How to Get a Telegram Bot Token

What is a Bot Token?

A Telegram bot token is a unique identifier that authenticates your bot with Telegram's API. It looks like:

123456789:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrsTUVwxyz

You need this token to connect OpenClaw or OpenClaw to Telegram.

Step 1: Find BotFather

1. Open Telegram (mobile or desktop)
2. Search for @BotFather
3. Look for the verified account with blue checkmark
4. Click "Start" to begin

Step 2: Create New Bot

Send the command:

/newbot

BotFather will ask for:

Bot Name (Display Name)

This is what users see. Examples:

• "My AI Assistant"
• "Support Helper Bot"
• "Community Chat Bot"

Bot Username

Must be unique and end in bot. Examples:

• MyAIAssistant_bot
• CommunityHelper_bot
• Support_ai_bot

Tips:

• Keep it short and memorable
• Avoid special characters (only letters, numbers, underscore)
• Check availability before committing

Step 3: Get Your Token

After successful creation, BotFather sends:

Done! Congratulations on your new bot. You will find it at t.me/YourBot_bot.

Use this token to access the HTTP API:
123456789:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrsTUVwxyz

Keep your token secure and store it safely.

Copy this token immediately! You'll need it for your bot configuration.

Step 4: Configure Your Bot (Optional)

While in BotFather, set up your bot profile:

Set Description

/setdescription

Brief text shown when users discover your bot.

Set About

/setabouttext

Shown in the bot's profile.

Set Profile Picture

/setuserpic

Send an image to use as avatar.

Set Commands

/setcommands

Define available commands:

start - Start the bot
help - Get help information
settings - Open settings

Privacy Settings

/setprivacy

• Enabled (default): Bot only sees messages starting with / in groups
• Disabled: Bot sees all messages in groups (required for AI bots)

For OpenClaw/OpenClaw, disable privacy mode.

Using Your Token

With OpenClaw

nano /opt/openclaw/.env

Add:

TELEGRAM_ENABLED=true
TELEGRAM_TOKEN=123456789:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrsTUVwxyz

With OpenClaw

nano /opt/openclaw/.env

Add:

TELEGRAM_ENABLED=true
TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=123456789:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrsTUVwxyz

Token Security

Do's

• Store in environment variables
• Keep backups in secure location
• Use .gitignore to exclude .env files
• Rotate if compromised

Don'ts

• Never commit tokens to Git
• Don't share publicly
• Avoid sending in unencrypted messages
• Don't reuse across unrelated projects

Regenerating Tokens

If your token is compromised:

1. Message BotFather
2. Send /revoke
3. Select the bot
4. Get new token
5. Update your configuration
6. Restart your bot

Old token stops working immediately.

Multiple Bots

You can create multiple bots with different tokens:

/newbot

Each bot has a unique token. Useful for:

• Separate development/production bots
• Different communities
• Testing purposes

BotFather Commands Reference

| Command | Description | |---------|-------------| | /newbot | Create new bot | | /mybots | List your bots | | /setname | Change display name | | /setdescription | Set description | | /setabouttext | Set about text | | /setuserpic | Set profile picture | | /setcommands | Set command list | | /deletebot | Delete a bot | | /revoke | Regenerate token | | /setprivacy | Toggle privacy mode |

Troubleshooting

"Username is already taken"

Try variations:

• Add numbers: MyBot123_bot
• Add underscores: My_AI_Bot
• Try different names

Token not working

• Check for extra spaces when copying
• Ensure complete token (includes : and everything after)
• Try regenerating with /revoke

Bot not responding in groups

• Disable privacy mode: /setprivacy → Disable
• Make bot admin in group
• Check your bot configuration

Next Steps

Now that you have your token:

• Set up OpenClaw with Telegram
• Set up OpenClaw with Telegram
• Configure bot personality

Need Help?

Our setup service handles complete Telegram bot configuration with UK-based support.