello"
openclaw doctor
openclaw update --channel stable

Source Code & Download

Browse the GitHub repository to explore the project or contribute. Use the button below to download as ZIP and test in your own environment.

View on GitHubDownload ZIP