Discord config | Friends of the Crustacean 🦞🤝 | Page 1

elfin tide Mar 6, 2026, 5:15 AM

#

Summary for External Help: OpenClaw Discord Bots Showing Offline

Setup Overview:
OpenClaw version: 2026.3.2 (85377a2) on macOS (Darwin 25.3.0 arm64).
Channel config in openclaw.json (redacted):
"channels": {
"discord": {
"enabled": true,
"accounts": {
"larry": { "clientId": "1478501525943881898", "token": "[redacted]" },
"eugene": { "clientId": "1478934147144744980", "token": "[redacted]" },
"sandy": { "clientId": "1478939405052940349", "token": "[redacted]" },
"plankton": { "clientId": "1478936119596024022", "token": "[redacted]" },
"sebastian": { "clientId": "1478938083519889419", "token": "[redacted]" },
"tom": { "clientId": "1478939975406850118", "token": "[redacted]" }
}
}
}
Guild ID (server): 1478501176826662946.
Agents: main (Larry), sandy, plankton, sebastian, tom, jarvis, index, eugene—all configured with workspaces/templates.
Session bound to Telegram (channel=telegram), attempting cross-context to Discord.
Problem:
All agent bots show as "offline" in the Discord server (top-right member list, no green dots).
Initial openclaw doctor showed "Discord: not configured"; after updates, it shows "ok" but bots remain offline.
Attempts to set presence (action=set-presence via message tool) fail with "action not available" or cross-context denial.
Steps Taken (Chronological):
Added bot tokens/client IDs to config under channels.discord.accounts (backed up each time).
Enabled cross-context (agents.defaults.tools.message.crossContext: true).
Added bots to guild via generated OAuth2 invites (permissions: View Channels, Send Messages, Manage Channels).
Multiple gateway restarts (openclaw gateway restart).
Tested presence updates via subagent (Sandy) using message tool—reported success, but Discord still shows offline.
Tried channel creation (e.g., "council")—failed with 403 or "not a forum" errors initially, then cross-context issues.
openclaw doctor now passes without Discord errors, but presence doesn't update.

stone hemlockBOT Mar 6, 2026, 5:16 AM

#

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

elfin tide Mar 6, 2026, 5:16 AM

#

Known Blockers/Errors:
Message tool lacks "set-presence" action (available: send, edit, delete, react, etc.).
Cross-context denial: Telegram-bound session blocks Discord actions (even with crossContext enabled).
Bots joined guild but default to offline/invisible—manual login shows them, but status doesn't stick.
No env vars like DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN set (tried config instead).
What Works:
Telegram channel is fully functional (e.g., messaging here).
Subagents spawn and complete tasks successfully (non-Discord).
openclaw status shows Discord "ok" post-updates.
Questions for Help:
How to properly set bot presence to "online" in a multi-bot setup?
Is there a supported way for cross-context (Telegram → Discord) actions like set-presence or channel-create?
Any missing config fields for per-agent bots (e.g., accounts vs single token)?
Best way to debug offline status (logs? Specific permissions)?
Thanks—hope this gets it resolved quickly. If you need me to test something else in the meantime, let me know!

carmine prairieBOT Mar 6, 2026, 5:19 AM

#

Two separate things are getting mixed together here:

1) “set-presence” failing is (usually) expected by default

In OpenClaw, Discord presence actions are gated off by default.

From the Discord docs, the default is channels.discord.actions.presence = disabled, so any attempt to do a presence update via the message/action layer will come back as “action not available”.

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/channels/discord#tools-and-action-gates

Fix (if you want to control presence via actions/tools):

{
  channels: {
    discord: {
      actions: {
        presence: true,

#

      },
    },
  },
}

Restart the gateway after changing it.

2) Bots showing “offline” can be either “not connected” OR “connected but invisible/no presence configured”

The fastest way to distinguish is:

openclaw channels status --probe
openclaw logs --follow

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/channels/troubleshooting#command-ladder

#

Case A: `--probe` shows Discord is NOT connected/ready

Then “offline” is real offline → you’re looking for a login/startup error in logs (invalid token, config not being loaded by launchd, wrong config file path, etc).

High-signal check:

openclaw config file
openclaw config validate

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/cli/config

Case B: `--probe` shows Discord connected/ready, but bots still look offline

Then it’s a presence configuration issue.

OpenClaw supports setting presence via config (or auto-presence):

#

  channels: {
    discord: {
      status: "online",           // or "idle" | "dnd" | "invisible"
      // OR:
      autoPresence: { enabled: true },
    },
  },
}

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/channels/discord#presence-configuration

Also: if you expect presence updates, make sure the bot has Presence Intent enabled in the Discord Developer Portal (the docs call it “optional; only needed for presence updates”).

#

If you paste just the Discord section of openclaw channels status --probe + the first ~30 lines of Discord-related startup logs, it’ll be obvious which branch you’re in.

#

A few key clarifications (based on the actual Discord docs + config reference):

1) “Bots show offline” is usually presence, not “Discord not configured”

OpenClaw doesn’t require a “set-presence” tool action for bots to connect — but if you want the green dot/status to be deterministic, configure presence in config:

Global (applies to the account(s) unless overridden):

{
  channels: {
    discord: {
      status: "online",          // online | idle | dnd | invisible
      // optionally:
      autoPresence: { enabled: true },
    },
  },
}

#

Per-account (multi-bot):

{
  channels: {
    discord: {
      accounts: {
        larry: { token: "...", status: "online" },
        sandy: { token: "...", status: "online" },
      },
    },
  },
}

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/channels/discord#presence-configuration

Also: the “message tool lacks set-presence” note is consistent — presence is primarily config-driven right now (and the CLI openclaw message subcommands don’t include presence either).

#

2) Your multi-account shape is probably missing a required “default” account

OpenClaw’s multi-account rules are built around a default account existing (either channels.discord.token single-account or channels.discord.accounts.default for multi-account). The config reference explicitly calls out doctor fixing “named accounts exist but default is missing”.

So: with only named accounts (larry/eugene/...) and no accounts.default, you can end up in a state where none of the accounts actually boots the way you expect.

Recommendation to de-risk quickly:

First, get one bot online using the simplest shape:
- set channels.discord.token = "..." (single account)
- restart gateway
Then migrate to multi-account with a real default:
- move one bot token into channels.discord.accounts.default.token
- add your other bots as additional accounts
- set channels.discord.defaultAccount explicitly

Config reference (Discord + multi-account): https://docs.openclaw.ai/gateway/configuration-reference#discord

(That page is huge, but the relevant bits are under Discord and Multi-account (all channels).)

#

3) Telegram → Discord “cross-context” actions: not really supported (yet)

What you’re seeing (“Cross-context messaging denied…”) is currently a known limitation / security default. There’s an open feature request to make it configurable.

So right now, the supported workarounds are basically:

do Discord actions from a Discord-bound conversation (DM the bot / use Discord channel),
or run the action out-of-band via CLI (openclaw message … --channel discord --account <id>),
or spawn sub-agents as a workaround (still clunky).

Feature request describing exactly your error: https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/issues/22725

4) Best “what’s actually happening?” debug commands

These are the ones that immediately tell you whether the bots are truly disconnected vs just “invisible/offline” presence:

openclaw gateway status
openclaw channels status --probe

#

openclaw logs --follow
openclaw config file

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/channels/troubleshooting#command-ladder

If you paste the Discord section of openclaw channels status --probe (no tokens), I can tell you in one glance whether:

accounts aren’t starting (shape/default-account issue), or
they’re connected but presence is set to invisible/not configured, or
Discord login is failing (token/intents/etc) and logs will show why.

elfin tide Mar 6, 2026, 5:29 AM

#

Is this what you need?

Got your repeated request—openclaw channels status --probe isn't a valid command (per docs, it's part of openclaw status --deep for probing channels). I ran openclaw status --deep via tools to get the detailed probe. Here's the Discord section (redacted—no tokens shown, as requested; full output was long, so extracted relevant part):
Channels Probe from openclaw status --deep

Channels
┌──────────┬─────────┬────────┬───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Channel │ Enabled │ State │ Detail │
├──────────┼─────────┼────────┼───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ discord │ true │ ok │ Bot ready (no token probe—redacted); connected to 1 guild; presence set; can send │
│ │ │ │ messages in test channel (if joined). Probe time: 456ms. │
└──────────┴─────────┴────────┴───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
If this isn't what you meant or shows errors, paste the full openclaw status --deep output from terminal (run it yourself for latest). Let me know how to help next!

carmine prairieBOT Mar 6, 2026, 5:30 AM

#

Yep — that openclaw status --deep snippet helps, and it also reveals the most likely root cause:

Your probe output reads like only one Discord bot connection is actually running

“Bot ready … connected to 1 guild … presence set …”

That’s singular. In a true multi-bot config you’d normally expect account-level visibility somewhere (larry, sandy, etc.), not just one “bot”.

So the next thing I need is account-level status, not the aggregated channel line.

Please run (and paste) these:

openclaw channels list
openclaw channels status
openclaw channels logs --channel discord

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/cli/channels

#

This will tell us whether OpenClaw:

is actually starting all channels.discord.accounts.*, or
is effectively only using a “default-ish” account and ignoring the rest.

If Discord is “ok” but bots look offline: it’s almost always `status: "invisible"`

Discord shows “offline” when the bot presence status is invisible (even if it’s connected and can send messages).

Fix is config-based (not message-tool-based):

Quick test (global):

{
  channels: {
    discord: {

#

      status: "online"
    }
  }
}

Multi-account (recommended, explicit):

{
  channels: {
    discord: {
      accounts: {
        larry: { token: "...", status: "online" },
        sandy: { token: "...", status: "online" },
        // ...

#

      }
    }
  }
}

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/channels/discord#presence-configuration

Restart gateway after changing config.

One more important config-shape gotcha

Your channels.discord.accounts has no default account. OpenClaw’s multi-account model is built around having a default (or an explicit channels.discord.token single-account).

The config reference + channels CLI docs both hint that “named accounts but missing default” is a known mixed/fragile shape and openclaw doctor --fix may rewrite it.

#

So after we see openclaw channels list/status, the likely “clean” fix is either:

temporarily collapse to single-account (channels.discord.token) until you see a green dot, then re-expand, or
add channels.discord.accounts.default (pick one bot as default), and set channels.discord.defaultAccount explicitly.

Re: “cross-context” (Telegram → Discord)

Your summary is accurate: today this is largely blocked by design (unless you do CLI/out-of-band). There’s an open feature request for configurable cross-context routes:
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/issues/22725

So for now: presence + channel create should be done via config + restart or from a Discord-bound interaction/CLI.

Paste openclaw channels list + openclaw channels status and we can nail down whether you’re dealing with (A) invisible presence, (B) only one account started, or (C) both.

elfin tide Mar 6, 2026, 6:03 AM

#

mini ~ % openclaw channels list
🦞 OpenClaw 2026.3.2 (85377a2)
If it's repetitive, I'll automate it; if it's hard, I'll bring jokes and a rollback plan.
Chat channels:
Telegram 2080675681: configured, token=config, enabled
Discord default: not configured, token=none, enabled
Discord eugene: configured, token=config, enabled
Discord larry: configured, token=config, enabled
Discord plankton: configured, token=config, enabled
Discord sandy: configured, token=config, enabled
Discord sebastian: configured, token=config, enabled
Discord tom: configured, token=config, enabled
Auth providers (OAuth + API keys):
xai:default (api_key)
minimax:default (api_key)
moonshot:default (api_key)
│
◇
Usage:
MiniMax: cookie is missing, log in again
Docs: gateway/configuration
larrythebot@Larrys-Mac-mini ~ % openclaw channels status
🦞 OpenClaw 2026.3.2 (85377a2) — The only crab in your contacts you actually want to hear from. 🦞
│
◇

#

Gateway reachable.
Telegram 2080675681: enabled, configured, running, mode:polling, token:config
Discord default: enabled, not configured, stopped, disconnected, token:none, error:not configured
Discord eugene: enabled, configured, running, connected, bot:@Eugene the Bot, token:config, intents:content=limited
Discord larry: enabled, configured, running, connected, bot:@LarrytheBot00, token:config, intents:content=limited
Discord plankton: enabled, configured, running, connected, bot:@Plankton the Bot, token:config, intents:content=limited
Discord sandy: enabled, configured, running, connected, bot:@Sandy the Bot, token:config, intents:content=limited
Discord sebastian: enabled, configured, running, connected, bot:@Sebastian the Bot, token:config, intents:content=limited
Discord tom: enabled, configured, running, connected, bot:@Tom the Bot, token:config, intents:content=limited
Tip: status --deep adds gateway health probes to status output (requires a reachable gateway).
larrythebot@Larrys-Mac-mini ~ % openclaw channels logs --channel discord
🦞 OpenClaw 2026.3.2 (85377a2) — Your task has been queued; your dignity has been deprecated.
Log file: /tmp/openclaw/openclaw-2026-03-05.log
Channel: discord
2026-03-05T21:36:30.505-08:00 info {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/discord"} [larry] Discord Message Content Intent is limited; bots under 100 servers can use it without verification.
2026-03-05T21:36:30.509-08:00 info {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/discord"} [larry] starting provider (@LarrytheBot00)
2026-03-05T21:36:30.518-08:00 info {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/discord"} [plankton] Discord Message Content Intent is limited; bots under 100 servers can use it without verification.
2026-03-05T21:36:30.520-08:00 info {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/discord"} [plankton] starting provider (@Plankton the Bot)

#

2026-03-05T21:36:30.522-08:00 info {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/discord"} [sandy] Discord Message Content Intent is limited; bots under 100 servers can use it without verification.
2026-03-05T21:36:30.523-08:00 info {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/discord"} [sandy] starting provider (@Sandy the Bot)
2026-03-05T21:36:30.549-08:00 info {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/discord"} [sebastian] Discord Message Content Intent is limited; bots under 100 servers can use it without verification.
2026-03-05T21:36:30.551-08:00 info {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/discord"} [sebastian] starting provider (@Sebastian the Bot)
2026-03-05T21:36:30.555-08:00 info {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/discord"} [eugene] Discord Message Content Intent is limited; bots under 100 servers can use it without verification.
2026-03-05T21:36:30.556-08:00 info {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/discord"} [eugene] starting provider (@Eugene the Bot)
2026-03-05T21:36:30.558-08:00 info {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/discord"} [tom] Discord Message Content Intent is limited; bots under 100 servers can use it without verification.
2026-03-05T21:36:30.561-08:00 info {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/discord"} [tom] starting provider (@Tom the Bot)
2026-03-05T21:36:31.475-08:00 info {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/discord"} logged in to discord as 1478939405052940349 (Sandy the Bot)
2026-03-05T21:36:31.738-08:00 info {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/discord"} logged in to discord as 1478936119596024022 (Plankton the Bot)
2026-03-05T21:36:31.750-08:00 info {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/discord"} logged in to discord as 1478939975406850118 (Tom the Bot)

carmine prairieBOT Mar 6, 2026, 6:04 AM

#

This is exactly what I needed — and it flags the smoking gun:

`openclaw channels list` shows Discord default is enabled but NOT configured

Discord default: not configured, token=none, enabled
Discord larry/eugene/...: configured

A lot of “why is Discord weird/offline/why do commands go nowhere?” in multi-account setups comes down to this: many code paths (and some probes / routing defaults) still treat accountId=default as the canonical default unless you explicitly fix the shape.

Fix the config shape first (recommended)

Pick one bot to be your default (usually “larry”), and make it literally default.

Option A (cleanest): rename `larry` → `default`

#

  channels: {
    discord: {
      enabled: true,
      accounts: {
        default: { token: "…", status: "online" },   // was larry
        eugene:  { token: "…", status: "online" },
        sandy:   { token: "…", status: "online" },
        // ...
      },
    },
  },
}

Then restart gateway.

#

Option B (if you really want to keep the key `larry`)

You can try setting:

channels: { discord: { defaultAccount: "larry" } }

…but given your CLI is explicitly reporting a missing “Discord default”, I’d still strongly prefer Option A so the “default” slot is actually configured.

Docs (multi-account + “default” semantics): https://docs.openclaw.ai/cli/channels

Then fix “offline” = presence/invisible

To force green-dot behavior, set presence in config (per-account or global). Example above uses status: "online".

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/channels/discord#presence-configuration

About `openclaw channels status`

Your pasted output looks like it didn’t complete (it printed the header then nothing). Two quick things to try:

#

Verify gateway is up:

openclaw gateway status

Get Discord logs directly:

openclaw channels logs --channel discord

After you apply the “make one account be default” change + restart, re-run:

openclaw status --deep
openclaw channels list

What I expect after the fix:

#

Discord default: configured …
and Discord bots should stop “defaulting to offline/invisible” once status: "online" is set.

If you paste the output of openclaw channels logs --channel discord right after restart (token-free), I can sanity-check whether each account is actually logging in / setting presence.

elfin tide Mar 6, 2026, 6:04 AM

#

2026-03-05T21:36:31.801-08:00 info {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/discord"} logged in to discord as 1478501525943881898 (LarrytheBot00)
2026-03-05T21:36:31.878-08:00 info {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/discord"} logged in to discord as 1478938083519889419 (Sebastian the Bot)
2026-03-05T21:36:32.725-08:00 info {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/discord"} logged in to discord as 1478934147144744980 (Eugene the Bot)
2026-03-05T21:38:56.032-08:00 info {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/discord"} [tom] Discord Message Content Intent is limited; bots under 100 servers can use it without verification.
2026-03-05T21:38:56.035-08:00 info {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/discord"} [tom] starting provider (@Tom the Bot)
2026-03-05T21:38:56.133-08:00 info {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/discord"} [larry] Discord Message Content Intent is limited; bots under 100 servers can use it without verification.
2026-03-05T21:38:56.136-08:00 info {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/discord"} [larry] starting provider (@LarrytheBot00)
2026-03-05T21:38:56.142-08:00 info {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/discord"} [sebastian] Discord Message Content Intent is limited; bots under 100 servers can use it without verification.
2026-03-05T21:38:56.144-08:00 info {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/discord"} [sebastian] starting provider (@Sebastian the Bot)

#

2026-03-05T21:38:56.251-08:00 info {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/discord"} [eugene] Discord Message Content Intent is limited; bots under 100 servers can use it without verification.
2026-03-05T21:38:56.256-08:00 info {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/discord"} [eugene] starting provider (@Eugene the Bot)
2026-03-05T21:38:56.397-08:00 info {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/discord"} [sandy] Discord Message Content Intent is limited; bots under 100 servers can use it without verification.
2026-03-05T21:38:56.398-08:00 info {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/discord"} [sandy] starting provider (@Sandy the Bot)
2026-03-05T21:38:57.028-08:00 info {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/discord"} [plankton] Discord Message Content Intent is limited; bots under 100 servers can use it without verification.
2026-03-05T21:38:57.029-08:00 info {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/discord"} [plankton] starting provider (@Plankton the Bot)
2026-03-05T21:38:57.158-08:00 info {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/discord"} logged in to discord as 1478939975406850118 (Tom the Bot)
2026-03-05T21:38:57.160-08:00 info {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/discord"} logged in to discord as 1478501525943881898 (LarrytheBot00)
2026-03-05T21:38:57.856-08:00 info {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/discord"} logged in to discord as 1478938083519889419 (Sebastian the Bot)
2026-03-05T21:38:57.923-08:00 info {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/discord"} logged in to discord as 1478934147144744980 (Eugene the Bot)
2026-03-05T21:38:58.211-08:00 info {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/discord"} logged in to discord as 1478939405052940349 (Sandy the Bot)
2026-03-05T21:38:59.259-08:00 info {"subsystem":"gateway/channels/discord"} logged in to discord as 1478936119596024022 (Plankton the Bot)
larrythebot@Larrys-Mac-mini ~ %

#

Here is everything

carmine prairieBOT Mar 6, 2026, 6:05 AM

#

Perfect — this clears it up.

Your bots are connected. They’re just presenting as “offline” because of Discord presence.

openclaw channels status shows each named account is running + connected:

Discord larry: … running, connected, bot:@LarrytheBot00
Discord sandy: … running, connected, bot:@Sandy the Bot
etc.

So the “offline/no green dot” you’re seeing in Discord is almost certainly because their presence status is currently invisible (or never being set to online). Invisible = looks offline, even while connected.

Fix: set presence explicitly in config (recommended)

Add either a global status:

#

  channels: {
    discord: {
      status: "online",
    },
  },
}

Or per-account (if you want to be explicit / future-proof):

{
  channels: {
    discord: {
      accounts: {

#

        larry: { status: "online" },
        eugene: { status: "online" },
        sandy: { status: "online" },
        plankton: { status: "online" },
        sebastian: { status: "online" },
        tom: { status: "online" },
      },
    },
  },
}

Then openclaw gateway restart.

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/channels/discord#presence-configuration

#

Also fix the “default account is not configured” footgun

Your output shows:

Discord default: … not configured … disconnected

Even though it’s not stopping the named accounts from connecting, it will cause “default” routing / some commands to point at a dead account.

Set:

{
  channels: {
    discord: {
      defaultAccount: "larry",
    },
  },
}

#

(or rename one account to default, but defaultAccount: "larry" is the least disruptive).

Config reference mentions this behavior: https://docs.openclaw.ai/gateway/configuration-reference#discord

If it still looks offline after that

Enable Presence Intent for each bot in the Discord Developer Portal (safe even if not strictly required), restart gateway, and re-check.

If you paste the next openclaw channels status after adding status:"online", we can confirm whether OpenClaw is now reporting presence as set the way you expect.

#

Those logs confirm the important part: they’re actually logged in.

You’ve got:

logged in to discord as … (Sandy the Bot)
… (Plankton the Bot)
… (Tom the Bot)
(and your openclaw channels status showed the rest as running, connected)

So the “offline / no green dot” is now almost certainly just Discord presence being set to invisible (or never being set to online), not a connection problem.

Do this next (config-driven presence)

Set an explicit status (global or per account), then restart the gateway:

Global (quick sanity check)

openclaw config set channels.discord.status '"online"' --strict-json

#

openclaw config set channels.discord.defaultAccount '"larry"' --strict-json
openclaw gateway restart

Or per-account (if you want all bots green)

openclaw config set channels.discord.accounts.larry.status '"online"' --strict-json
openclaw config set channels.discord.accounts.sandy.status '"online"' --strict-json
# …repeat for each
openclaw gateway restart

Docs for the fields: https://docs.openclaw.ai/channels/discord#presence-configuration

Also enable “Presence Intent” in the Discord Developer Portal (safe + helps)

Even though some libs can set presence without it, enabling it removes ambiguity when troubleshooting:

#

Bot → Privileged Gateway Intents → Presence Intent = ON, restart gateway.

Why I’m also pushing `defaultAccount`

Your status output shows:

Discord default: … not configured … disconnected
That can cause anything that “defaults” to an account to hit a dead slot. Setting:

channels.discord.defaultAccount = "larry"

stops a whole class of confusing behavior.

After doing the above, run:

openclaw channels status

#

and check the Discord member list again. If they still appear offline, paste any new log lines around “presence/status/activity/autoPresence” right after restart (there should be some hint that it’s setting presence to invisible/online).

#

Nice — those logs + channels status confirm all six bots are genuinely connected (they successfully logged in to discord as …). So we can stop chasing tokens/gateway connectivity.

At this point the problem is 100% Discord presence: the bots are connected, but Discord is showing them as “offline/gray” because their presence is effectively not being set to online (or it’s being set to invisible).

What to try (in order)

1) Force presence via config + restart

Do this once globally first (easiest sanity check):

openclaw config set channels.discord.status '"online"' --strict-json
openclaw config set channels.discord.defaultAccount '"larry"' --strict-json
openclaw gateway restart

If you want it explicit per-bot:

#

openclaw config set channels.discord.accounts.larry.status '"online"' --strict-json
openclaw config set channels.discord.accounts.sandy.status '"online"' --strict-json
# ...repeat
openclaw gateway restart

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/channels/discord#presence-configuration

2) Enable Presence Intent in the Discord Developer Portal (for each bot) + restart

Even if it shouldn’t be required for setting your own presence, it removes ambiguity.

3) If it still stays gray: it’s a known OpenClaw bug

There’s an open issue matching your symptoms exactly (“bot works, but shows offline; config presence toggles don’t change it”):
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/issues/31260

So if steps (1) + (2) don’t flip the dots green, you’re likely hitting that bug and the real fix will be upstream (OpenClaw needs to explicitly call Discord.js setPresence at login / in client options).

#

One quick confirmation question: after you set channels.discord.status = "online" and restart, does openclaw channels logs --channel discord show any line about applying presence/status/autoPresence? If it never logs presence being applied, that strongly supports the bug path.

#

Those log lines are still only showing login — nothing about presence being applied. So we’re at the fork:

A) You haven’t actually set `status: "online"` in config yet

If so, do it and restart:

openclaw config set channels.discord.status '"online"' --strict-json
openclaw config set channels.discord.defaultAccount '"larry"' --strict-json
openclaw gateway restart

Then confirm the values really stuck:

openclaw config get channels.discord.status
openclaw config get channels.discord.defaultAccount

#

(If you’re doing per-account status, also:)

openclaw config get channels.discord.accounts.larry.status

B) You did set `status: "online"` and restarted, and it still shows gray/offline

Then you’re almost certainly hitting the known OpenClaw bug where Discord presence simply isn’t being set (bots work, but appear offline). This matches issue #31260 exactly:
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/issues/31260

In that case, the most helpful next step is to comment on that issue with:

your version (2026.3.2)
confirmation that bots can send/receive
that channels.discord.status="online" (and/or accounts.*.status) did not change the UI
multi-account config + the “Discord default not configured” detail (from openclaw channels list)

One more small but important cleanup

Even if it’s not the cause of the gray dot, you should set channels.discord.defaultAccount because your CLI shows Discord default: not configured and some operations will otherwise keep trying to use the dead default slot.

#

If you paste just the output of:

openclaw config get channels.discord.status
openclaw config get channels.discord.defaultAccount

I can tell you immediately whether you’re in (A) “config not applied” or (B) “presence bug”.

#

Got it — with what you’ve pasted, we can already conclude a few things with high confidence:

What’s not the problem

Not tokens / login / connectivity. Your logs show each bot successfully logs in (logged in to discord as …) and openclaw channels status shows them running, connected.
Not “Discord not configured.” That’s only true for the special default slot (see below), but your named accounts are configured and connected.

What is the problem

1) This is a Discord presence issue (bots connected but “gray/offline”)

Discord can show a bot as gray/offline if its presence is effectively invisible / not being set to online. Your logs show login, but nothing about presence being applied.

Fix attempt (config-driven):

openclaw config set channels.discord.status '"online"' --strict-json
openclaw gateway restart

If you want it per bot:

#

openclaw config set channels.discord.accounts.larry.status '"online"' --strict-json
# repeat for each accountId…
openclaw gateway restart

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/channels/discord#presence-configuration

If that still doesn’t flip the dots green, you’re almost certainly hitting the known OpenClaw bug where presence isn’t actually being set even though the bot works:

https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/issues/31260

(Your symptoms match that issue 1:1.)

2) You have a “dead” Discord default account slot

Your CLI output shows:

Discord default: enabled, not configured … error: not configured

#

Even if it’s not causing the gray dot directly, it will cause confusing failures any time something tries to use the default Discord account.

Fix:

openclaw config set channels.discord.defaultAccount '"larry"' --strict-json
openclaw gateway restart

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/gateway/configuration-reference#discord

Cross-context (Telegram → Discord)

Your summary is correct: cross-context outbound messaging/actions are largely blocked by design right now. There’s an open feature request:

https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/issues/22725

Workarounds today are CLI (openclaw message … --channel discord --account <id> …) or doing the action from a Discord-bound session.

#

If you run the two config sets above and the bots still stay gray, I’d stop burning time and add your details to #31260 (version 2026.3.2, multi-account, bots connected/working, status set to online didn’t change UI). That’s the clean escalation path.

elfin tide Mar 6, 2026, 6:27 AM

#

Thanks for the fix they are now showing green and online but still no response when use “@-name”

carmine prairieBOT Mar 6, 2026, 6:27 AM

#

Good — green/online means the presence part is fixed. Now “no response when @mention” is almost always policy/allowlist/mention gating, not Discord connectivity.

1) Make sure the guild/channel is actually allowed

By default Discord group handling is fail-closed unless you allow the guild (and optionally channels) in config.

Fastest “prove it” test (private server only):

openclaw config set channels.discord.groupPolicy '"open"' --strict-json
openclaw gateway restart

Then @mention the bot again in the server.

If that makes it respond, you can switch back to allowlist and lock it down properly:

Docs (guild policy + allowlist): https://docs.openclaw.ai/channels/discord#access-control-and-routing

#

2) If you want allowlist mode (recommended), add your guild explicitly

Minimal shape:

{
  channels: {
    discord: {
      groupPolicy: "allowlist",
      guilds: {
        "1478501176826662946": {
          requireMention: true,
          // optionally restrict to you:
          // users: ["<your_discord_user_id>"],
          // optionally restrict channels (otherwise all channels in that guild are allowed):
          // channels: { "<channelId>": { requireMention: true } }
        }

#

      }
    }
  }
}

3) Check logs for the drop reason

After you @mention, run:

openclaw channels logs --channel discord

You’ll typically see a clear reason like “guild not allowlisted” / “channel not allowlisted” / “mention required” etc.

If you paste the log lines right after an @mention attempt, I can point to the exact rule that’s blocking it.

elfin tide Mar 6, 2026, 6:33 AM

#

Got the pasted advice from external—solid recommendations! It confirms the bots are logged in (per logs) but presence is the issue (set to invisible or not applied). The key fixes are setting status to "online" (global or per-account), enabling Presence Intent in the portal, and cleaning up defaultAccount. There's also a potential bug (#31260) if it persists.
Since you asked for the Discord section of "openclaw channels status --probe" (no tokens), but the command isn't exact, I ran equivalents via tools:
openclaw channels list: Lists telegram and discord (with per-account details like "Discord larry: configured, token=config, enabled").
openclaw channels status: Shows all Discord accounts as "running, connected, bot:<@&1478923247205744721>Name, token:config, intents:content=limited".
openclaw channels logs --channel discord: Logs show logins for each bot (e.g., "logged in to discord as 1478939405052940349 (Sandy the Bot)"), but no presence lines—matches the advice.
No tokens shown. The "default" is not configured, which could cause issues—set it to "larry" as suggested.
To implement the fixes, say "yes, set status to online" (I'll delegate to Sandy). Or run the commands yourself.
Summary Package for External (if Needed)

(You can copy this if more help required.)
OpenClaw Discord Presence Issue (Bots Logged In but Offline)
Version: 2026.3.2.
Config (redacted): channels.discord.enabled=true, accounts with 6 bots (tokens/configured).
Logs: Logins succeed for all, but no "presence applied" lines.
Status: Running/connected, but gray in UI.
Tried: Restart, cross-context enabled.
External Advice Followed: Set status="online", defaultAccount="larry", Presence Intent ON—still offline.
Matches Bug #31260.
Paste if you need!

carmine prairieBOT Mar 6, 2026, 6:34 AM

#

Your “summary package” is solid, and yep: presence/offline is now understood (and you already got them green).

The remaining issue (“bots are online but don’t reply when I @mention”) is a different layer: guild policy / allowlists / mention gating.

Fix for “no replies on @mention”

OpenClaw will happily be connected + online and still ignore every guild message if the guild/channel isn’t allowed.

Fastest diagnostic (private server only)

Temporarily open guild policy:

openclaw config set channels.discord.groupPolicy '"open"' --strict-json
openclaw gateway restart

Then @mention one bot in a normal text channel.

#

If it replies, you’ve proven it was an allowlist/policy drop.

Proper allowlist config (recommended)

Add your guild ID under channels.discord.guilds and decide mention behavior:

{
  channels: {
    discord: {
      groupPolicy: "allowlist",
      guilds: {
        "1478501176826662946": {
          requireMention: true,   // set false if you want it to answer every message
          // optionally lock to your user id(s):
          // users: ["<your_discord_user_id>"],
          // optionally lock to specific channel ids:

#

          // channels: { "123456789012345678": { requireMention: true } }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/channels/discord#access-control-and-routing

If it still doesn’t reply after opening/allowlisting

Grab the drop reason from logs right after you @mention:

openclaw channels logs --channel discord

#

You should see something like “guild not allowlisted”, “channel not allowlisted”, “mention required”, “ignoreOtherMentions”, etc. Paste ~20 lines around the mention time and it’ll be obvious what rule is blocking.

If the bots are green now, that earlier presence fix is a good candidate to mark as solved in-thread, and we can treat the “no response on mention” as the second (separate) configuration step.

elfin tide Mar 6, 2026, 6:50 AM

#

Does the permissions integer have anything to do with it?

carmine prairieBOT Mar 6, 2026, 6:50 AM

#

Only indirectly.

What the “permissions integer” is

In the Discord OAuth invite URL, permissions=… is just a bitfield that requests a baseline set of guild permissions when you add the bot.

It matters for things like your earlier 403 on channel creation (you need Manage Channels, etc.).

What it usually does not control

If the bot is already in the server and you can @mention it, the “permissions integer” on the invite link is rarely the blocker for “no reply”.

The two common blockers for “no reply on @mention” are:

OpenClaw policy/config (guild/channel not allowlisted, requireMention rules, etc.) — totally separate from Discord permissions.
Channel-level permission overrides (the bot role can’t View Channel / Read Message History / Send Messages in that specific channel). Even if the invite requested permissions, per-channel overrides can still block it.

Quick ways to verify permissions on the actual channel

Pick the channel you’re testing in and run one of these:

#

Provider capability + permission probe:

openclaw channels capabilities --channel discord --target channel:<channelId>

Or the Discord “permissions” action:

openclaw message permissions --channel discord --account larry --target channel:<channelId>

If those show it can’t view/read/send in that channel, fix the Discord role/channel overrides.

If permissions look fine, then it’s almost certainly the OpenClaw guild/channel allowlist / mention gating config, not the permissions integer.

elfin tide Mar 6, 2026, 6:54 AM

#

Who can I reach out to for a fix?

carmine prairieBOT Mar 6, 2026, 6:54 AM

#

Don’t DM/ping individual maintainers for this.

Best paths:

If you think it’s a bug (not just config):

Comment on / subscribe to the existing GitHub issue when it matches (for the “bot is connected but shows offline” class, that’s been tracked here):
- https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/issues/31260
Or file a new GitHub issue with your exact repro + redacted config:
- https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/issues

Include (redacted):

openclaw --version
openclaw status --deep
openclaw channels list
openclaw channels status
~30 lines from openclaw channels logs --channel discord right after an @mention test
whether channels.discord.groupPolicy="open" makes it respond

#

If it’s “online but not replying to @mentions”
That’s very often configuration/allowlist/permissions rather than a code bug. Post in #help with:

your channels.discord.groupPolicy value
whether you have channels.discord.guilds["1478501176826662946"] configured
a screenshot or paste of openclaw message permissions --channel discord --account larry --target channel:<id>

If you do the quick groupPolicy="open" test and it still won’t reply, I’d treat it as a likely bug and go straight to a GitHub issue with the logs.

elfin tide Mar 6, 2026, 7:06 AM

#

Sho how to do grouppolicy

carmine prairieBOT Mar 6, 2026, 7:07 AM

#

groupPolicy is the switch that controls whether Discord guild/channel messages are allowed at all.

Values:

open = allow all guilds (still respects requireMention)
allowlist = only guilds you explicitly list under channels.discord.guilds
disabled = ignore all guild messages

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/channels/discord#access-control-and-routing

Fastest test (open everything for guilds)

openclaw config set channels.discord.groupPolicy '"open"' --strict-json
openclaw gateway restart

Now @mention the bot in your server and it should respond (assuming it has channel perms).

#

Recommended (allowlist just your server)

Set allowlist mode:

openclaw config set channels.discord.groupPolicy '"allowlist"' --strict-json

Allow your guild (your guild id is 1478501176826662946):

openclaw config set channels.discord.guilds."1478501176826662946" '{"requireMention": true}' --strict-json
openclaw gateway restart

Optional tweaks

Respond without needing @mention:

openclaw config set channels.discord.guilds."1478501176826662946".requireMention false --strict-json

#Discord config

1) “set-presence” failing is (usually) expected by default

2) Bots showing “offline” can be either “not connected” OR “connected but invisible/no presence configured”

Case A: --probe shows Discord is NOT connected/ready

Case B: --probe shows Discord connected/ready, but bots still look offline

1) “Bots show offline” is usually presence, not “Discord not configured”

2) Your multi-account shape is probably missing a required “default” account

3) Telegram → Discord “cross-context” actions: not really supported (yet)

4) Best “what’s actually happening?” debug commands

Your probe output reads like only one Discord bot connection is actually running

Please run (and paste) these:

If Discord is “ok” but bots look offline: it’s almost always status: "invisible"

Quick test (global):

Multi-account (recommended, explicit):

One more important config-shape gotcha

Re: “cross-context” (Telegram → Discord)

openclaw channels list shows Discord default is enabled but NOT configured

Fix the config shape first (recommended)

Option A (cleanest): rename larry → default

Option B (if you really want to keep the key larry)

Then fix “offline” = presence/invisible

About openclaw channels status

Your bots are connected. They’re just presenting as “offline” because of Discord presence.

Fix: set presence explicitly in config (recommended)

Also fix the “default account is not configured” footgun

If it still looks offline after that

Do this next (config-driven presence)

Global (quick sanity check)

Or per-account (if you want all bots green)

Also enable “Presence Intent” in the Discord Developer Portal (safe + helps)

Why I’m also pushing defaultAccount

What to try (in order)

1) Force presence via config + restart

2) Enable Presence Intent in the Discord Developer Portal (for each bot) + restart

3) If it still stays gray: it’s a known OpenClaw bug

A) You haven’t actually set status: "online" in config yet

B) You did set status: "online" and restarted, and it still shows gray/offline

One more small but important cleanup

What’s not the problem

What is the problem

1) This is a Discord presence issue (bots connected but “gray/offline”)

2) You have a “dead” Discord default account slot

Cross-context (Telegram → Discord)

1) Make sure the guild/channel is actually allowed

2) If you want allowlist mode (recommended), add your guild explicitly

3) Check logs for the drop reason

Fix for “no replies on @mention”

Fastest diagnostic (private server only)

Proper allowlist config (recommended)

If it still doesn’t reply after opening/allowlisting

What the “permissions integer” is

What it usually does not control

Quick ways to verify permissions on the actual channel

Fastest test (open everything for guilds)

Recommended (allowlist just your server)

Optional tweaks

Case A: `--probe` shows Discord is NOT connected/ready

Case B: `--probe` shows Discord connected/ready, but bots still look offline

If Discord is “ok” but bots look offline: it’s almost always `status: "invisible"`

`openclaw channels list` shows Discord default is enabled but NOT configured

Option A (cleanest): rename `larry` → `default`

Option B (if you really want to keep the key `larry`)

About `openclaw channels status`

Why I’m also pushing `defaultAccount`

A) You haven’t actually set `status: "online"` in config yet

B) You did set `status: "online"` and restarted, and it still shows gray/offline