Openclaw with X Api | Friends of the Crustacean 🦞🤝 | Page 1

brisk tree Apr 15, 2026, 12:24 PM

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I am setting up an openclaw agent to read and reply to my x dms. Im using the official x api but the challenge is the api doesnt expose all the dms, encrypted dms are skipped so I am not getting the full dms. Has anyone did somethign similar or has a fix for this?

tranquil laurelBOT Apr 15, 2026, 12:25 PM

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Let me verify the docs and current X support details so I don't guess.

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Yeah, this looks like an X API limitation, not really an OpenClaw bug.

If a DM thread gets upgraded to encrypted / X Chat, the official DM API can skip those messages, so your agent will always have holes in the conversation. I found X dev forum threads describing the same behavior.

So the realistic options are:

Use the official API and accept partial coverage
Fine if you only care about non-encrypted DMs.
Use browser automation for the actual inbox
This is the practical OpenClaw route if you need the full thread. OpenClaw’s docs already recommend the host browser + manual login for X workflows:
https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/browser-login
https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/browser
Hybrid approach
API for metadata/polling, browser fallback for threads the API misses. This is probably the least bad setup.

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A couple of important gotchas:

X browser automation is brittle and can trigger anti-bot checks.
Prefer the host browser, not sandboxed browser sessions, for X.
There is no clean API-side “fix” if X simply does not expose encrypted DMs.

If you want, paste:

openclaw --version
whether your agent is sandboxed
whether you want read only or read + auto-reply

and I can sketch the exact OpenClaw setup I’d use.

brisk tree Apr 15, 2026, 12:33 PM

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OpenClaw 2026.3.8 (3caab92)
my agent is on on vps in digitial ocean
I ewant readonly auto reply ill do via offical x api

tranquil laurelBOT Apr 15, 2026, 12:34 PM

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I’m checking whether there’s a clean OpenClaw pattern for “VPS brain, local browser” so I can give you the least cursed setup.

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2026.3.8 is recent enough, so I don’t think your OpenClaw version is the problem.

If I were doing this on a DigitalOcean VPS, I’d use this setup:

Keep the Gateway/agent on the VPS
Read X DMs from a real logged-in browser on your laptop/desktop
Send replies with the official X API if that endpoint works for your account

Why: for X, a headless/browser-on-VPS approach is usually the worst of both worlds, brittle and more likely to hit anti-bot. And the official API still won’t give you encrypted threads, so there’s no clean API-side fix.

OpenClaw has a first-class pattern for this:

run a node host on the machine that has the browser
let the VPS gateway proxy browser actions to that node

Docs:

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So the practical architecture is:

Browser node on your local machine, manually logged into x.com
VPS agent asks that browser to read the DM thread
VPS app/API worker sends the reply through official X API
If X API cannot send/reply for the encrypted thread either, then you’ll need browser send as fallback too

So, short answer: no real fix through the official X DM API alone. For full coverage, you need a browser-based reader.

If you want, I can sketch the exact OpenClaw topology for:

VPS gateway
local node host
DM polling/parsing flow
API reply flow

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in one message.

brisk tree Apr 15, 2026, 12:35 PM

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yeah help me set it up

tranquil laurelBOT Apr 15, 2026, 12:37 PM

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I’m pulling the exact node/browser setup commands from the docs so I don’t hand you fake flags.

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Yep. I’d treat this as a custom integration, not a normal built-in channel.

Recommended setup

Source of truth for reading: browser on your local machine
Source of truth for sending: official X API on your VPS
Gateway/agent: stays on the VPS

That avoids the encrypted-DM hole in the API, while still letting you send through the official API.

1. Put the browser on a node, not on the VPS

On the machine that has a real browser session, laptop/desktop is best:

If your gateway is reachable directly or over Tailscale:

#

export OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN="<gateway-token>"
openclaw node install --host <gateway-host> --port 18789 --display-name "x-browser"
openclaw node restart

If your gateway is loopback-only on the VPS, use the docs’ SSH tunnel pattern:

ssh -N -L 18790:127.0.0.1:18789 user@your-vps

Then on your local machine:

export OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN="<gateway-token>"

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openclaw node run --host 127.0.0.1 --port 18790 --display-name "x-browser"

On the VPS, approve the node:

openclaw devices list
openclaw devices approve <requestId>
openclaw nodes status

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/nodes
CLI: https://docs.openclaw.ai/cli/node
Remote access: https://docs.openclaw.ai/gateway/remote

2. Start a real browser there, and log into X manually

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On that local machine:

openclaw browser start
openclaw browser open https://x.com

Then log in yourself.

Do not automate login for X. The docs explicitly recommend manual login + host browser for X workflows:
https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/browser-login

3. Use the browser for reads

This is the key part.

Your reader should:

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open the X inbox in the browser
inspect unread threads / current thread DOM
extract normalized messages like:
- conversationId
- messageId
- sender
- text
- timestamp
store last-seen IDs so you only process new inbound DMs

For encrypted threads, this browser data becomes your truth, not the API.

4. Use the official X API for replies

Once your reader emits a new inbound DM event:

send the normalized thread context into your OpenClaw agent
let your sender module post the reply with the official X API

#

If the API also fails to reply inside encrypted threads, then you’ll need browser send fallback too.

5. The practical loop

I’d build it like this:

Browser reader on local node polls every 15 to 30s
Finds unread/new DMs in X web UI
Normalizes new messages into JSON
Sends them to your VPS-side agent
Agent produces reply text
Reply worker sends via official X API
Save conversationId/messageId/replyId in your own store

My honest recommendation

If you want this to be reliable, don’t try to read X DMs from a headless browser on DigitalOcean. A local logged-in browser node is much less cursed.

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If you want, next I can give you one of these:

a minimal architecture diagram
a JSON event schema for the DM reader
a starter polling script outline for the browser-side reader

I’d probably do #2 + #3 next.

brisk tree Apr 15, 2026, 2:50 PM

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whe the browser reads does it get scroll in each conversation adn read all message? what are the cons?

tranquil laurelBOT Apr 15, 2026, 2:51 PM

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I’m checking the browser docs for how much the tool sees by default, so I can answer the scrolling bit accurately.

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Not automatically.

The browser approach only sees what is currently loaded/rendered in the X web UI. So if you want full history, your reader has to do something like:

open a conversation
read the visible messages
scroll up
wait for older messages to load
read again
dedupe by message id/text/timestamp
stop when no older messages appear

So yes, it can scroll through a convo, but you have to build that loop. It won’t magically fetch the whole thread like a good API would.

Main cons

Brittle: X changes DOM/UI a lot

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Incomplete by default: only rendered messages are visible
Infinite scroll pain: older messages may lazy-load or fail intermittently
Anti-bot risk: especially if you act too fast or from a VPS/browser farm style setup
Higher latency: much slower than API reads
More moving parts: browser session, login expiry, node connectivity, parsing logic
Harder attachments/media: text is easiest, media/cards/reactions are messier
No perfect guarantee: if the page glitches or stops loading older messages, you can still miss stuff

What I’d recommend instead

Don’t scrape all history every time.

Use this pattern:

First sync: backfill only the last 30 to 100 messages per active thread
Steady state: only read unread threads + last 10 to 30 recent messages
Deep history: fetch older messages only on demand when context is missing

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That keeps it way less cursed.

So basically:

API = cleaner, but incomplete for encrypted DMs
Browser = fuller access, but messy and less reliable

If you want, I can sketch the exact read loop I’d use for X DMs, including when to stop scrolling and how to dedupe safely.

brisk tree Apr 15, 2026, 4:20 PM

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openclaw crashing on vps - 16:18:07 typing TTL reached (2m); stopping typing indicator

tranquil laurelBOT Apr 15, 2026, 4:21 PM

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That log line looks suspiciously like a normal timeout, not the actual crash. I’m checking the source so I can tell you what it means before sending you on a wild goose chase.

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That specific line is not the crash.

typing TTL reached (2m); stopping typing indicator just means OpenClaw stopped the chat “typing…” signal after 2 minutes as a safety timeout. It’s normal-ish, and the real failure should be after that line, not that line itself.

Please paste these:

openclaw status --all
openclaw gateway status

If status --all is too big, then at least paste the last log chunk:

tail -n 80 "$(ls -t /tmp/openclaw/openclaw-*.log | head -1)"

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What I’d expect the real cause to look like:

FATAL
Unhandled
OOM / killed process
provider/auth error
browser/node disconnect
stack trace right after that typing line

Docs:

Paste the output and I’ll help narrow it down.

brisk tree Apr 15, 2026, 4:24 PM

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🦞 OpenClaw 2026.3.8 (3caab92) — iMessage green bubble energy, but for everyone.

│
◇
Service: systemd (disabled)
File logs: /tmp/openclaw/openclaw-2026-04-15.log

Service config looks out of date or non-standard.
Service config issue: Gateway service PATH is not set; the daemon should use a minimal PATH.
Recommendation: run "openclaw doctor" (or "openclaw doctor --repair").
Config (cli): ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
Config (service): ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json

Gateway: bind=loopback (127.0.0.1), port=18789 (env/config)
Probe target: ws://127.0.0.1:18789
Dashboard: http://127.0.0.1:18789/
Probe note: Loopback-only gateway; only local clients can connect.

Runtime: stopped (state inactive, sub dead, last exit 0, reason 0)
RPC probe: ok

Listening: 127.0.0.1:18789
Troubles: run openclaw status
Troubleshooting: https://docs.openclaw.ai/troubleshooting
root@qfex:~#

alos is this chat seen by all any risk of pasting here

tranquil laurelBOT Apr 15, 2026, 4:25 PM

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What you pasted so far is fine.

But yes, this thread is not private. Assume people with access to this channel/thread can read it, and support threads may get indexed later. So do not paste:

gateway tokens / passwords
API keys
.env contents
raw openclaw.json if it has secrets
browser cookies / session tokens
private DM content from X

openclaw status --all is usually okay because it tries to redact secrets, but I’d still skim before posting.

What your status output says

I don’t actually see a hard crash there.

#

What I see is:

systemd service is disabled/inactive
last exit = 0, which means clean exit, not a crash
RPC probe: ok
Listening on 127.0.0.1:18789

That combination usually means:

the systemd-managed service is not running, but
some other OpenClaw process is still running manually on that port

So this may be more like service/process confusion than a true crash.

Also this warning matters:

Gateway service PATH is not set

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docs/tool recommendation: openclaw doctor or openclaw doctor --repair

Next things I’d run

openclaw doctor
ss -ltnp | grep 18789
ps -ef | grep -i openclaw
tail -n 120 /tmp/openclaw/openclaw-2026-04-15.log

Please paste:

the ss output
the last ~120 log lines
anything right after the typing TTL message

#

If you want to be extra safe, just redact:

IPs
usernames
domains
obvious secrets

My current guess is: OpenClaw itself may not be crashing, you may just have one manual process plus one broken/stale systemd setup.

brisk tree Apr 15, 2026, 4:29 PM

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im getting mssate in tg but I ma gettig same messaenagain and again

tranquil laurelBOT Apr 15, 2026, 4:30 PM

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Yep, that sounds like a dedupe/state problem, not a Telegram problem.

What’s probably happening:

your X reader polls again
sees the same DM still in the UI/API
treats it as “new”
sends it to Telegram again

Browser reads are snapshots, not a consume-once event stream. So you need your own “already processed” store.

Fix

Persist a seen_messages store, ideally in SQLite/JSON/Redis, keyed by:

conversationId
messageId if you have one

#

otherwise a fingerprint like:
- sender
- normalized text
- timestamp
- maybe DOM key/order

Basic logic

key = hash(conversationId + sender + text + timestamp)

if (seen.has(key)) {
  skip
} else {
  sendToTelegram(message)
  seen.add(key)

#

  saveSeen()
}

Important checks

Ignore your own outbound messages
Persist state to disk, not just memory, or restart = duplicates
Keep a per-conversation last seen pointer
Add a small lock/cooldown so one poll cycle can’t send the same thing twice

Best practice

Prefer this order:

read X message

#

compute dedupe key
check persistent store
if unseen, send to TG
mark as sent in persistent store

If you’re reading from the browser and X doesn’t expose a stable message ID, use a fingerprint. It’s a bit uglier, but it works.

If you want, I can give you a better dedupe schema for X DMs specifically, because encrypted/browser-read messages usually need a slightly smarter key than just text + timestamp.

brisk tree Apr 15, 2026, 4:32 PM

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my tg bot is not respondingthis si what i see

16:15:48 [telegram] autoSelectFamily=true (default-node22)
16:15:48 [telegram] global undici dispatcher autoSelectFamily=true
16:15:48 [telegram] dnsResultOrder=ipv4first (default-node22)
16:18:07 typing TTL reached (2m); stopping typing indicator
16:22:36 [ws] ⇄ res ✓ config.get 5567ms conn=73d48480…bf02 id=b316c5fb…76b0
16:22:36 [ws] ⇄ res ✓ status 5956ms conn=73d48480…bf02 id=00b79bc5…9fda
16:23:29 [ws] ⇄ res ✓ status 95ms conn=1ee999a3…d22a id=51521a50…bc16
16:26:07 [agent/embedded] embedded run timeout: runId=760c0fe2-9cc2-4e40-9a19-affb648cdbeb sessionId=browser-login timeoutMs=600000
16:26:07 [agent/embedded] using current snapshot: timed out during compaction runId=760c0fe2-9cc2-4e40-9a19-affb648cdbeb sessionId=browser-login
16:28:14 [ws] ⇄ res ✓ doctor.memory.status 1549ms conn=8bc12f44…192a id=eb667196…713d
16:28:37 typing TTL reached (2m); stopping typing indicator
16:29:14 [ws] ⇄ res ✓ doctor.memory.status 201ms conn=d28a00c3…42a9 id=5f0fcdc2…c3db

tranquil laurelBOT Apr 15, 2026, 4:33 PM

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I’m checking those exact log strings in the source, because this looks more like a stuck embedded/browser session than a Telegram transport failure.

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I found the interesting part: Telegram itself looks fine, but one embedded run is timing out in a browser-login session during compaction. I’m checking the safe reset/compaction options before I tell you to poke at it.

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This does not look like a Telegram transport failure.

The important lines are these:

embedded run timeout ... sessionId=browser-login timeoutMs=600000
using current snapshot: timed out during compaction

So what’s happening is more like:

Telegram message arrives fine
OpenClaw starts a run
that run gets stuck in the browser-login session
compaction takes too long
after 10 minutes, the run times out
Telegram never gets a proper reply

typing TTL reached is just noise here, it only means “I stopped showing typing after 2 min”.

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My guess

You’re probably feeding too much browser/session junk into the same agent session, like raw browser snapshots, long DOM text, or too much chat history.

That makes the session huge, and compaction chokes.

First fixes to try

1. Start a fresh session

In the stuck chat, send:

/new

or

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/reset

If you want to keep history instead:

/compact

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/concepts/compaction

2. Keep browser-login separate

Do not use the same long-lived session for:

browser login / browser scraping
Telegram replies
full X DM history

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Use the browser only to extract a small structured payload, like:

{
  "conversationId": "...",
  "sender": "...",
  "messages": [
    { "text": "...", "timestamp": "..." }
  ]
}

Then pass that to the Telegram-facing agent, not the raw browser snapshot.

3. Check channel health anyway

Run:

#

openclaw channels status --probe
openclaw logs --follow

If Telegram is healthy there, then the problem is definitely the run/session, not Telegram connectivity.

Practical recommendation

For your X DM setup:

browser session = just scrape/read
dedupe/state store = remember seen messages
Telegram/OpenClaw session = only short normalized text context
official X API = send replies

If you dump browser output into the same chat session, it gets cursed fast.

#

If you want, I can help you design the clean 2-session architecture so this stops timing out.

brisk tree Apr 15, 2026, 4:37 PM

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som what hapend now is the opencalove is live on vps and on my telehram chat I keep getting the same message after againand again after an interval looks like its stuck

tranquil laurelBOT Apr 15, 2026, 4:38 PM

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Yep, that really sounds like a loop, not just “Telegram being weird”.

If the same message repeats every interval, the usual causes are:

Most likely causes

Your X reader keeps polling the same DM
It sees the same message again, thinks it’s new, and sends it to Telegram again.
Your Telegram bot is reading its own output
So bot message → treated as new input → bot replies again → repeat.
You have more than one process running
Earlier your status looked like “manual process + weird service state”. Two workers = duplicate sends.
A stuck session keeps retrying
Your earlier logs showed browser-login timing out. If that flow retries on a timer, it can keep re-emitting the same thing.

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What I would fix first

A. Add real dedupe

Store a persistent key like:

conversationId + sender + text + timestamp

If that key was already sent to TG, skip it.

B. Ignore your own Telegram messages

Make sure your pipeline only processes:

inbound messages from X
not messages sent by your Telegram bot
not mirrored Telegram content coming back into the same agent path

#

C. Separate the flows

Best setup:

reader: X/browser/API → dedupe store
agent: only sees clean normalized messages
sender: sends to Telegram or X
Telegram control chat: separate from raw mirrored message stream if possible

D. Check you don’t have duplicate workers

On the VPS, check:

ps -ef | grep -i openclaw
ss -ltnp | grep 18789

If you also have your own poller script, make sure only one copy is running.

#

My honest guess

Based on everything you pasted so far, I’d bet on:

missing dedupe, plus maybe
a stuck browser-login/session retry loop

If you want, send me:

what exact repeated message looks like
- is it the original X DM?
- or the bot’s generated reply?
how often it repeats
- every 30s / 1m / 5m / 10m?

That’ll narrow it down fast.

brisk tree Apr 15, 2026, 4:39 PM

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how to break this loop as a quick fix

tranquil laurelBOT Apr 15, 2026, 4:40 PM

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I’m checking the safest “stop the bleeding” commands so I don’t invent one and make the loop worse.

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Quickest way to break it:

In your Telegram chat

Send these as standalone messages:

/stop
/new

/stop aborts the current stuck run
/new starts a fresh session so it doesn’t keep reusing the cursed context

If it still keeps sending after that

Stop the gateway on the VPS:

#

openclaw gateway stop

Then also stop your custom X poller / relay script if you have one.
Otherwise the loop will just start again on next poll.

Then when you restart

Only bring back one thing at a time:

gateway
Telegram bot
X reader/poller

That makes it way easier to see which part is looping.

My practical recommendation

#

For a fast band-aid, disable the X→TG forwarding temporarily and keep only Telegram control working until you add dedupe.

Because right now the likely loop is:

X/browser reader sees same message again
forwards to TG again
stuck session/retry makes it worse

If you want, next I can give you the smallest dedupe patch so it stops re-sending the same X message.

brisk tree Apr 15, 2026, 4:41 PM

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does /stop/new remove contex?
also how to stop the poller?

tranquil laurelBOT Apr 15, 2026, 4:42 PM

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I’m checking the exact /new behavior and whether there’s a first-class cron/poller stop path before I answer.

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Yep:

/stop = stops the current run only, it does not remove context
/new = starts a fresh session, so old context is not used for future turns
/new does not delete transcripts, it just gives you a clean slate going forward
/reset is basically the same idea as /new

So if you want to break the loop without deleting history, do:

/stop
/new

How to stop the poller

Depends what kind of poller it is:

#

If it’s an OpenClaw heartbeat

openclaw system heartbeat disable

If it’s an OpenClaw cron job

openclaw cron list
openclaw cron remove <jobId>

If it’s your own custom script

Stop whatever launched it:

terminal: Ctrl+C
tmux/screen: stop it in that session
pm2/systemd/docker: stop that specific service/container/process

#

Best quick-fix combo

I’d do this:

in Telegram:
```
/stop
/new
```
on VPS, disable the poller:
- openclaw system heartbeat disable if heartbeat
- or remove the cron
- or stop your custom script

That breaks the loop fast, while keeping your old transcripts around.

#

If you want, paste how you started the poller and I’ll tell you the exact stop command.

brisk tree Apr 15, 2026, 4:43 PM

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🦞 OpenClaw 2026.3.8 (3caab92) — Your terminal just grew claws—type something and let the bot pinch the busywork.

│

◇
Error: gateway closed (1006 abnormal closure (no close frame)): no close reason
Gateway target: ws://127.0.0.1:18789
Source: local loopback
Config: /root/.openclaw/openclaw.json
Bind: loopback
root@qfex:~#

tranquil laurelBOT Apr 15, 2026, 4:44 PM

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That 1006 is useful, it means the gateway socket got dropped abruptly. I’m checking the docs/source for the most likely causes before I point you at the wrong fix.

#

That 1006 abnormal closure means the gateway process on the VPS dropped the WebSocket abruptly.

Because it’s talking to:

ws://127.0.0.1:18789
Source: local loopback

this is not a Telegram/network issue. It’s local to the VPS. Usually one of these:

gateway crashed or exited
gateway restarted mid-request
stale/broken service setup
two competing OpenClaw processes

And earlier you already had this warning:

service config looks out of date

#

PATH not set
doctor recommended

What I’d do next

Run these in order:

openclaw gateway status
openclaw doctor --repair
openclaw gateway restart
openclaw logs --follow

What I’m expecting

If it’s fixed:

#

Runtime: running
RPC probe: ok

If it breaks again:

the real error will show in openclaw logs --follow right before/after the 1006

My current read

You probably have gateway/service instability on the VPS, plus the earlier stuck session/retry loop. So first fix the gateway health, then fix the X/TG poll loop.

If you paste the output of:

openclaw gateway status

after doctor --repair, I can tell you the next step fast.

brisk tree Apr 15, 2026, 4:49 PM

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16:48:46 debug cron {"module":"cron","storePath":"/root/.openclaw/cron/jobs.json"} {"nextAt":1776271771464,"delayMs":44577,"clamped":false} cron: timer armed

from logs

tranquil laurelBOT Apr 15, 2026, 4:49 PM

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Yep, that’s the clue.

That line is not an error, it means:

OpenClaw has a cron job configured
the cron scheduler is active
the next run is in ~44 seconds (delayMs: 44577)

So yes, this is very likely your poller / repeat loop.

Quick fix

List the cron jobs:

openclaw cron list

#

Then either:

remove it completely

openclaw cron remove <jobId>

or keep the job but stop delivery

openclaw cron edit <jobId> --no-deliver

If you just want the loop to stop right now, I’d do:

openclaw cron list

#

openclaw cron remove <jobId>

Translation of that log line

cron: timer armed = “a scheduled job exists, and I’m waiting to run it”

So this pretty strongly confirms the repeated Telegram message is being re-fired by cron.

If you paste the output of:

openclaw cron list

I can tell you exactly which job to kill.

brisk tree Apr 15, 2026, 4:52 PM

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🦞 OpenClaw 2026.3.8 (3caab92) — Gateway online—please keep hands, feet, and appendages inside the shell at all times.

16:52:00 [canvas] host mounted at http://127.0.0.1:18789/__openclaw__/canvas/ (root /root/.openclaw/canvas)
16:52:00 [heartbeat] started
16:52:00 [health-monitor] started (interval: 300s, startup-grace: 60s, channel-connect-grace: 120s)
16:52:00 [gateway] agent model: openai/gpt-5.4
16:52:00 [gateway] listening on ws://127.0.0.1:18789, ws://[::1]:18789 (PID 377723)
16:52:00 [gateway] log file: /tmp/openclaw/openclaw-2026-04-15.log
16:52:01 [browser/server] Browser control listening on http://127.0.0.1:18791/ (auth=token)
16:52:01 [telegram] [default] starting provider (@readcated)
16:52:01 [telegram] autoSelectFamily=true (default-node22)
16:52:01 [telegram] global undici dispatcher autoSelectFamily=true
16:52:01 [telegram] dnsResultOrder=ipv4first (default-node22)

tranquil laurelBOT Apr 15, 2026, 4:53 PM

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This startup log looks normal so far.

What it shows:

gateway started cleanly
browser server started
Telegram provider is starting
heartbeat is also started

So this snippet does not show the failure yet.

Two useful takeaways

1. Gateway is up

So the earlier 1006 was probably during restart / instability, not “permanent dead gateway”.

2. Heartbeat is on

#

If you want to remove auto-triggers while debugging, disable it:

openclaw system heartbeat disable

And if you still have that cron job too:

openclaw cron list
openclaw cron remove <jobId>

That gives you a much quieter setup.

What I’d check next

#

Run:

openclaw channels status --probe

That will tell you whether Telegram is actually connected/healthy, instead of just “starting”.

Also, if you can, paste the next few lines after:

[telegram] [default] starting provider

I’m looking for:

connected / ready
auth error

#

polling/webhook error
repeated reconnects

So right now: gateway looks alive, but we still need the Telegram-ready line.

brisk tree Apr 15, 2026, 4:55 PM

#

I sent amessage again ontelgram and was this in the erminal 16:53:17 [telegram] fetch fallback: forcing autoSelectFamily=false + dnsResultOrder=ipv4first

tranquil laurelBOT Apr 15, 2026, 4:55 PM

#

I’m checking that exact Telegram fallback line. It sounds like a network compatibility workaround, not the core bug, but I want to verify.

#

That line is actually pretty informative.

It means OpenClaw hit a Telegram network fetch issue and automatically switched to a more IPv4-forced mode:

autoSelectFamily=false
dnsResultOrder=ipv4first

So this is usually a VPS IPv6 / DNS family-selection problem, not a Telegram auth problem.

What I’d do

Set this permanently for Telegram on that VPS:

config key: channels.telegram.network.autoSelectFamily
value: false

Then restart the gateway.

#

Why

Node 22+ prefers autoSelectFamily=true, but some VPSes have flaky IPv6 or weird dual-stack behavior. Telegram calls then intermittently fail, and OpenClaw falls back exactly like the log you pasted.

So the fallback is helpful, but if you keep seeing it, I’d make the IPv4-friendly mode explicit.

Translation of the log

That line means:

“Telegram fetch got weird, so I’m retrying with safer IPv4 behavior.”

Not fatal by itself, but definitely a sign your VPS network path to Telegram is a bit cursed.

If you want, paste your channels.telegram config section, redacted, and I’ll tell you the exact safe edit.

brisk tree Apr 15, 2026, 4:57 PM

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all o this was working 30 mins back see the chat then it got stuck

because right now I changed the pipeline to:

• always draft
• always send to Telegram

but I left the Telegram button logic as:

• Approve & Send
• Reject

for every DM alert.

So the Reject button is there because the system still assumes:

every alert is something you may want to either:

• approve/send
• or reject/close

───

in practice

that means for a noise item like Joshua:

• the draft is shown
• Telegram still offers:
• approve
• reject

even though you probably wouldn’t actually want to send it.

───

why it happened

I changed:

• triage behavior
• always-alert behavior

but I did not yet change the Telegram button policy by category.

So the buttons are still generic.

───

what we probably want instead

urgent / routine

• Approve & Send
• Reject

signal

maybe:

• Approve & Send
• Reject
or just
• Acknowledge

noise

probably:

• Acknowledge
• Close
or
• Ignore

not “Approve & Send”.

───

short answer

the Reject button is there because the Telegram UI is still using the old generic draft-action buttons for every browser-ingested DM.

If you want, I can fix that next so the buttons match the category properly.

is this stuck?

tranquil laurelBOT Apr 15, 2026, 4:58 PM

#

Yes, but not in the way you think.

That pasted text looks like a completed assistant reply, not a half-finished/stuck generation.

So if you keep seeing that same message again, the problem is:

the run finished
then your pipeline re-triggered the same item
so OpenClaw drafted/sent the same explanation again

Important distinction

Not the real cause

generic Approve & Send / Reject buttons

That’s a UI policy issue

#

More likely real cause

the DM/alert is not being marked handled
so the next poll sees it again
and sends the same Telegram alert again

So yes, the pipeline is “stuck”

But it’s stuck in a re-alert loop, not a model-thinking loop.

What should happen after first alert

After one Telegram alert, that item should be marked something like:

alerted
or pending_review

Then the poller should not send it again unless:

the source message changed

#

a new message arrived in that thread
status was reset

Quick fix

Make your poller suppress repeats for items already in one of these states:

alerted
approved
rejected
closed

Only alert when status is brand new.

My blunt diagnosis

You currently have two separate issues:

#

button policy is generic
dedupe/state is broken

The second one is what’s causing the repeated Telegram spam.

If you want, I can sketch the exact minimal state machine for this:

new -> alerted -> approved/rejected/closed

That would stop the loop fast.

brisk tree Apr 15, 2026, 5:25 PM

#

i asked clause it gave me this

I see the problem. Look at this line:

agent:main:main │ direct │ 6m ago │ gpt-5.4 │ 252k/272k (93%)
The main session is at 93% context window (252k out of 272k tokens). It's full. That's why TG messages aren't getting responses — the context is too large for the model to process.

Fix it by clearing the main session:

bash
openclaw sessions prune --agent main --session main
Or if that doesn't work:

bash
openclaw sessions clear main
Paste the output. This will reset the main session so TG messages can be processed again.

tranquil laurelBOT Apr 15, 2026, 5:27 PM

#

I’m verifying those exact CLI commands before I tell you to run them. I’m a little suspicious they’re invented.

#

I checked the docs, and those two CLI commands look made up.

I would not run:

openclaw sessions prune --agent main --session main
openclaw sessions clear main

What’s true in Claude’s answer

The diagnosis might be partly right:

a session sitting at 93% context can absolutely cause slow replies, compaction pain, and “stuck” behavior

That matches the compaction timeout logs you pasted earlier.

But the supported fixes are these

#

For the current chat/session

In Telegram:

/compact

or for a clean slate:

/new

/compact = summarize older history
/new = fresh session for future turns

To inspect sessions from CLI

#

openclaw sessions --verbose

For store maintenance

openclaw sessions cleanup --dry-run
openclaw sessions cleanup --enforce

That is the documented cleanup command, not sessions clear.

My recommendation

For your case, the safest next move is:

stop the looping cron/poller

#

send /new in Telegram
restart with a smaller normalized payload, not raw browser/session dump

Docs:

So basically: Claude’s symptom read may be right, but the commands are wrong.

brisk tree Apr 15, 2026, 5:30 PM

#

🦞 OpenClaw 2026.3.8 (3caab92) — Shell yeah—I'm here to pinch the toil and leave you the glory.

Session store: /root/.openclaw/agents/main/sessions/sessions.json
Sessions listed: 612
Kind Key Age Model Tokens (ctx %) Flags
direct agent:main:cron:...2c5d36 just now gpt-5.4 9.0k/272k (3%) system id:7a95f521-85b2-47b8-90c9-9c3652b94b48
direct agent:main:cron:...b94b48 just now gpt-5.4 9.0k/272k (3%) system id:7a95f521-85b2-47b8-90c9-9c3652b94b48
direct agent:main:cron:...36df3e 1m ago gpt-5.4 9.0k/272k (3%) system id:cb6f2a4f-8491-4128-a169-e0c0be36df3e
direct agent:main:main 2m ago gpt-5.4 252k/272k (93%) system id:browser-login
direct agent:main:cron:...447c55 2m ago gpt-5.4 9.0k/272k (3%) system id:d7589fe8-67db-4f08-b7fe-bf2d4d447c55
direct agent:main:cron:...e04855 3m ago gpt-5.4 9.0k/272k (3%) system id:237b7967-71b6-4c54-8016-59bea3e04855
direct agent:main:cron:...7e25b0 4m ago gpt-5.4 9.0k/272k (3%) system id:7868ceb7-1d9d-431b-9f82-cfdbe07e25b0
direct agent:main:cron:...19ab34 5m ago gpt-5.4 9.0k/272k (3%) system id:4d84fbba-555e-4312-b7be-163c5a19ab34
direct agent:m

tranquil laurelBOT Apr 15, 2026, 5:30 PM

#

Yep, this is finally pretty clear.

You have two separate problems:

1. Your main session is bloated

This line is the smoking gun:

direct agent:main:main  2m ago  252k/272k (93%)  system id:browser-login

That main session is basically stuffed, and it’s tied to browser-login, which matches the compaction timeout stuff from earlier.

2. Cron is still actively creating sessions

These lines:

#

direct agent:main:cron:...

mean your poller/automation is still firing and creating fresh cron sessions.

So yes, the loop makes sense.

What I would do right now

A. Kill the cron/poller

openclaw cron list
openclaw cron remove <jobId>

B. Reset the main Telegram session

#

In Telegram:

/new

If you want to try keeping history first, use:

/compact

but honestly at 93%, I’d just use /new.

C. Optional cleanup of the session store

You have 612 sessions, which is a lot. Not the immediate bug, but worth cleaning later:

#

openclaw sessions cleanup --dry-run
openclaw sessions cleanup --enforce

My read

cron is causing the repeated re-triggers
main session is too full to behave reliably
browser-login content probably polluted the main session

So the shortest recovery path is:

remove cron
send /new
test Telegram again
only then rebuild the X→TG pipeline with dedupe

#

If you paste openclaw cron list, I can tell you exactly which job to remove.

brisk tree Apr 15, 2026, 5:48 PM

#

If we do send /new does it loose the whole context of whatever is done so far I had a lot it chat with that TG bot

tranquil laurelBOT Apr 15, 2026, 5:48 PM

#

Not exactly, but for future turns, yes, mostly.

What `/new` does

starts a fresh session
old transcript is not deleted
but the bot stops using that old chat context going forward

So:

history still exists on disk
active working context is reset

If you don’t want to lose the useful stuff

Best order is:

Option 1, safer

#

/compact

That tells OpenClaw to summarize older context so you keep the important bits in a smaller form.

Option 2, if it’s still cursed

/new

That gives you a clean slate.

My recommendation for your case

Since your session is at 93%, I’d try:

#

/compact
test once
if it still loops or stalls, then /new

Important nuance

/new does not mean “erase everything forever”
It means “stop carrying all that old context into the next turn”

So the transcript isn’t gone, but the bot won’t keep dragging that huge history around.

If you want, I can help you do the least-destructive recovery path here, basically:

stop cron
/compact
test
only /new if still broken.

brisk tree Apr 16, 2026, 11:40 AM

#

when I type /new in telehram no response but on the vps where opeclaw is instealled I can see

1:34:35 [health-monitor] started (interval: 300s, startup-grace: 60s, channel-connect-grace: 120s)
11:34:35 [gateway] agent model: openai/gpt-5.4
11:34:35 [gateway] listening on ws://127.0.0.1:18789, ws://[::1]:18789 (PID 1323538)
11:34:35 [gateway] log file: /tmp/openclaw/openclaw-2026-04-16.log
11:34:35 [gateway] removed stale session lock: /root/.openclaw/agents/main/sessions/66f2a996-fd6b-4a18-ade2-5d933a02d317.jsonl.lock (dead-pid, too-old)
11:34:35 [browser/server] Browser control listening on http://redacted/ (auth=token)
11:34:35 [telegram] [default] starting provider (@redacted)
11:34:36 [telegram] autoSelectFamily=true (default-node22)
11:34:36 [telegram] global undici dispatcher autoSelectFamily=true
11:34:36 [telegram] dnsResultOrder=ipv4first (default-node22)

tranquil laurelBOT Apr 16, 2026, 11:40 AM

#

That log only shows gateway startup, not that Telegram is actually connected or that /new was received.

A few important bits:

removed stale session lock is fine, not the problem
starting provider just means Telegram is booting
the snippet does not show:
- Telegram connected/ready
- Telegram receiving your /new
- any reply dispatch

So right now I don’t think /new is the issue. I think Telegram updates still are not flowing cleanly.

Next check

Run this on the VPS:

#

openclaw channels status --probe

And in another terminal:

openclaw logs --follow

Then send /new again from Telegram.

What I want to know

When you send /new, do you see any Telegram log line at all?

If yes

#

Then the message is reaching OpenClaw, and the problem is in session handling / reply flow.

If no

Then Telegram polling/webhook is not actually connected, even though the provider “started”.

My read so far

This still looks more like:

gateway starts
Telegram provider begins startup
Telegram never fully becomes usable, or keeps flaking
so /new never gets processed

Given your earlier logs, the VPS Telegram networking is still suspicious too.

If you paste the output of:

#

openclaw channels status --probe

I can tell you pretty quickly whether this is:

Telegram transport broken
slash command not being received
session stuck after receipt

brisk tree Apr 16, 2026, 5:25 PM

#

How would you setup to read email with open claw so that it can read my emails and reply to it

tranquil laurelBOT Apr 16, 2026, 5:26 PM

#

I’m checking the current email docs so I can tell you the cleanest supported setup instead of hand-waving.

#

I found the Gmail hook docs, and I’m also checking the “read first, send later” guidance so I can recommend the safest setup.

#

If it’s Gmail, I’d set it up in 2 phases.

Phase 1, safest

Read emails + draft replies, but do not auto-send

That’s the sweet spot at first.

Flow:

Gmail arrives
OpenClaw reads/summarizes it
OpenClaw drafts a reply
Draft goes to Telegram/Discord
You approve or edit
Then it sends

This avoids the “agent emailed the wrong thing” disaster.

#

Docs support for Gmail is here:

Gmail setup path

The supported Gmail hook path is:

openclaw webhooks gmail setup --account you@example.com
openclaw webhooks gmail run --account you@example.com

Or configure hooks.gmail in openclaw.json so the gateway auto-starts the Gmail watcher on boot.

The docs show a config like:

#

hooks.gmail.account
hooks.gmail.topic
hooks.gmail.subscription
hooks.gmail.hookUrl
hooks.gmail.includeBody
hooks.gmail.maxBytes

Docs:

How I would design it

Tier 1

read inbox
summarize thread
classify: urgent / routine / noise

#

draft reply
send draft to Telegram for approval

Tier 2

after that works well, add send permission
let “Approve & Send” actually send the email

What I would not do first

I would not start with “read + auto-reply to all email” on day one.

Email is way riskier than chat:

wrong tone
wrong recipient
replying to spam/noise
prompt injection inside inbound mail

My recommendation

#

If you want the most reliable setup:

Gmail Pub/Sub hook for ingestion
Telegram for approval
send only after approval
keep a per-thread state machine:
- new
- drafted
- approved
- sent
- closed

If you’re not on Gmail, tell me your provider:

Gmail
Outlook / Microsoft 365
IMAP / SMTP custom

#

and I’ll tell you the cleanest OpenClaw setup for that one.

brisk tree Apr 16, 2026, 5:35 PM

#

I’m in gmail what do you need to set that up?

tranquil laurelBOT Apr 16, 2026, 5:36 PM

#

I’m grabbing the Gmail hook prerequisites so I can give you the exact checklist, and also what not to paste publicly here.

#

Nice, Gmail is the easiest path here.

What I need from you is mostly choices + environment info, not secrets in this thread.

Tell me these 5 things

Personal Gmail or Google Workspace?
Do you want:
- read + draft only
- read + draft + manual approve/send
- full auto-reply
Where should drafts/approvals go?
- Telegram
- Discord
- somewhere else
Is your OpenClaw gateway reachable by HTTPS, or are you using Tailscale?
Gmail Pub/Sub needs a hook endpoint.

#

Do you already have a Google Cloud project, or do you want the simplest setup from scratch?

What you’ll need locally, but do not paste here

your Gmail address
Google OAuth client credentials / client_secret.json
any tokens
any Pub/Sub push tokens / webhook tokens

Just tell me whether you have them already, not the actual values.

The clean setup I’d recommend

For you, I’d start with:

Gmail Pub/Sub hook for incoming mail
OpenClaw drafts replies

#

Telegram approval
only later enable actual send

That is way safer than instant auto-send.

The minimal checklist

You’ll likely need:

gog authenticated for Gmail
a Google Cloud project
a Pub/Sub topic + subscription
openclaw webhooks gmail setup --account you@gmail.com
openclaw webhooks gmail run --account you@gmail.com

Docs:

https://docs.openclaw.ai/cli/webhooks

#Openclaw with X Api

Recommended setup

1. Put the browser on a node, not on the VPS

2. Start a real browser there, and log into X manually

3. Use the browser for reads

4. Use the official X API for replies

5. The practical loop

My honest recommendation

Main cons

What I’d recommend instead

What your status output says

Next things I’d run

Fix

Basic logic

Important checks

Best practice

My guess

First fixes to try

1. Start a fresh session

2. Keep browser-login separate

3. Check channel health anyway

Practical recommendation

Most likely causes

What I would fix first

A. Add real dedupe

B. Ignore your own Telegram messages

C. Separate the flows

D. Check you don’t have duplicate workers

My honest guess

In your Telegram chat

If it still keeps sending after that

Then when you restart

My practical recommendation

How to stop the poller

If it’s an OpenClaw heartbeat

If it’s an OpenClaw cron job

If it’s your own custom script

Best quick-fix combo

What I’d do next

What I’m expecting

My current read

Quick fix

remove it completely

or keep the job but stop delivery

Translation of that log line

Two useful takeaways

1. Gateway is up

2. Heartbeat is on

What I’d check next

What I’d do

Why

Translation of the log

Important distinction

Not the real cause

More likely real cause

So yes, the pipeline is “stuck”

What should happen after first alert

Quick fix

My blunt diagnosis

What’s true in Claude’s answer

But the supported fixes are these

For the current chat/session

To inspect sessions from CLI

For store maintenance

My recommendation

1. Your main session is bloated

2. Cron is still actively creating sessions

What I would do right now

A. Kill the cron/poller

B. Reset the main Telegram session

C. Optional cleanup of the session store

My read

What /new does

If you don’t want to lose the useful stuff

Option 1, safer

Option 2, if it’s still cursed

My recommendation for your case

Important nuance

Next check

What I want to know

What `/new` does