**[Help] OpenClaw on Hostinger 1-click — Slack bot connected but not responding to @mentions**

[granite osprey]

Hi everyone,

I set up OpenClaw on Hostinger using their 1-click Docker install. Everything seems to be running fine but I can't get my Slack bot to respond.

My goal / context:
I run a construction company and I'm trying to use OpenClaw with AI agents to automate key business workflows: project quoting/estimating, tender responses, procurement, supplier follow-ups, etc. Slack is my main communication hub so getting this integration right is critical for me.

My setup:

• Hostinger 1-click OpenClaw (no terminal access)
• Slack app in Socket Mode
• Node.js 22.22.2

What's working ✅

• Gateway is running (listening on ws://127.0.0.1:18789)
• Slack plugin is enabled
• slack socket mode connected appears in logs after restart
• Bot appears in my Slack workspace
• Bot is invited to the channel
• Event Subscriptions configured: app_mention, message.channels, message.groups, message.im
• App Home Chat Tab is enabled with "Allow users to send messages" checked

What's not working ❌

• Bot doesn't respond when @mentioned in a channel
• DMs show "Sending messages to this app has been disabled" (even though Chat Tab is enabled and app reinstalled)

Logs after restart look clean — no errors, just:

[default] starting provider
slack socket mode connected

No errors, no pairing code visible in logs. Not sure if the pairing flow for Slack DMs is blocking things. The main issue with the 1-click version is that I have no terminal access, so I can't run commands like openclaw pairing approve slack <code> directly.

My question:
Is there a way to complete the Slack pairing flow without terminal access on the Hostinger 1-click version? And if this setup is just too limited for what I'm trying to do — would you recommend starting over with a standard Hostinger VPS (with full SSH access) instead of the 1-click? Is the extra setup complexity worth it for a production use case?

Thanks!

[sterile cliff]

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[granite osprey]

@chilly crater

@visual solstice

[midnight steppe]

@granite osprey Did this ever get resolved for you? I also own a service business and lookign to use Openclaw for similiar processes but cant seem to use Slack to connect. My setup is very similiar to yours.

[chilly crater]

I checked the docs/code, and this is probably two separate issues:

1. Channel mentions
   In Slack, channels.slack.groupPolicy defaults to allowlist. So “bot is invited + I @mentioned it” is not enough by itself. You need either:

   • groupPolicy: "open", or
   • the channel ID added under channels.slack.channels

   Example:

   channels: {
     slack: {
       groupPolicy: "allowlist",
       channels: {
         C1234567890: { allow: true, requireMention: true }
       }
     }
   

   }

2. DMs
   Slack DMs default to dmPolicy: "pairing", and pairing is approved with:
   openclaw pairing approve slack <CODE>

   So on Hostinger 1-click, no terminal = pairing is awkward. If the dashboard lets you edit config, the workaround is:

   • dmPolicy: "allowlist" + your Slack user ID in allowFrom, or
   • dmPolicy: "open" + allowFrom: ["*"] if you truly want open DMs

Also, Slack’s “Sending messages to this app has been disabled” is usually a Slack app config problem before OpenClaw even sees the DM. Double-check your manifest matches the docs exactly, especially:

• app_home.messages_tab_enabled: true
• app_home.messages_tab_read_only_enabled: false
• scopes include im:read, im:write, im:history

Then reinstall the app.

My honest recommendation: if Slack is critical for your business workflows, I’d use a regular Hostinger VPS with SSH, not the 1-click setup. The 1-click flow looks fine for quick trials, but it’s too constrained for Slack because you need custom config, allowlists, and sometimes pairing/log inspection. The Hostinger 1-click docs only walk through WhatsApp/Telegram, which is a bit of a tell.

Docs:
https://docs.openclaw.ai/install/hostinger
https://docs.openclaw.ai/channels/slack
https://docs.openclaw.ai/channels/pairing
https://docs.openclaw.ai/channels/slack#troubleshooting

If you can, post:

• your OpenClaw version (openclaw --version, or whatever Hostinger exposes in UI)
• a redacted channels.slack config
• the Slack channel ID you’re testing in

Glad that helped! 🎉
If this fixed it, please right-click the solution message → Apps → ✅ Mark Solution.

This helps Answer Overflow index the solution for future users.

[granite osprey]

The problem was the group policy

Not being open

[chilly crater]

Nice, glad you caught it.

For future readers, the fix was Slack group policy:

• channels.slack.groupPolicy defaults to allowlist
• so inviting the bot to a channel is not enough
• you need either:
  • groupPolicy: "open", or
  • add the channel under channels.slack.channels

DMs are a separate issue and still use dmPolicy / pairing.

If this fixed it, please right-click the solution message → Apps → ✅ Mark Solution so Answer Overflow can index it.