#Why is my bot taking extra long to reply on telegram

1 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

open musk
#

my bot takes too much time sometimes to reply

frigid magnetBOT
#

To help others find answers, you can mark your question as solved via Right click solution message -> Apps -> ✅ Mark Solution

clear oracleBOT
#

A few different things can look like “slow replies” on Telegram, so the fastest path is: confirm which bucket you’re in, then grab 2 outputs.

First: what kind of “slow”?

  1. Only when you send multiple messages quickly (or you keep talking while it’s thinking)
    → this is often just queue mode (default is “collect”, which intentionally waits/batches).
    In the Telegram chat, send: /queue and paste what it says.
    Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/help/faq#why-does-it-feel-like-the-bot-ignores-rapidfire-messages

  2. Even for a single short message, sometimes it takes 30–120s
    → usually either model/provider latency, gateway busy, or Telegram API/network hiccups.

  3. It’s fast in DMs but slow in a group/topic
    → Telegram processing is sequenced per chat/thread, so if one long run is in-flight in that same chat, later messages wait their turn.

Two things to paste here (they’re safe / redact secrets)

On the machine running the Gateway:

# 
openclaw --version
openclaw status --all

If you can, also run this right when it’s being slow and paste ~30 lines around the delay:

openclaw logs --follow

Common concrete causes (what I’ll look for in the logs)

  • Queue mode = collect (it will “wait a bit” to batch rapid-fire messages)
  • Long-running tool work blocking the chat (try stop in Telegram when it’s stuck)
  • Telegram polling/network instability (logs often show fetch failed / getUpdates failed; sometimes IPv6 egress issues)
  • Gateway overloaded (CPU/RAM) or too low agents.defaults.maxConcurrent relative to how many chats/tasks you run
#

Drop the --version + status --all output and whether this is Telegram DM vs group, and we can narrow it down quickly.

open musk
#

18:58:36 warn compaction-safeguard {"subsystem":"compaction-safeguard"} Compaction safeguard: cancelling compaction with no real conversation messages to summarize.
18:58:36 warn agent/embedded {"subsystem":"agent/embedded"} embedded run agent end: runId=edcfedc1-6d86-4985-968b-60e6fe9174a9 isError=true error=400 tool calling is not supported with this model
18:58:37 warn agent/embedded {"subsystem":"agent/embedded"} embedded run agent end: runId=c17e5313-4fef-4ffd-8325-9d34c91f32cb isError=true error=400 tool calling is not supported with this model
18:58:37 info gateway/channels/telegram {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/telegram"} telegram sendMessage ok chat=6468789862 message=3251
18:58:41 warn agent/embedded {"subsystem":"agent/embedded"} embedded run agent end: runId=1661bc0a-3d5e-48c1-bd74-28b370f73935 isError=true error=400 tool calling is not supported with this model

clear oracleBOT
#

Those log lines basically explain the “slow sometimes”:

error=400 \tool calling` is not supported with this model`

OpenClaw is trying to run the agent with tools enabled (normal), but the currently selected model (or one of your fallbacks) doesn’t support tool calling, so the run errors, then it retries/fails over — that extra churn is what you feel as “it took forever / it was flaky”.

Fix (what to do next)

  1. On the gateway host, paste:
openclaw models status

This will show which model/provider you’re actually running (and usually makes it obvious if you accidentally picked a non-tool model).

  1. In the Telegram chat itself, try:
  • /model status
  • /model list → pick a model that supports tools/tool-calling (anything intended for agent/tool use)
#
  1. If you’re using a local model (common culprit):

After you switch

Trigger one message that used to be slow and watch logs — the tool calling is not supported warnings should disappear entirely.

If you paste openclaw models status output, I can tell you exactly which configured model entry is causing the retries.

open musk
#

⚠️ 📝 Edit: in ~/.openclaw/workspace/TOOLS.md (151 chars) failed

clear oracleBOT
#

That warning is not a Telegram/network issue — it’s OpenClaw telling you:

  • the agent tried to apply an “edit/patch” to ~/.openclaw/workspace/TOOLS.md
  • and the edit couldn’t be applied

The two most common reasons:

  1. Patch mismatch: the “edit” operation expects the file to contain an exact snippet, but your TOOLS.md doesn’t match (changed since last read, different whitespace, etc.).
  2. Workspace not writable: gateway is running under a different user / inside a sandbox / permissions issue, so it can’t write to ~/.openclaw/workspace.

What I need to tell which one it is

On the gateway host, paste the log lines around it (there’s usually a real error right before/after):

openclaw logs --follow
#

(or just re-trigger once and immediately tail logs)

Quick mitigations

If you paste the log chunk, I can point to the exact cause (mismatch vs permissions/sandbox).

open musk
#

17:30:43 info gateway/channels/telegram {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/telegram"} telegram sendMessage ok chat=6468789862 message=4014
17:30:44 info gateway/channels/telegram {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/telegram"} telegram sendMessage ok chat=6468789862 message=4015
17:30:45 info gateway/channels/telegram {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/telegram"} telegram sendMessage ok chat=6468789862 message=4016
17:31:01 error [tools] edit failed: Could not find the exact text in /home/admin/.openclaw/workspace/TOOLS.md. The old text must match exactly including all whitespace and newlines.
17:31:01 error [tools] edit failed: Could not find the exact text in /home/admin/.openclaw/workspace/TOOLS.md. The old text must match exactly including all whitespace and newlines.
17:31:11 info gateway/channels/telegram {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/telegram"} telegram sendMessag

clear oracleBOT
#

Yep — that’s the best possible error to get, because it’s very specific:

edit failed: Could not find the exact text … The old text must match exactly …

So nothing is “broken” with permissions. The edit tool is an exact find-and-replace. If the agent tries to patch based on a guessed snippet (or the file changed since it last read it), the edit is rejected on purpose.

How to fix it (pick one)

  1. Reliable approach: tell the bot to read the file first, then make the change.

    • Prompt idea: “Read /home/admin/.openclaw/workspace/TOOLS.md and then update it. Don’t guess file contents.”

  2. Even more reliable: tell it to rewrite the whole file (overwrite) instead of doing a surgical edit.

    • This avoids the “oldText must match exactly” constraint.

  3. Manual: just edit TOOLS.md yourself in an editor; this file is just workspace notes.

Why it can feel like “slow replies”

If the bot keeps attempting these edits (and failing), it’s doing extra model turns / retries, which adds latency and wastes tokens. So getting it to “read first” or “rewrite” will also reduce that overhead.

#

If you want, paste the current TOOLS.md (or the section you want to change) and the exact change you wanted — then I can tell you the safest edit strategy (append vs rewrite) so it won’t keep failing.

open musk
#

Timed out after 60s waiting for gateway port 18789 to become healthy.
Service runtime: status=running, state=active, pid=96240, lastExit=0
Port 18789 is already in use.

  • Port is in use but process details are unavailable (install lsof or run as an admin user).
    Port diagnostics errors: Error: spawn lsof ENOENT
    Gateway restart timed out after 60s waiting for health checks.
clear oracleBOT
#

That error means the restart couldn’t bring the Gateway back healthy because 18789 never became free/healthy:

  • service says it’s “running” (pid 96240)
  • but port 18789 is already in use
  • and OpenClaw couldn’t auto-diagnose the port owner because lsof isn’t installed (spawn lsof ENOENT)

1) First, paste these two outputs

openclaw --version
openclaw gateway status

gateway status will tell us whether the service thinks it’s listening, what URL it’s probing, and often the last startup error.

2) Find what’s actually bound to 18789 (no lsof needed)

Try one of these (Linux):

# 
ss -lptn | grep ':18789'

If that doesn’t show the process name due to permissions, run with sudo:

sudo ss -lptn | grep ':18789'

(Alternative: sudo fuser -v 18789/tcp)

3) Most common cause

You have two gateway instances:

  • the service is running, and/or
  • you also started openclaw gateway manually in a terminal earlier
#

Fix pattern:

  1. stop the service:
openclaw gateway stop
  1. confirm the port is free (ss … :18789)
  2. start it again:
openclaw gateway start

4) If you want the nicer diagnostics

Install lsof so OpenClaw can print the port owner automatically:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y lsof
#

If you paste openclaw gateway status + the ss output, I can tell you exactly whether it’s “duplicate gateway” vs “gateway hung but still holding the port”, and the cleanest next step.

open musk
#

Hey! What's up?

Pre-compaction memory flush. Store durable memories now (use memory/2026-03-05.md; create memory/ if needed). IMPORTANT: If the file already exists, APPEND new
content only and do not overwrite existing entries. If nothing to store, reply with NO_REPLY.
Current time: Thursday, March 5th, 2026 — 7:14 AM (UTC)

clear oracleBOT
#

That Telegram message is OpenClaw’s internal “pre-compaction memory flush” prompt leaking into the chat. It’s supposed to be a silent housekeeping turn (so you should never see it as a user-facing message).

When it leaks, it’s usually one of these:

  1. You’re on an older build (or a build where silent-turn suppression is buggy)
  2. You customized agents.defaults.compaction.memoryFlush.prompt / systemPrompt and accidentally removed the NO_REPLY behavior
  3. You have verbose/reasoning output enabled, so internal turns get shown

Quick fixes

In the Telegram chat, send:

  • /verbose off
  • /reasoning off

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/help/faq#how-do-i-stop-internal-system-messages-from-showing-in-chat

Confirm your config + version (paste outputs)

On the gateway host:

# 
openclaw --version
openclaw config get agents.defaults.compaction.memoryFlush

If you just want to disable the feature (stops the flush turns entirely)

Set:

{
  agents: {
    defaults: {
      compaction: { memoryFlush: { enabled: false } },
    },
  },
}
open musk
#

this is dispalyin on the tui instead, is it an issue or no?

clear oracleBOT
#

If it’s only showing in the TUI, that’s generally not a problem.

The TUI chat log includes system notices + tool cards, and the “pre-compaction memory flush” is an internal housekeeping turn that can show up there (especially if you have /verbose on or are showing more system output). TUI doc even calls out that it shows system notices in the chat log: https://docs.openclaw.ai/web/tui

When it is an issue:

  • if the same “memory flush” text is being delivered to Telegram / real users as an assistant message (spammy/confusing), or
  • if it’s happening constantly (means you’re hitting compaction thresholds a lot → extra turns → more latency)

If you want it quieter in TUI/overall:

  • /verbose off and /reasoning off (in the TUI session)
  • or disable the feature via agents.defaults.compaction.memoryFlush.enabled: false (but I’d only do that after confirming your version/config)

If you tell me: does it appear as a “system notice” line or as an actual assistant reply in the TUI? I can say whether it’s expected display vs a leak/misconfig.

open musk
#

got it like twice now though but seems like this is a different session

clear oracleBOT
#

Yep — that tracks.

The pre-compaction memory flush is tracked per session key, so if you have multiple sessions (for example: TUI main session vs a Telegram DM session vs a group/topic session), you can see it once in each.

A couple quick ways to sanity-check:

  • In the TUI, when it happens, run /status and look at the session key shown in the footer/output.
  • If you see different keys (or you recently did /new / a restart caused a new session), then seeing the flush twice is expected.

It’s only “weird” if you see it repeatedly in the exact same session with little conversation — then it usually means you’re hitting compaction thresholds very quickly (small context model, lots of tool output, verbose on, etc.).

If you paste /status from the TUI right after it appears (and tell me whether Telegram is sharing that same session key or not), I can tell you if it’s normal or if your sessions are getting split unexpectedly.

open musk
#

07:28:22 warn plugins {"subsystem":"plugins"} [plugins] openclaw-web-search: loaded without install/load-path provenance; treat as untracked local code and pin trust via plugins.allow or install records (/home/admin/.openclaw/extensions/openclaw-web-search/index.ts)
07:28:22 info ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
██░▄▄▄░██░▄▄░██░▄▄▄██░▀██░██░▄▄▀██░████░▄▄▀██░███░██
██░███░██░▀▀░██░▄▄▄██░█░█░██░█████░████░▀▀░██░█░█░██
██░▀▀▀░██░█████░▀▀▀██░██▄░██░▀▀▄██░▀▀░█░██░██▄▀▄▀▄██
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
🦞 OPENCLAW 🦞

clear oracleBOT
#

That line is just a startup security warning, not an error:

openclaw-web-search: loaded without install/load-path provenance; treat as untracked local code …

It means the Gateway found a plugin on disk at:

/home/admin/.openclaw/extensions/openclaw-web-search/index.ts

…but it wasn’t installed/recorded via the plugin installer (so OpenClaw can’t tell if it’s “intentionally installed” vs “random code that appeared in extensions/”). It still loads, but warns so you can pin trust explicitly.

If you trust it (recommended): pin it in config

  1. Check the exact plugin id:
openclaw plugins list
  1. Add it to plugins.allow (and ensure it’s enabled), e.g.:
# 
{
  plugins: {
    allow: ["openclaw-web-search"],
    entries: {
      "openclaw-web-search": { enabled: true },
    },
  },
}

Then restart the gateway (plugin config requires restart).

Docs (this exact warning is described here):
https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/plugin#config

If you don’t want it

#

Either disable it under plugins.entries.<id>.enabled: false, or remove it from ~/.openclaw/extensions/.

This warning itself won’t make Telegram replies slow — but the plugin can add latency if the agent decides to use web search during a reply.

open musk
#

I don't ususalyy get this but i do now while using tui and I don't know why when I hit rate limit once on tui, it doens't respond again more like as if my messages are been dropped or somthing

clear oracleBOT
#

That “rate limited once → then it feels like messages are dropped” pattern is almost always one of these in the TUI:

  1. You’re still in an in‑flight run (stuck/slow/backing off), so new messages get queued/collected instead of answered.
  2. Your queue mode is set to something that batches/drops while a run is active (often “collect”).
  3. Provider cooldown/backoff kicked in after a 429, and you don’t have a usable fallback model/profile, so every new send immediately fails (sometimes it only shows in logs, depending on verbose).

Quick checks in the TUI (no logs needed yet)

  1. Run:
  • /status
    Look at whether it says the session is running / error / idle.

  1. If it’s “running” and not progressing, hit Esc (abort), then try a fresh short message.

  2. Check queue mode:

  • /queue
    If it’s collect, switch to something more predictable while debugging, e.g. followup (so each message gets a clear turn) or interrupt (so new messages cancel the old run).
    (Your /queue output will tell us what it’s currently doing.)
#

Then grab one log snippet (this will show the real reason)

On the gateway host:

openclaw logs --follow

Reproduce: send one message in TUI → wait for the “no response” behavior → copy the relevant lines (especially any 429 / rate_limit / cooldown lines).

If you paste:

  • /status output (from TUI)
  • /queue output (from TUI)
  • the log chunk around the rate limit

…I can tell you whether it’s stuck-run queuing vs provider cooldown vs “all models failed / no fallback” and what the clean fix is (usually: set a fallback model/profile, or change queue mode).

open musk
#

Gateway status

Link channel: unknown

Heartbeat: 5m (main), disabled (openrouter-skills-create-agent)

Session stores: 2

Default model: pixtral-large-2411 (32k ctx)

Active sessions: 16

Recent sessions:

  • agent:main:main [direct] | just now | model mistral-large-latest | tokens ?/131k | flags: system, id:3217734a-e15a-413f-87d8-9a101e18cf75

  • agent:main:telegram:direct:6468789862 [direct] | 36m ago | model pixtral-large-2411 | tokens 16k/32k (16k left, 51%) | flags: system,
    id:06e860e4-f188-4a6c-8ec6-ba82bc3ba394

  • agent:main:telegram:group:-1003733326461 [group] | 46m ago | model gemini-2.5-flash | tokens ?/32k | flags: system, id:e25ce1d5-45cd-44d0-873d-53aa6991de2a

clear oracleBOT
#

That status output is super helpful — and it explains a bunch of what you’re seeing.

1) Yes, those are different sessions

You currently have (at least):

  • agent:main:main (that’s your TUI session)
  • agent:main:telegram:direct:6468789862 (your Telegram DM session)
  • plus a Telegram group session

So anything “per-session” (memory flush, compaction, rate limits, queue behavior) can happen independently in each.

Docs on how session keys work: https://docs.openclaw.ai/concepts/session

2) The big red flag: Heartbeat every 5 minutes

Your status shows:

Heartbeat: 5m (main)

#

That’s extremely aggressive. If your provider rate-limits you once, a 5‑minute heartbeat can keep re-triggering calls in the background and make it feel like the TUI is ignoring you (busy / cooling down / failing fast).

If you don’t need that frequency, bump it back up or disable while debugging. FAQ shows the config shape here: https://docs.openclaw.ai/help/faq#why-am-i-getting-heartbeat-messages-every-30-minutes

3) Why it feels like messages are “dropped” after a 429

Usually it’s not dropped — it’s one of:

  • the run is still “busy” (new messages get queued/collected), or
  • the provider/model is in cooldown/backoff after the rate limit, so every new request fails or waits

To confirm which: when it happens in TUI, run /status and check if it says running vs idle/error, and tail logs:

openclaw logs --follow

If you paste the log lines around the actual 429/rate limit event, I can tell you whether it’s (a) heartbeat hammering, (b) no fallback model configured, or (c) a queue-mode “collect” situation.

open musk
#

is the heartbeat time too soon?

clear oracleBOT
#

Yeah — 5 minutes is usually way too soon unless you specifically want constant background activity.

Heartbeat is a real agent run. So at every 5m you’re:

  • spending tokens even when you’re not chatting
  • increasing the chance of provider rate limits / cooldowns
  • potentially keeping the gateway “busy”, which can make the TUI/Telegram feel laggy

Most people do something like 30m–2h, or just disable it and use cron for scheduled work.

To change it (from the FAQ):

{
  agents: {
    defaults: {
open musk
#

so cron is better than heartbeat?

clear oracleBOT
#

Cron isn’t strictly “better” — it’s better for different jobs.

Rule of thumb (and it matters for your rate-limit/lag issue):

Use Heartbeat when you want “periodic awareness”

  • “Every ~30 minutes, check a few things and only ping me if something matters”
  • It runs in the main session, so it’s context-aware and can batch multiple checks into one turn.
  • But if you set it too aggressive (like your 5m), it can burn tokens and trigger rate limits / keep the agent busy.

Use Cron when you need precision + isolation

  • “At 9:00am, send a daily summary”
  • “Remind me in 20 minutes”
  • “Run a heavy report weekly”
  • Cron can run in an isolated session (cron:<jobId>), so it won’t pollute or block your main/TUI session as much, and you can tune model/thinking per job.

Best practice is usually both:

  • Heartbeat at a sane interval (often 30m–2h)
open musk
#

does cron uses model api calls?

clear oracleBOT
#

Yes — cron jobs normally trigger a real agent run, which means LLM/model calls (API calls if you’re using a hosted provider).

Cron is mainly about scheduling + isolation/precision, not “free automation”.

Nuance:

  • If you schedule a cron job with --message ... (or --announce), that’s an agent turn → model call.
  • A --system-event "..." can be just an event written into the session store, but if you add --wake now (common for reminders), you’re waking the agent to react → model call.

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/automation/cron-jobs

If your goal is lower cost / fewer rate limits, the levers are:

  • run it less frequently (heartbeat/cron interval)
  • use a cheaper model for those scheduled runs (cron supports per-job --model, heartbeat has its own config too)
open musk
#

how do I remove configured models and custom providers

clear oracleBOT
#

You remove them by unsetting the config paths where you added them (and sometimes by deleting the per‑agent models.json override).

1) Find where they’re configured

On the gateway host:

openclaw config file
openclaw config get models.providers
openclaw config get agents.defaults.model
openclaw config get agents.defaults.models

2) Remove a custom provider

Custom providers live under models.providers. Unset the one you don’t want (bracket notation is safest, especially if the id has -):

# 
openclaw config unset 'models.providers["<providerId>"]'

If you want to wipe all custom providers:

openclaw config unset models.providers

3) Remove “configured models” / aliases / allowlists

Those are typically in agents.defaults.models (aliases/metadata) and agents.defaults.model (primary + fallbacks). To clear them:

openclaw config unset agents.defaults.models
# and/or selectively remove fallbacks etc:
# 
openclaw config unset agents.defaults.model.fallbacks

Important: make sure your default model doesn’t point at a provider/model you’re deleting (use openclaw models status / openclaw models set … first), otherwise the gateway may start up with “unknown model/provider” errors.

4) Check per-agent overrides too (common gotcha)

Custom providers can also be defined in:

~/.openclaw/agents/<agentId>/agent/models.json

If that file exists, either remove the provider entry from it or move the file aside.

5) Restart

Plugin/provider config changes generally require a restart:

# 
openclaw gateway restart

If you paste your openclaw config get models.providers output (redact keys), I can tell you the exact config unset … commands for your provider ids.

open musk
#

admin@ip-172-31-28-204:~$ openclaw config unset 'models.providers["custom-api-groq-com"]'

🦞 OpenClaw 2026.3.2 (85377a2) — I run on caffeine, JSON5, and the audacity of "it worked on my machine."

Config path not found: models.providers["custom-api-groq-com"]
admin@ip-172-31-28-204:~$ openclaw config unset 'models.providers["custom-api-groq-com"]'

🦞 OpenClaw 2026.3.2 (85377a2) — I'm the assistant your terminal demanded, not the one your sleep schedule requested.

Config path not found: models.providers["custom-api-groq-com"]

clear oracleBOT
#

Config path not found just means that provider isn’t in your main openclaw.json config under models.providers (so there’s nothing there for config unset to remove).

In OpenClaw, custom providers can live in either:

  1. main config: ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json → models.providers
  2. per-agent override: ~/.openclaw/agents/<agentId>/agent/models.json

Docs reference: https://docs.openclaw.ai/gateway/configuration-reference#custom-providers-and-base-urls

Step 1: list what’s actually in config

Run:

openclaw config get models.providers

If it prints null / {} / nothing relevant, then it’s not in config.

#

Step 2: check per-agent models.json

This is the usual culprit:

ls -la ~/.openclaw/agents/*/agent/models.json

If you find one, open it and look for that provider id. Quick, reversible “remove everything custom” test is to move it aside:

mv ~/.openclaw/agents/<agentId>/agent/models.json ~/.openclaw/agents/<agentId>/agent/models.json.bak
openclaw gateway restart

(Replace <agentId> with whatever directory exists, often main.)

If you want, paste the output of:

#
  • openclaw config get models.providers
  • ls -la ~/.openclaw/agents/*/agent/models.json

…and I’ll tell you the exact path/id to unset (or which models.json file to edit).

open musk
#

{
"custom-infinitekeys-fun": {
"baseUrl": "https://infinitekeys.fun/proxy/v1",
"apiKey": "OPENCLAW_REDACTED",
"api": "openai-completions",
"models": [
{
"id": "gemini-2.5-flash",
"name": "gemini-2.5-flash (Custom Provider)",
"reasoning": false,
"input": [
"text"
],
"cost": {
"input": 0,
"output": 0,
"cacheRead": 0,
"cacheWrite": 0
},
"contextWindow": 32000,
"maxTokens": 4096,
"api": "openai-completions"
}
]
},
"custom-openrouter-ai": {
"baseUrl": "https://openrouter.ai/api/v1",
"apiKey": "OPENCLAW_REDACTED",
"api": "openai-completions",
"models": [
{
"id": "arcee-ai/trinity-large-preview:free",
"name": "arcee-ai/trinity-large-preview:free (Custom Provider)",
"reasoning": false,
"input": [
"text"
],
"cost": {
"input": 0,
"output": 0,
"cacheRead": 0,
"cacheWrite": 0
},
"contextWindow": 32000,
"maxTokens": 4096,
"api": "openai-completions"
}
]
},
"custom-api-groq-com": {
"baseUrl": "https://api.groq.com/openai/v1",
"apiKey": "OPENCLAW_REDACTED",
"api": "openai-completions",
"models": [
{
"id": "groq/compound",
"name": "groq/compound (Custom Provider)",
"api": "openai-completions",
"reasoning": false,
"input": [
"text"
],
"cost": {
"input": 0,
"output": 0,
"cacheRead": 0,
"cacheWrite": 0
},
"contextWindow": 32000,
"maxTokens": 4096
},
{

clear oracleBOT
#

Ahh — this is a path syntax gotcha in openclaw config.

Inside [...] the CLI does not strip quotes. So when you wrote:

models.providers["custom-api-groq-com"]

it literally looked for a key named "custom-api-groq-com" (including the "), which doesn’t exist → “path not found”.

Use no quotes:

openclaw config unset 'models.providers[custom-api-groq-com]'

Or (this also works fine for - keys):

# 
openclaw config unset models.providers.custom-api-groq-com

Then restart:

openclaw gateway restart

Same pattern for your other custom providers, e.g. models.providers.custom-openrouter-ai, etc.

open musk
#

it's still showing when I check /model though

clear oracleBOT
#

If it’s still showing, one of these is happening:

  1. the unset didn’t actually hit the config you’re viewing (wrong config file / wrong profile), or
  2. you removed it from openclaw.json but it’s still coming from the per‑agent models.json override.

Let’s pinpoint which in 30 seconds.

1) Verify the unset actually worked (in the same shell)

Run:

openclaw config get models.providers.custom-api-groq-com
openclaw config file
  • If config get ...custom-api-groq-com still prints an object → it wasn’t removed.
  • config file tells us which file the CLI is editing/reading.
#

2) Make sure the service is using the same config

Run:

openclaw gateway status

That output includes “Config (cli)” vs “Config (service)” when they differ. If they’re different, you’re editing one file but checking/running the other.

3) Check per-agent override file (common)

ls -la ~/.openclaw/agents/*/agent/models.json

If that exists, it can keep re-introducing custom providers even after you remove them from openclaw.json.

Paste the output of openclaw config file + openclaw gateway status and I’ll tell you exactly where it’s still coming from and the exact command to remove it.

open musk
#

-rw-rw-r-- 1 admin admin 58003 Mar 5 08:04 /home/admin/.openclaw/agents/main/agent/models.json

clear oracleBOT
#

That explains why it “keeps coming back”: ~/.openclaw/agents/main/agent/models.json is a per‑agent model catalog override, and it can define custom providers independently of openclaw.json.

You have two options (both safe):

Option A (quick “nuke custom providers for this agent”)

Move it aside and restart:

mv /home/admin/.openclaw/agents/main/agent/models.json \
   /home/admin/.openclaw/agents/main/agent/models.json.bak

openclaw gateway restart

This is reversible (just move it back).

Option B (remove only one provider from that file)

#

First list provider ids without exposing keys:

jq '.providers | keys' /home/admin/.openclaw/agents/main/agent/models.json

Then delete just the one you want and write the file back (also no key output):

cp /home/admin/.openclaw/agents/main/agent/models.json \
   /home/admin/.openclaw/agents/main/agent/models.json.bak

jq 'del(.providers["custom-api-groq-com"])' \
  /home/admin/.openclaw/agents/main/agent/models.json.bak \
  > /home/admin/.openclaw/agents/main/agent/models.json
# 
openclaw gateway restart

(If jq isn’t installed, tell me and I’ll give you a nano/manual edit snippet.)

One more note: that file contains API keys, so you probably want to lock permissions down afterward:

chmod 600 /home/admin/.openclaw/agents/main/agent/models.json
open musk
#

I deleted the file but I can still see it btw

clear oracleBOT
#

A couple possibilities here — “I can still see it” depends where you’re looking.

1) If you mean openclaw config get models.providers

Deleting /home/admin/.openclaw/agents/main/agent/models.json won’t change that output at all, because that command reads your main config (~/.openclaw/openclaw.json).

So you also need to remove the provider(s) from config, e.g.:

openclaw config unset models.providers.custom-api-groq-com
# (repeat for the other custom-* providers)

Or if you want to wipe all custom providers in one go:

openclaw config unset models.providers
#

2) If you mean openclaw models status / openclaw models list

  • models status can still reflect what the running gateway loaded until you restart.
  • models list will still show built-in catalog entries, but your custom-* provider ids should disappear once they’re truly removed.

So after changes, do:

openclaw gateway restart

Quick check

Can you paste the exact command you run to “see it”, and what string you’re still seeing (e.g. custom-api-groq-com vs just groq)? That tells us immediately whether it’s still in config, still cached in the running gateway, or just the built-in catalog.

open musk
#

I see it in the /model list

clear oracleBOT
#

…finish that thought for me: “I see it in the ____” (TUI model picker? /model list? Control UI? openclaw models list?).

In the meantime, here are the two most common “still seeing it” cases:

A) You see it in the TUI model picker / /model list

That list comes from the running gateway’s current model catalog. If you removed files/entries but didn’t restart the gateway, the TUI will still show the old catalog until restart + reconnect.

Do:

openclaw gateway restart
# then restart/reconnect the TUI
openclaw tui

B) You still see it as the current session model

Even if you remove the provider, an existing session can stay “pinned” to that model until you switch/reset. In TUI:

#
  • /model → pick a different model
  • then /new (fresh session) if needed

The definitive check (no UI ambiguity)

This tells us whether the provider is actually still configured in openclaw.json:

openclaw config get models.providers

If you paste:

  1. where you “see it” (exact command/screen), and
  2. the output of openclaw config get models.providers after your changes,

…I can tell you exactly whether it’s a restart/cache/session-pin thing or the provider is still in config.

open musk
#

no longer there, how do I disable heartbeat btw

clear oracleBOT
#

To disable heartbeat globally (for the default agent):

openclaw config set agents.defaults.heartbeat.every "0m"
openclaw gateway restart

Then verify:

openclaw status

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/help/faq#why-am-i-getting-heartbeat-messages-every-30-minutes

If you only want to disable it for one specific agent (multi-agent setup), tell me the agent id (from openclaw agents list) and I’ll give you the exact agents.list[...].heartbeat path.

open musk
#

CRITICAL Open groupPolicy with elevated tools enabled
Found groupPolicy="open" at: - channels.telegram.groupPolicy With tools.elevated enabled, a prompt injection in those rooms can become a high-impact incident.
Fix: Set groupPolicy="allowlist" and keep elevated allowlists extremely tight.
CRITICAL Open groupPolicy with runtime/filesystem tools exposed
Found groupPolicy="open" at: - channels.telegram.groupPolicy Risky tool exposure contexts: - agents.defaults (sandbox=off; runtime=[exec, process]; fs=[read, w…
Fix: For open groups, prefer tools.profile="messaging" (or deny group:runtime/group:fs), set tools.fs.workspaceOnly=true, and use agents.defaults.sandbox.mode="all" for exposed agents.
CRITICAL Extensions exist but plugins.allow is not set
Found 1 extension(s) under /home/admin/.openclaw/extensions. Without plugins.allow, any discovered plugin id may load (depending on config and plugin behavior)…
Fix: Set plugins.allow to an explicit list of plugin ids you trust.
CRITICAL Telegram security warning
Telegram groups: groupPolicy="open" allows any member in allowed groups to trigger (mention-gated). Set channels.telegram.groupPolicy="allowlist" + channels.te…

clear oracleBOT
#

Those “CRITICAL” lines are real warnings (usually from openclaw security / openclaw doctor) and they’re basically saying:

  • your Telegram groups are open (channels.telegram.groupPolicy="open")
  • while you have high-impact tools available (runtime/filesystem and even elevated mode)
  • plus you have at least one local plugin but no plugins.allow pinning

That combo is exactly how prompt-injection incidents happen in group chats.

Quick “make it safe” fixes

1) Lock Telegram groups to an allowlist

If you only want you to be able to trigger the bot in groups:

openclaw config set channels.telegram.groupPolicy "allowlist"
openclaw config set channels.telegram.groupAllowFrom '["tg:6468789862"]' --strict-json
#

(Use your own Telegram numeric user id there — 6468789862 looks like it might be yours, but double-check from logs from.id in a DM.)

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/channels/telegram#group-policy-and-allowlists

2) Pin plugin trust (stop the “extensions exist but plugins.allow not set” warning)

First list plugin ids:

openclaw plugins list

Then set an allowlist (example, replace ids with what you actually have):

openclaw config set plugins.allow '["openclaw-web-search"]' --strict-json
#

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/plugin#config

3) Restart + re-check

openclaw gateway restart
openclaw security

If you paste your openclaw plugins list output (just ids) and confirm whether 6468789862 is your Telegram user id, I can give you the exact final config lines with no guesswork.

open musk
#

I have another policy though for each group using {}

#

group
*
then the policy

clear oracleBOT
#

Yep — channels.telegram.groups entries like:

channels: {
  telegram: {
    groups: {
      "-100123...": {},   // <- empty object
    },
  },
}

are basically “this group is allowlisted, use defaults”.

An empty {} means the group inherits the global defaults, especially:

  • channels.telegram.groupPolicy
#
  • channels.telegram.groupAllowFrom
  • requireMention defaults (unless you override)

So if your global channels.telegram.groupPolicy is "open", then every group you list as {} is effectively open too.

How to do per-group policies properly

Set a safe global default, then override only where needed:

{
  channels: {
    telegram: {
      groupPolicy: "allowlist",
      groupAllowFrom: ["tg:6468789862"],

      groups: {
# 
        "-100AAA": {}, // inherits allowlist + your sender allowlist
        "-100BBB": { groupPolicy: "open", requireMention: true }, // only if you really want open
        "-100CCC": { allowFrom: ["tg:6468789862", "tg:123"] }, // per-group sender list override
      },
    },
  },
}

Docs (this exact inheritance/override model): https://docs.openclaw.ai/channels/telegram#group-policy-and-allowlists

Given your security warnings: if you truly need a group to be open, I’d strongly recommend doing that only on a “messaging-only tools” agent (or deny runtime/fs tools for that agent), otherwise it’s a prompt-injection footgun.

#

If you have:

channels: {
  telegram: {
    groups: {
      "*": { /* …policy… */ }
    }
  }
}

"*" is not “just defaults” — it effectively means “apply this config to all Telegram groups” and (importantly) it also behaves like an allowlist wildcard: any group the bot is in can pass the “is this group allowed?” check.

That’s why the security tool freaks out when groupPolicy="open" + tools are exposed.

Safer patterns

#

Pattern 1 (recommended): only specific groups

channels: {
  telegram: {
    groupPolicy: "allowlist",
    groups: {
      "-1001234567890": { requireMention: true },
      "-1009876543210": { requireMention: true },
    },
  },
}

Pattern 2 (ok if you really want wildcard groups): any group, but only YOU can trigger

channels: {
# 
  telegram: {
    groupPolicy: "allowlist",
    groupAllowFrom: ["tg:6468789862"],
    groups: {
      "*": { requireMention: true },
    },
  },
}

So: keep groups["*"] only if you truly want global group behavior — and then absolutely do groupPolicy: "allowlist" + groupAllowFrom (and keep requireMention: true).

open musk
#

for each group allow list, which I used *, I have few list in it for just my telegram id and my alt accounts

clear oracleBOT
#

That’s a perfectly reasonable setup — the missing piece is just which knob controls “who can trigger in groups.”

If you want “any Telegram group I’m in is allowed (*), but only these Telegram user IDs can trigger the bot”, do this:

channels: {
  telegram: {
    groupPolicy: "allowlist",

    // who is allowed to trigger in groups:
    groupAllowFrom: ["tg:YOUR_ID", "tg:ALT_ID_1", "tg:ALT_ID_2"],

    // which groups are allowed + defaults:
    groups: {
      "*": { requireMention: true },
    },
# 
  },
}

Key points:

  • groups: { "*": … } controls which groups are allowed (wildcard = any group the bot is in) + per-group defaults.
  • groupPolicy + groupAllowFrom controls which senders inside those groups are allowed to trigger.
  • Once you set groupPolicy: "allowlist" and groupAllowFrom: [...], those CRITICAL “open groupPolicy” warnings should go away (because it’s no longer open).

If you paste your current channels.telegram block (redact tokens), I can point out exactly where to put the IDs so it matches what you intended.

open musk
#

"channels": {
"telegram": {
"enabled": true,
"dmPolicy": "pairing",
"botToken": "87850012...........nwbn8kWXFA",
"groups": {
"*": {
"requireMention": true,
"groupPolicy": "allowlist",
"allowFrom": [
"tg:6468789862",
"tg:6514163528",
"tg:1976509101",
"tg:7091956351"
]
}
},
"groupPolicy": "open",
"streaming": "partial"
}
},

clear oracleBOT
#

You’ve basically already configured what you want — the only problem is this line:

"groupPolicy": "open",

Because it’s set at the global level (channels.telegram.groupPolicy), the security checker flags it (and in some edge cases global defaults can still “win” when a per-group override doesn’t apply the way you expect).

Fix: make the global policy match your per-group policy

Set the global group policy to allowlist:

openclaw config set channels.telegram.groupPolicy "allowlist"
openclaw gateway restart
openclaw security
#

Optional cleanup (simplifies config)

Right now you’re using per-group allowFrom under "*"; that works, but the more “canonical” place is global groupAllowFrom:

channels: {
  telegram: {
    groupPolicy: "allowlist",
    groupAllowFrom: ["tg:6468789862", "tg:6514163528", "tg:1976509101", "tg:7091956351"],
    groups: { "*": { requireMention: true } },
  }
}

Either way is fine — the key is: don’t leave channels.telegram.groupPolicy as "open" if you mean allowlist.

One more thing: you pasted part of your bot token. It’s probably fine since it’s truncated, but if you ever pasted the full token anywhere public, rotate it in BotFather.

open musk
#

what if I want only specific people to be able to use the bot in some specific group instead of them having to use the bot in any group

clear oracleBOT
#

Do two things:

  1. Don’t use groups: { "*": … } (because * means “any group the bot is in is allowed”)
  2. Add only the specific group IDs you want, and put a per‑group sender allowlist on each.

Step 1 — get the Telegram group chat ID

Easiest: send a message in the target group, then on the gateway host run:

openclaw logs --follow

Look for chat.id (it’ll look like -100...).

Step 2 — configure only that group + only those people

Example:

# 
channels: {
  telegram: {
    groupPolicy: "allowlist", // safe default
    groups: {
      "-1003733326461": {
        requireMention: true,
        groupPolicy: "allowlist",
        allowFrom: ["tg:6468789862", "tg:6514163528"], // only these users can trigger in THIS group
      },

      // other allowed groups go here; anything not listed is blocked
    },
  },
}
#

Notes:

  • allowFrom/groupAllowFrom must be numeric Telegram user IDs (your tg:... format is perfect).
  • If a group isn’t listed under channels.telegram.groups, it won’t trigger the bot at all (when your default groupPolicy is allowlist).

If you paste the group’s chat.id (the -100… number) and the allowed user IDs, I can rewrite your exact block cleanly from what you have now.

open musk
#

17:23:20 error [tools] exec failed: elevated is not available right now (runtime=direct).
Failing gates: allowFrom (tools.elevated.allowFrom.<provider> / agents.list[].tools.elevated.allowFrom.<provider>)
Context: provider=telegram session=agent:main:telegram:direct:6468789862
Fix-it keys:

  • tools.elevated.enabled
  • tools.elevated.allowFrom.<provider>
  • agents.list[].tools.elevated.enabled
  • agents.list[].tools.elevated.allowFrom.<provider>
    17:23:20 error [tools] exec failed: elevated is not available right now (runtime=direct).
    Failing gates: allowFrom (tools.elevated.allowFrom.<provider> / agents.list[].tools.elevated.allowFrom.<provider>)
    Context: provider=telegram session=agent:main:telegram:direct:6468789862
    Fix-it keys:
  • tools.elevated.enabled
  • tools.elevated.allowFrom.<provider>
  • agents.list[].tools.elevated.enabled
  • agents.list[].tools.elevated.allowFrom.<provider>
    Log tail truncated (increase --max-bytes).
clear oracleBOT
#

That error is expected if you haven’t explicitly allowlisted yourself for elevated exec on Telegram:

Failing gates: allowFrom (tools.elevated.allowFrom.<provider> …)

So tools.elevated.enabled is on, but your Telegram sender id isn’t in the elevated allowlist.

Fix (allowlist yourself for Telegram elevated)

Add your Telegram user id to tools.elevated.allowFrom.telegram.

Safest is to use the explicit id: matcher (so it matches SenderId exactly):

openclaw config set tools.elevated.allowFrom.telegram '["id:telegram:6468789862"]' --strict-json
openclaw gateway restart

(Replace 6468789862 with your actual Telegram user id; you already have it in your group allowlists.)

open musk
#

always add the file I need to edit bro

clear oracleBOT
#

If you want your bot to stop “guess-editing” and always load the file first, add a hard rule to your workspace AGENTS.md (that file is part of the system prompt).

Edit:

~/.openclaw/workspace/AGENTS.md

and add something like:

## File editing rules (important)

- If I ask you to edit a file, ALWAYS read the target file first.
- Never call `edit` unless you can copy/paste the exact current text (whitespace/newlines included).
- If an `edit` fails, re-read the file and try again (or rewrite the full file if it’s small).
- After editing, re-read the changed section to verify the result.
#

Then do /new in the chat (or restart the gateway) so the session picks up the updated instructions.

This directly prevents the “Could not find the exact text…” failures you were seeing.

open musk
#

Why do I always have to remind my open claw bot about some rules even though it's in the agent MD already

clear oracleBOT
#

Because AGENTS.md is guidance, not a hard enforcement mechanism — and there are a few common reasons the model still “forgets” or ignores it:

1) Your AGENTS.md might be getting truncated

OpenClaw injects the workspace files every turn, but large files get truncated (per‑file and total caps). If the “rules” section is near the bottom, it may literally not be in the prompt.

Check in TUI:

  • /context list (shows what got injected + truncation)
  • /context detail (if you want to inspect exactly what it’s seeing)

Fix: move the important rules to the top, and keep them short.

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/concepts/system-prompt#workspace-bootstrap-injection

2) You may be in a different agent/session/workspace than you think

Rules in one agent workspace won’t apply to another. /status shows the current agent + session key.

#

3) Models don’t perfectly follow rules (and compaction doesn’t “teach”)

Even when the rules are present, LLMs sometimes optimize for “get task done” and violate process rules (like “read before edit”). If you need something to be guaranteed, use hard controls:

  • tool policy (tools.profile, tools.allow/deny)
  • group allowlists (groupPolicy, groupAllowFrom)
  • elevated allowlists (tools.elevated.allowFrom.*)

Practical pattern that works well

Put a very short “Hard rules” block at the very top of AGENTS.md, and rely on config/tool policy for anything safety-critical.

If you paste your /context list output, I can tell you immediately whether your AGENTS rules are being truncated or not injected.

open musk
clear oracleBOT
#

Tool policy lives in your gateway config (openclaw.json), not in AGENTS.md.

Where to edit it

  1. Find the active config file:
openclaw config file

(Usually ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json.)

  1. Edit it either:
  • manually in an editor (it’s JSON5), or
  • via the wizard:
    openclaw configure
  • or via CLI config set/unset (nice for small changes).
#

The knobs you were asking about

Global tool policy (applies to all agents unless overridden):

  • tools.profile (base allowlist)
  • tools.allow / tools.deny
  • tools.fs.workspaceOnly

Per-agent overrides:

  • agents.list[<i>].tools.profile
  • agents.list[<i>].tools.allow / .deny

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools

Example: lock the whole bot to “messaging only”

# 
openclaw config set tools.profile "messaging"
openclaw gateway restart

Example: allow tools generally, but block filesystem + exec everywhere

openclaw config set tools.deny '["group:fs","group:runtime"]' --strict-json
openclaw gateway restart

If you tell me what you want to allow (e.g. “Telegram DMs can use exec, groups cannot” vs “no exec at all”), I can point you to the exact config shape to get that behavior.

open musk
#

17:02:37 error [tools] read failed: EISDIR: illegal operation on a directory, read
17:02:37 error [tools] read failed: EISDIR: illegal operation on a directory, read

clear oracleBOT
#

That error is just Unix being literal:

EISDIR = “that path is a directory, not a file”.

So something (the agent) tried to use the read tool on a folder path (common examples: memory/, .openclaw/, skills/, etc.). read can only open files.

What to do instead

  • If you meant “read a specific file inside it” → give the full file path, e.g. memory/2026-03-06.md.
  • If you meant “show me what’s in this folder” → list it with a shell command (via exec), e.g.:
    • ask the bot to run: ls -la <dir>
    • or in the TUI, use the local shell prefix: ! ls -la <dir> (runs on the TUI host)

If you tell me which path it was trying to read (or paste a couple lines above this log where the tool args are shown), I can suggest the exact command/path to use.

open musk
#

does the LLM model I use greatly affects my claw performance?

clear oracleBOT
#

Yes — the model/provider you pick can change OpenClaw’s “feel” a lot.

It impacts performance in a few big ways:

  • Latency per reply: some models/providers are simply slower to generate, and some have higher network overhead (proxies/routers add hops).
  • Tool reliability: if the model doesn’t support tool calling (you hit this earlier with the tool calling is not supported errors), runs fail/redo/failover → huge perceived slowness.
  • Context window + prompt size: a bigger context window can be great, but if your session has grown to 10–20k tokens, every reply has to ship all that context → slower + more rate-limit pressure.
  • Rate limits / quotas: a “fast” model on paper can still feel terrible if you’re constantly hitting 429s and backoff/cooldowns.
  • Streaming support: some combos stream nicely (instant feedback), others only show the final message.

Practical approach:

  • Use /model list and pick a tool-capable model for your main agent.
  • Keep heartbeats low-frequency (or off) if you’re hitting rate limits.
  • If you want speed + quality, use different agents/models for “fast chat” vs “heavy work”, or switch per session.

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/concepts/models
For “which specific model is fastest today”, the best source is the Discord #models channel (things change constantly).

open musk
#

I want my bot to listen to all message from any one but only reply messages from me or allow list when tagged, is this configuration okay? " The OpenClaw Layer (Policy vs. Allowlist)

You will edit your openclaw.json to allow the bot to exist in the group "openly" but restrict who can actually trigger a response.
JSON

{
"channels": {
"telegram": {
"groupPolicy": "open", // Allows the bot to stay in any group and "hear" messages
"groups": {
"*": {
"requireMention": true // Recommended: Still requires @bot to prevent spam
}
},
"groupAllowFrom": [
"123456789", // Your Numeric User ID
"@YourUsername" // Your Handle
]
}
}
}

  1. How this works in practice

    For Non-Allowed Users: When a random user types a message or even @mentions the bot, OpenClaw will see the message (adding it to the conversation context) but the Authorization Layer will block the LLM from generating a reply.

    For You: When you mention the bot, it checks groupAllowFrom, sees your ID, and processes the request normally.

    Context Benefit: Because the bot is "listening" to everyone, when you finally ask it a question (e.g., "What were they just arguing about?"), it will have the full history of the other users' messages in its memory to give you an accurate answer."

clear oracleBOT
#

That config is not doing what you think, and it’s also exactly what the security checker was warning about.

Why it’s not OK / not equivalent

  • groupPolicy: "open" means anyone in the group is authorized (so if they @mention the bot, they can trigger a run).
  • When access control does block a sender (in allowlist mode), OpenClaw generally drops the message before it reaches the agent, so you don’t get the “listen to everyone for context” benefit in a safe way.
  • groupAllowFrom should be numeric Telegram user IDs. @YourUsername style entries are not reliable here (and are often ignored).

What you can do instead (supported + safe)

If your goal is: “bot can be in the group, but only specific people can trigger replies”:

{
  channels: {
    telegram: {
      groupPolicy: "allowlist",
      groups: {
# 
        "-100<groupId>": {
          requireMention: true,
          allowFrom: ["tg:6468789862", "tg:6514163528"] // only these users can trigger in this group
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

This gives you:

  • bot can stay in the group
  • it only replies when mentioned
  • and only if the sender is allowlisted

About “listening to everyone but only replying to me”

#

That exact behavior (“ingest everyone’s messages into context, but never let them trigger runs”) is not something you get safely by setting groupPolicy=open—because open explicitly authorizes everyone to trigger runs.

If you really want “full group context”, the safe pattern is usually:

  • keep the group agent/tooling extremely restricted (messaging-only / no exec/fs / no elevated), and
  • accept that anyone can @mention it (since you’re intentionally letting it ingest untrusted text)

If you tell me which you care about more—(A) only you can trigger or (B) full group context—I’ll give you the cleanest config for that goal.

open musk
#

If you set groupPolicy: "allowlist" but leave groupAllowFrom empty, the bot will be "deaf"—it won't even see the messages in its logs. By setting it to "open", you ensure the bot's "ears" are working, while the "allowFrom" acts as its "voice" filter. """"""""""""""""" make sense?

clear oracleBOT
#

The “ears vs voice” mental model is intuitive, but it’s not how OpenClaw’s group auth works today.

How it actually behaves:

  • groupPolicy is an authorization gate on inbound messages.

    • groupPolicy: "allowlist" means: only senders in the allowlist are allowed to trigger/enter the authorized path. Others are treated as unauthorized (typically dropped/ignored with a skip reason).
    • If you leave the allowlist empty, you’ve effectively made the bot “deaf” in that context (and config validation usually rejects an empty allowlist anyway).

  • groupPolicy: "open" means: anyone in the group is authorized.

    • In this mode, groupAllowFrom / per-group allowFrom is not a “voice filter”. It doesn’t restrict who can trigger replies; it’s basically bypassed by the “open” policy.

So: setting groupPolicy: "open" does not give you “listen to everyone but only reply to me”. It gives you “anyone can trigger the bot (when mention-gated).”

If what you want is a true “listen-only (store context) but only owner can trigger runs” mode, that’s a legit feature request — it’s not something you can safely express with open + allowlists right now. If you want, file it here: https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/issues

Practical safe choice today:

  • If you want only you to trigger → groupPolicy: "allowlist" and allowlist just your IDs.
#
  • If you want full group context → you must accept that others can trigger (and then lock tools down hard for that group/agent).
open musk
#

is there a way for me to listen to this messages without necessarily setting it with open claw probably thru an external script but still making use of the open claw telegram webhook?

clear oracleBOT
#

Yes, but there’s an important Telegram constraint first:

Telegram Bot API constraint

A Telegram bot token can have only one webhook URL at a time.
So you can’t “simultaneously” have Telegram post updates to OpenClaw and to your own script unless you put something in the middle.

Option A (best if you want to keep the same bot/token): Webhook proxy / fan‑out

You set the Telegram webhook to your own tiny HTTP service, and that service:

  1. receives every update from Telegram (so you can “listen” / store / analyze)
  2. forwards the update to OpenClaw’s internal Telegram webhook listener

OpenClaw supports webhook mode (optional) via:

  • channels.telegram.webhookUrl
  • channels.telegram.webhookSecret (required)
  • (optional) channels.telegram.webhookHost/webhookPort/webhookPath
#

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/channels/telegram#long-polling-vs-webhook

Practical pattern:

  • Public: https://your-proxy.example.com/telegram-webhook ← Telegram sends here
  • Private: http://127.0.0.1:8787/telegram-webhook (OpenClaw listener) ← your proxy forwards here

Your proxy can also choose to only forward messages from you (so OpenClaw stays locked down), while still archiving everything else externally.

Option B (simpler operationally): Separate “listener bot”

Run a second Telegram bot (different token) whose only job is to log group messages somewhere (DB/file). Keep OpenClaw’s bot locked down with groupPolicy: "allowlist". When you want context, you ask OpenClaw and it fetches from your store (via a custom tool/plugin or a small HTTP endpoint).

Security / privacy warning

If you do ingest “everyone’s messages” into your assistant context, treat it as untrusted input (prompt injection risk). Lock down tools hard for that session/agent.

If you tell me which route you prefer (A proxy vs B second bot) and whether your Gateway is publicly reachable or only via a reverse proxy/Tailscale, I can outline the exact config wiring.

open musk
#

found this on the documentation website though, does it mean I can use open method and still use allow list "open (requires allowFrom to include "*")"

clear oracleBOT
#

That doc line is easy to misread.

“open (requires allowFrom to include *)” does not mean “open + allowlist.”
It means: open to everyone, and the * requirement is just an explicit “yes I really want this to be public” opt‑in.

So:

  • DMs

    • dmPolicy: "open" ⇒ anyone can DM-trigger the bot
    • and it requires allowFrom to contain "*" as a safety acknowledgment
    • adding specific IDs alongside "*" doesn’t restrict anything (it’s still open)

  • Groups

    • groupPolicy: "open" ⇒ anyone in the allowed groups can trigger the bot (subject to requireMention if you keep that on)
    • groupAllowFrom / per-group allowFrom only matter when groupPolicy: "allowlist"

If you want “only me / allowlist can trigger in groups”, you want:

#
  • groupPolicy: "allowlist"
  • groupAllowFrom: [...] (or per-group allowFrom: [...])
  • optionally requireMention: true

What you’re trying to achieve (“listen to everyone, but only allowlisted people can trigger”) isn’t expressed by open + allowFrom; open is fundamentally “anyone can trigger.”

open musk
#

how does openclaw handles webhooks and get notificatins from telegram when tagged

clear oracleBOT
#

OpenClaw can receive Telegram updates in two modes, and “being tagged” is just one kind of Telegram update it reacts to.

1) How it receives updates (notifications)

A) Long polling (default)

  • OpenClaw runs a Telegram Bot API client (grammY) and repeatedly calls getUpdates.
  • Telegram returns new messages/events, including group messages where the bot is mentioned (and other messages too, depending on Telegram privacy mode/admin settings).
  • OpenClaw queues them and processes them per chat/thread in order.

B) Webhook mode (optional)

  • Telegram pushes updates via HTTP POST to your channels.telegram.webhookUrl.
  • OpenClaw starts a local listener (webhookHost/webhookPort/webhookPath) and validates webhookSecret.
  • If your gateway isn’t publicly reachable, you typically put a reverse proxy in front.

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/channels/telegram#long-polling-vs-webhook

2) What happens “when tagged” in a group

#

Once OpenClaw receives the message update, it applies two gates:

  1. Authorization gate (groupPolicy + allowlists)

    • If the sender isn’t allowed (e.g. groupPolicy: "allowlist" and they’re not in groupAllowFrom / per-group allowFrom), OpenClaw won’t run the agent.

  2. Activation gate (requireMention / mention patterns)

    • If requireMention: true, it only triggers when the message contains an @botusername mention (or matches your configured mention patterns).

If both pass, it routes to the right session key (group/topic), runs the agent, then sends the reply back via sendMessage (and optionally streaming preview if enabled).

If you tell me whether you’re using polling or webhook mode right now (and whether the bot is in Telegram Privacy Mode), I can tell you exactly what Telegram will or won’t deliver to OpenClaw in that group.

open musk
#

I didn't set anything so I guess it's using polling, not sure, how do I check

clear oracleBOT
#

Easiest check: if you didn’t set a webhook URL, you’re on polling (that’s the default).

Check via OpenClaw config

On the gateway host:

openclaw config get channels.telegram.webhookUrl
  • If it’s missing / empty → long polling
  • If it’s set → webhook mode (and you should also have channels.telegram.webhookSecret set)

Check via channel status + logs

openclaw channels status
openclaw logs --follow
#

On startup, the Telegram channel usually logs whether it’s running polling vs webhook, and channels status can surface config/runtime info.

(Optional) Check directly with Telegram

If you want to verify from Telegram’s side:

curl "https://api.telegram.org/bot<YOUR_BOT_TOKEN>/getWebhookInfo"

If url is empty, Telegram is not configured for a webhook → polling.

If you paste the output of openclaw config get channels.telegram.webhookUrl I’ll tell you definitively which mode you’re in.

open musk
#

◇
Gateway reachable.

  • Telegram default: enabled, configured, running, in:1m ago, mode:polling, token:config

Tip: status --deep adds gateway health probes to status output (requires a reachable gateway).

clear oracleBOT
#

Nice — that output answers it:

  • mode: polling ✅
  • Telegram is running and it last saw inbound traffic 1 minute ago
  • token source is config

So Telegram delivery into the gateway is working; polling itself usually isn’t the reason for “slow replies” (that’s more often model latency / rate limits / the gateway being busy).

If you ever want to switch to webhook mode anyway, you’d set channels.telegram.webhookUrl + channels.telegram.webhookSecret and make the endpoint reachable from Telegram — but it’s optional.

open musk
#

which is more better though?

clear oracleBOT
#

Neither is “always better” — it’s a tradeoff:

Polling (what you’re on now)

Pros

  • Simplest setup (no public HTTP endpoint needed)
  • Works behind NAT / firewalls / no reverse proxy
  • Generally very reliable

Cons

  • Constant getUpdates requests (a bit more background traffic)
  • If your server’s outbound network/DNS is flaky, polling errors can cause gaps

Webhook

Pros

  • Telegram pushes updates instantly (often slightly lower latency)
  • Less constant polling traffic
#

Cons

  • You must expose a stable public URL (usually HTTPS + reverse proxy)
  • More moving parts (proxy, certs, firewall, webhook secret)
  • Misconfig can silently drop updates if the endpoint isn’t reachable/healthy

My take: stick with polling unless you need webhook (public endpoint already exists and you want the cleaner push model). Polling is rarely the bottleneck — model latency / rate limits usually are.

If you tell me your gateway setup (VPS with public HTTPS? behind Tailscale only?), I can recommend one concretely.

open musk
#

so I need to constant send curl request to get any new updates?

clear oracleBOT
#

No — you don’t have to do anything manually.

In polling mode, the OpenClaw gateway process is the thing that constantly calls Telegram’s getUpdates in the background (via grammY). As long as:

  • openclaw gateway / the gateway service is running, and
  • Telegram channel is enabled/configured,

…it will automatically receive new messages and respond. No curl loop needed.

The only time you’d use curl getUpdates is for debugging or if you were writing your own Telegram bot from scratch.

open musk
#

yeah that's what I'm talking bout if for example I'm running my own script from scratch, it would need to keep pulling updates to stay updated, right? which means it would miss messages if it doesn't constantly pull or could miss messages few mins ago if there was a little time between each poll?

clear oracleBOT
#

Yep — if you build your own Telegram bot “from scratch” and you choose polling, then something has to keep calling getUpdates.

But two important clarifications:

1) Polling doesn’t mean “spam requests every second”

You normally use long polling:

  • Call getUpdates with an offset (so you only get updates you haven’t processed yet)
  • Set a timeout (Telegram holds the request open until there’s a new message or the timeout expires)

So you get near‑instant delivery with low request volume.

2) You don’t “miss” messages just because there’s a gap between polls

Telegram queues updates. If you poll every few minutes, you’ll still receive the messages that happened during the gap — they’ll just arrive late.

You only miss messages if:

  • you mess up offset handling (ack too far / skip), or
#
  • you leave it offline long enough that Telegram’s update backlog expires/overflows.

Critical gotcha (relevant to OpenClaw)

Only one poller should call getUpdates for a given bot token. If you run your own polling script at the same time as OpenClaw (same token), they’ll “steal” updates from each other and one of them will miss messages.

If you want a custom listener alongside OpenClaw, you’ll need webhook fan‑out (proxy) or a second bot token.

open musk
#

what does this do btw "{
// ... other OpenClaw configurations ...

"channels": {
"telegram": {
// ... existing telegram settings ...
"handlers": [
// ... other existing handlers ...
{
"type": "event",
"event": "message",
"actions": [
{
"type": "tool",
"tool": "write",
"args": {
"path": "/home/admin/.openclaw/workspace/telegram_messages_log.md",
"content": "{{ now | date('YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss') }} | Sender: {{ message.sender.name }} ({{ message.sender.id }}) | Message ID: {{ message.id }}\n"
}
}
]
}
]
}
}

// ... rest of your openclaw.json ...
}
"

clear oracleBOT
#

That snippet is trying to do: “on every Telegram message event, write a line to a log file” (timestamp + sender + message id). So basically a message logger.

Two important caveats:

  1. That exact channels.telegram.handlers config is not a real OpenClaw config field (OpenClaw will reject unknown keys).
  2. Even if it were, using the write tool like that would typically overwrite the file unless the system explicitly supports append semantics.

The “real” OpenClaw way to do this: Hooks (message:received / message:preprocessed)

OpenClaw has a hooks system that can subscribe to:

  • message:received (very early)
  • message:preprocessed (after transcription/link/image understanding)
  • message:sent, etc.

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/automation/hooks (see “Message Events”)

So if you want to log Telegram messages to a file, you’d create a hook that listens for message:received (or message:preprocessed) and appends to a file on disk.

#

High-level steps:

  1. Create a hook folder in your workspace:
    • <workspace>/hooks/telegram-logger/
  2. Add HOOK.md with events: ["message:received"]
  3. Add handler.ts that checks event.context.channelId === "telegram" and fs.appendFile(...)
  4. Enable it:
    openclaw hooks list
openclaw hooks enable telegram-logger
openclaw gateway restart

If you want, tell me:

  • do you want to log only group messages, or DMs too?
  • do you want the raw message text, or just metadata?

…and I’ll sketch the exact HOOK.md + handler.ts structure.

open musk
clear oracleBOT
#

Yep — that’s doable with a message hook.

If the bot is admin in the group (or privacy mode is disabled), Telegram will deliver the group’s messages to the bot. Then a hook on message:received (or message:preprocessed) can log them even if your OpenClaw groupPolicy/allowlists would block replies.

Recommended: hook message:received, filter Telegram + group chats

Create:

<workspace>/hooks/telegram-group-logger/HOOK.md

---
name: telegram-group-logger
description: Log all Telegram group messages to a file.
metadata:
  openclaw:
    events: ["message:received"]
---
#

<workspace>/hooks/telegram-group-logger/handler.ts

import { appendFile, mkdir } from "node:fs/promises";
import { dirname } from "node:path";

const LOG_PATH = "/home/admin/.openclaw/workspace/telegram_group_log.md";

export default async function handler(event: any) {
  // Only inbound messages
  if (event?.type !== "message" || event?.action !== "received") return;

  const ctx = event.context ?? {};
  if (ctx.channelId !== "telegram") return;

  // Telegram group chat ids are negative (e.g. -100...)
  const conv = String(ctx.conversationId ?? "");
# 
  if (!conv.startsWith("-")) return;

  const ts = event.timestamp?.toISOString?.() ?? new Date().toISOString();
  const from = ctx.from ?? ctx.metadata?.senderId ?? "unknown";
  const content = (ctx.content ?? "").replaceAll("\n", "\\n");

  await mkdir(dirname(LOG_PATH), { recursive: true });
  await appendFile(LOG_PATH, `${ts} | chat=${conv} | from=${from} | ${content}\n`, "utf8");
}

Enable it:

openclaw hooks list
openclaw hooks enable telegram-group-logger
# 
openclaw gateway restart

Notes / gotchas

  • This will only “hear everything” if Telegram actually sends everything to the bot (admin or privacy disabled).
  • If you enable groupPolicy: "allowlist", OpenClaw may still not reply, but the hook should still log messages at message:received. If you don’t see them in the log, it’s almost always Telegram privacy / bot not receiving those messages.

If you paste one real inbound Telegram log line (from openclaw logs --follow --json) I can confirm the exact fields (conversationId, from, etc.) so the hook matches your payload shape perfectly.

open musk