> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.dappier.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# 🦞 Build a Real-Time Telegram AI Bot | Powered by Dappier and OpenClaw

This guide walks you through building a fully functional Telegram AI bot using OpenClaw
and the Dappier skill. By the end, you'll have a personal AI assistant running in
Telegram that can answer real-time questions — from live stock prices and sports scores
to breaking news and weather — all powered by Dappier's verified data APIs.

In this guide, you'll work with:

* **OpenClaw**: A local-first, open-source AI agent framework that connects to
  messaging platforms like Telegram, WhatsApp, Slack, and Discord. It runs on your
  own machine and acts as a persistent, autonomous AI assistant.

* **Dappier**: A platform that connects LLMs and agentic AI agents to real-time,
  rights-cleared data from trusted sources. It delivers verified, prompt-ready
  information across domains like web search, finance, news, sports, and more.

* **Telegram Bot API**: Telegram's official interface for building bots. OpenClaw
  connects to it automatically during setup — no server or webhook configuration required.

***

## Live Demo

Before building your own, try the finished result. Chat with
[@amaan\_assistant\_bot](https://t.me/amaan_assistant_bot) on Telegram to see exactly
what you'll be building in this guide — powered by OpenClaw and Dappier.

<div style={{ display: "flex", justifyContent: "center" }}>
  <iframe width="315" height="560" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZUFOooiQHOc" title="Dappier + OpenClaw Telegram Bot Demo" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen />
</div>

***

## Step 1 — Create Your Telegram Bot with BotFather

Before running the installer, you'll need a Telegram bot token. BotFather is Telegram's
official tool for creating and managing bots.

1. Open Telegram and search for **@BotFather** (verify the handle is exactly `@BotFather`).
2. Send `/newbot` to start the creation flow.
3. Enter a **display name** for your bot (e.g. `Dappier Assistant`).
4. Enter a **username** — it must end with `_bot` (e.g. `dappier_assistant_bot`).
5. BotFather will confirm creation and send you a **bot token** that looks like:

```
123456789:AABBccDDeeFFggHHiiJJkkLLmmNNoo
```

Save this token — the onboarding wizard will ask for it in the next step.

> **Tip:** While in BotFather, optionally run `/setprivacy` → **Disable** if you plan
> to add your bot to group chats. This allows the bot to see all group messages, not just
> those that mention it directly.

***

## Step 2 — Run the OpenClaw Installer

Run this single command in your terminal. It installs Node.js (if needed), installs
OpenClaw globally, and immediately launches the interactive onboarding wizard:

```bash theme={null}
curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash
```

> **Windows users:** use the PowerShell equivalent:
>
> ```powershell theme={null}
> iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1 | iex
> ```

The installer handles the following automatically:

* Detects your OS (macOS, Linux, or WSL)
* Installs Homebrew on macOS if needed
* Installs Node.js 22+ if not already present
* Installs OpenClaw globally via npm
* Launches `openclaw onboard` — the interactive setup wizard

***

## Step 3 — Complete the Onboarding Wizard

Once the installer finishes, the `openclaw onboard` wizard launches automatically in
your terminal. It guides you through three setup areas in sequence.

### 3a — Choose your AI model

The wizard will ask you to select an LLM provider and enter your API key. OpenClaw
supports Anthropic Claude, OpenAI GPT, DeepSeek, and others.

Select your preferred provider and paste your API key when prompted. For the best
experience, Anthropic Claude Opus or Sonnet is recommended.

### 3b — Connect your Telegram channel

When the wizard asks which messaging channel to connect, select **Telegram (Bot API)**.

Paste the bot token you received from BotFather in Step 1.

The wizard will then ask how to handle incoming DMs:

| Option      | Description                                                  |
| ----------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| `pairing`   | New users must send a pairing code you approve (recommended) |
| `allowlist` | Only specific user IDs you list can message the bot          |
| `open`      | Anyone can message the bot — no restrictions                 |

Select `pairing` for a personal assistant. The gateway will start automatically.

### 3b.1 — Approve your pairing code

Once the gateway is running, you need to authorize yourself as a trusted user. This
is a one-time step.

1. Open Telegram and search for your bot by its username (e.g. `@dappier_assistant_bot`).
2. Send any message — for example `/start`.
3. The bot will reply with a **pairing code** that looks like:

```
Your pairing code: ABCD1234
```

4. Back in your terminal, approve the code:

```bash theme={null}
# See all pending pairing requests
openclaw pairing list telegram

# Approve your specific code
openclaw pairing approve telegram ABCD1234
```

5. You will see a confirmation in your terminal and the bot will reply in Telegram
   confirming access is granted. You can now chat with your bot freely.

> **Note:** Pairing codes expire after 1 hour. If yours expired, simply send another
> message to the bot to trigger a new code, then approve it again.

**Want to skip pairing for future users?** Switch to allowlist mode in
`~/.openclaw/openclaw.json` and add your numeric Telegram user ID:

```json theme={null}
{
	"channels": {
		"telegram": {
			"dmPolicy": "allowlist",
			"allowFrom": ["YOUR_NUMERIC_TELEGRAM_USER_ID"]
		}
	}
}
```

To find your numeric user ID, DM `@userinfobot` on Telegram — it will reply instantly
with your ID. Then run `openclaw restart` for the change to take effect.

### 3c — Install skills from ClawHub

The wizard will prompt you to install skills from ClawHub. When it does, search for
and install the Dappier skill:

```
dappier-search
```

Or install it at any time after onboarding using the ClawHub CLI:

```bash theme={null}
clawhub install dappier-search
```

You can also browse and install it directly from the marketplace:

👉 [clawhub.ai/amaan-ai20/dappier-search](https://clawhub.ai/amaan-ai20/dappier-search)

***

## Step 4 — Set Your Dappier API Key

Generate a free API key from your [Dappier API dashboard](https://platform.dappier.com/profile/api-keys).

You can provide it in one of two ways:

**Option 1 — Export in your shell (current session only):**

```bash theme={null}
export DAPPIER_API_KEY="YOUR_KEY_HERE"
```

**Option 2 — Add it permanently to your OpenClaw environment file:**

Add the following line to `~/.openclaw/.env`:

```bash theme={null}
DAPPIER_API_KEY="YOUR_KEY_HERE"
```

OpenClaw automatically loads environment variables from this file at startup, so your
key will be available to all skills — including `dappier-search` — without needing to
export it each session.

***

## Step 5 — Set the Tools Profile

The Dappier skill executes Node.js scripts on your local machine. Ensure your tools
profile is set to `full` in `~/.openclaw/openclaw.json` so all scripts run without restriction:

```json theme={null}
{
	"tools": {
		"profile": "full"
	}
}
```

Then restart the gateway for the change to take effect:

```bash theme={null}
openclaw restart
```

***

## Step 6 — Test Your Bot in Telegram

Open Telegram, find your bot by username, and send it a message. Try these examples
to confirm each Dappier tool is working:

**Real-time web search:**

```
What is the weather in Mumbai today?
```

**Stock market data:**

```
What is the current price of AAPL?
```

**Sports news:**

```
Latest NBA trade rumors
```

**Benzinga financial news:**

```
Latest news on NVDA
```

**Lifestyle news:**

```
Top wellness trends this week
```

**Research papers:**

```
Recent arXiv papers on large language models
```

**Solar & roof analysis:**

```
Solar potential for 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA
```

Your bot will query the appropriate Dappier tool and reply with live, verified data
directly inside your Telegram chat.

***

## Troubleshooting

**Bot does not respond:**

* Confirm the gateway is running: `openclaw gateway`
* Check logs in real time: `openclaw logs --follow`
* Verify your `botToken` is correct in `~/.openclaw/openclaw.json`

**`access not configured` message:**

Your Telegram account is not yet authorized. During onboarding, the wizard walks you
through approving your own pairing code. If you missed this step, run:

```bash theme={null}
openclaw pairing list telegram
openclaw pairing approve telegram <CODE>
```

> Pairing codes expire after 1 hour. Re-send a message to your bot to trigger a new code.

**Dappier skill not found or not running:**

* Confirm installation: `clawhub list`
* Reinstall: `clawhub install dappier-search`
* Confirm `DAPPIER_API_KEY` is set: `echo $DAPPIER_API_KEY`

**`setMyCommands failed` error:**

Outbound DNS or HTTPS to `api.telegram.org` is blocked. Check your firewall or network
settings. On VPS hosts, you may need to route Telegram API calls through a proxy:

```json theme={null}
{
	"channels": {
		"telegram": {
			"proxy": "socks5://user:pass@proxy-host:1080"
		}
	}
}
```

**Bot not seeing group messages:**

Run `/setprivacy` in BotFather and select **Disable**, then remove and re-add the bot
to the group. This is required for the bot to receive messages it is not directly
mentioned in.

***

## Conclusion

You now have a fully working Telegram AI bot powered by OpenClaw and Dappier — set up
with a single command and a guided onboarding wizard. Your bot can answer real-time
questions across finance, sports, news, academia, and more directly inside Telegram,
grounded in live, verified data.

From here you can:

* **Add more skills** from [ClawHub](https://clawhub.ai) to extend your bot's capabilities
* **Add your bot to group chats** by adding it to a Telegram group and configuring
  `channels.telegram.groups` in `~/.openclaw/openclaw.json`
* **Enable streaming replies** with `channels.telegram.streaming: "partial"` for a
  live, typing-style response experience in chat

**Install the Dappier skill:**

```bash theme={null}
clawhub install dappier-search
```

**Dappier skill on ClawHub:**

👉 [clawhub.ai/amaan-ai20/dappier-search](https://clawhub.ai/amaan-ai20/dappier-search)

**Official OpenClaw Telegram docs:**

👉 [docs.openclaw.ai/channels/telegram](https://docs.openclaw.ai/channels/telegram)