OpenClaw Agent Hub

OpenClaw Discord Guide

A practical platform guide for connecting OpenClaw with Discord, including bot setup, channel configuration, and first workflow validation.
Mar 12, 2026

OpenClaw Discord Guide

This page shows you how to connect OpenClaw to Discord and validate your first working loop.

Discord is the recommended first channel for most new OpenClaw users because:

  • bot setup is well-documented
  • testing is easy (just send a message in a channel)
  • visibility is good (you can see everything happening)
  • it works for both personal and team workflows

Before you start

Make sure you have finished:

Do not connect Discord until your Gateway is running and your basic setup passes the health check.

Step 1: create a Discord application and bot

  1. Go to the Discord Developer Portal
  2. Click "New Application" and give it a name
  3. Go to the "Bot" section in the left sidebar
  4. Click "Add Bot" or "Reset Token" to get a bot token
  5. Copy the token — you will need it for OpenClaw config

Important: keep the bot token secret. Do not share it or commit it to a repository.

Step 2: configure bot permissions

In the Developer Portal, go to "OAuth2" → "URL Generator":

  1. Under Scopes, select bot
  2. Under Bot Permissions, select at minimum:
    • Read Messages/View Channels
    • Send Messages
    • Read Message History
  3. Copy the generated URL and open it in your browser
  4. Select the server you want to add the bot to
  5. Authorize the bot

The bot should now appear in your Discord server's member list (it will show as offline until Gateway connects).

Step 3: get your channel and server IDs

You need the IDs for the channel where the bot will operate:

  1. In Discord, go to Settings → Advanced → enable "Developer Mode"
  2. Right-click on the target channel → "Copy Channel ID"
  3. Right-click on the server name → "Copy Server ID"

You will add these to your OpenClaw config.

Step 4: add Discord config to OpenClaw

Add the Discord channel configuration to your OpenClaw workspace config:

{
  "channels": {
    "discord": {
      "enabled": true,
      "token": "your-bot-token-here",
      "guildId": "your-server-id",
      "channelId": "your-channel-id"
    }
  }
}

Replace the placeholder values with your actual bot token, server ID, and channel ID.

Step 5: restart Gateway and verify

After saving the config:

  1. Restart Gateway (openclaw gateway restart or through the app)
  2. Check that the bot shows as "Online" in your Discord server
  3. Send a test message in the configured channel
  4. Wait for the assistant to reply

If the bot does not come online:

  • verify the token is correct
  • check that Gateway is running
  • look at Gateway logs for connection errors

If the bot comes online but does not reply:

  • confirm the channel ID matches the channel you are messaging in
  • check that the bot has permission to read and send messages in that channel
  • verify your model provider API key is valid

Step 6: validate the first loop

Send a simple message like "hello" or "what can you do?" and confirm:

  • the assistant received the message
  • the assistant generated a reply
  • the reply appeared in the Discord channel

If this works, your Discord setup is complete.

After Discord is working

Now that your first channel loop is validated, move to:

  1. OpenClaw Heartbeat Guide — add a recurring health check
  2. OpenClaw for Discord Support Workflows — build a real support workflow
  3. OpenClaw Use Cases — explore more workflow patterns

Common issues

Bot shows as offline

  • Gateway is not running, or the token is wrong
  • Check openclaw gateway status and verify the token in config

Bot is online but does not reply

  • Channel ID mismatch (bot is listening in a different channel)
  • Bot lacks permission to read/send messages in the target channel
  • Model provider API key is invalid or has no credits

Bot replies in the wrong channel

  • The configured channelId does not match where you are sending messages
  • Update the config and restart Gateway

Rate limiting or slow replies

  • Discord has rate limits on bot messages
  • If you see delays, check if the model provider is responding slowly or if Discord is throttling the bot

Next step