Connect OpenClaw to Discord: Full Tutorial

Introduction

This guide walks you through connecting OpenClaw to Discord, from creating a bot application to inviting it to your server.

Prerequisites

• OpenClaw installed on your VPS
• A Discord account
• Server admin permissions (to invite the bot)

Step 1: Create a Discord Application

1. Go to the Discord Developer Portal
2. Click New Application
3. Name your application (e.g., "My AI Bot")
4. Click Create

Step 2: Create a Bot User

1. In your application, go to the Bot section
2. Click Add Bot
3. Confirm by clicking Yes, do it!

Configure Bot Settings

Under Privileged Gateway Intents, enable:

• Presence Intent - Optional, for status updates
• Server Members Intent - Required for member info
• Message Content Intent - Required to read messages

Step 3: Get Your Bot Token

1. In the Bot section, click Reset Token
2. Copy the token immediately (you can only see it once)
3. Keep this token secret - never share it publicly

Step 4: Configure OpenClaw

SSH into your VPS and update your environment file:

cd /opt/openclaw
nano .env

Add or update:

DISCORD_TOKEN=your-bot-token-here
DISCORD_PREFIX=!

Step 5: Invite Bot to Your Server

1. Go to OAuth2 > URL Generator

2. Select scopes:

   • bot
   • applications.commands

3. Select bot permissions:

   • Read Messages/View Channels
   • Send Messages
   • Embed Links
   • Attach Files
   • Read Message History
   • Use Slash Commands

4. Copy the generated URL and open it in your browser

5. Select your server and click Authorize

Step 6: Start the Bot

pm2 restart openclaw

Verify it's online:

pm2 logs openclaw --lines 20

You should see a message like "Bot logged in as YourBot#1234".

Step 7: Test the Bot

In your Discord server, try:

!help

Or mention the bot directly:

@YourBot Hello, how are you?

Configuring Channels

Restrict to Specific Channels

Add to your .env:

DISCORD_ALLOWED_CHANNELS=123456789,987654321

Set Up a Dedicated Bot Channel

1. Create a new channel (e.g., #ai-chat)
2. Set permissions so only the bot can send messages
3. Add the channel ID to allowed channels

Per-Channel Settings

Create different behaviors for different channels:

# Support channel - formal responses
DISCORD_CHANNEL_987654321_PROMPT=You are a helpful support assistant.

# General chat - casual responses
DISCORD_CHANNEL_123456789_PROMPT=You are a friendly chat companion.

Rate Limiting

Prevent spam and API overuse:

DISCORD_RATE_LIMIT=5
DISCORD_RATE_LIMIT_WINDOW=60

Troubleshooting

Bot appears offline

• Check token is correct: grep DISCORD_TOKEN .env
• Verify intents are enabled in Developer Portal
• Check logs: pm2 logs openclaw

Bot doesn't respond

• Ensure Message Content Intent is enabled
• Check the bot has permissions in the channel
• Verify prefix matches: grep DISCORD_PREFIX .env

"Missing Permissions" error

Re-invite the bot with correct permissions using the OAuth2 URL generator.

Next Steps

• Configure system prompts for personality
• Set up monitoring for uptime alerts
• Security hardening for your VPS

Need Help?

Having trouble with Discord setup? Contact us or check our maintenance plans for professional support.