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Connecting Channels

A channel is a messaging app that ClawDesk can connect to. Once connected, your AI agents can receive and respond to messages on those apps.

Example: Connect your Telegram bot so that when someone messages it, ClawDesk's AI responds automatically.

Supported Channels​

ClawDesk supports 25+ channels. Here are the most popular ones:

ChannelWhat it isSetup difficulty
TelegramPopular messaging app with bot supportEasy
DiscordGaming & community chat platformEasy
SlackTeam communication for workMedium
WhatsAppMost popular messaging app globallyMedium
Web ChatChat widget for your websiteEasy
SignalPrivacy-focused messagingMedium
MatrixOpen-source chat protocolMedium
IRCClassic internet chatEasy
Email (IMAP/SMTP)Email integrationMedium
SMS (Twilio)Text messagesMedium

Setting Up Telegram​

Telegram is the easiest channel to set up. Here's how:

Step 1: Create a Telegram Bot​

  1. Open Telegram and search for @BotFather
  2. Send /newbot
  3. Choose a name for your bot (e.g., "My AI Assistant")
  4. Choose a username (must end in "bot", e.g., "myai_assistant_bot")
  5. BotFather gives you a token — it looks like 123456789:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrsTUVwxyz
  6. Copy this token — you'll need it in ClawDesk

Step 2: Add the Token to ClawDesk​

  1. Click Channels in the left sidebar
  2. Click "Add Channel" or the "+" button
  3. Select Telegram from the list
  4. Paste your bot token
  5. Click Connect

Step 3: Test It​

  1. Open Telegram and find your bot (search for the username you chose)
  2. Send a message like "Hello!"
  3. Your AI should respond!
tip

By default, your Telegram bot uses the default agent. You can change which agent handles Telegram messages in the channel settings.

Setting Up Discord​

Step 1: Create a Discord Bot​

  1. Go to the Discord Developer Portal
  2. Click "New Application" → give it a name → click Create
  3. Go to the Bot tab on the left
  4. Click "Add Bot" → confirm
  5. Under Token, click "Copy" to copy the bot token

Step 2: Set Bot Permissions​

Still in the Developer Portal:

  1. Go to the OAuth2 tab → URL Generator
  2. Under Scopes, check: bot
  3. Under Bot Permissions, check:
    • Send Messages
    • Read Message History
    • Embed Links
    • Attach Files
  4. Copy the generated URL at the bottom
  5. Open that URL in your browser → select your server → click Authorize

Step 3: Add to ClawDesk​

  1. Click Channels in ClawDesk
  2. Click "Add Channel" → select Discord
  3. Paste your bot token
  4. Click Connect

Step 4: Test It​

Go to your Discord server and mention your bot or send it a DM. It should respond!

Setting Up Slack​

Step 1: Create a Slack App​

  1. Go to api.slack.com/apps
  2. Click "Create New App" → choose "From scratch"
  3. Name your app and select your workspace
  4. Under Socket Mode, enable it and create an app-level token with connections:write scope
  5. Under Event Subscriptions, enable events and subscribe to:
    • message.channels
    • message.im
    • app_mention
  6. Under OAuth & Permissions, add these Bot Token Scopes:
    • chat:write
    • channels:history
    • im:history
    • app_mentions:read
  7. Install the app to your workspace
  8. Copy the Bot User OAuth Token (starts with xoxb-...)

Step 2: Add to ClawDesk​

  1. Click Channels in ClawDesk
  2. Click "Add Channel" → select Slack
  3. Enter:
    • Bot Token — the xoxb-... token
    • App Token — the xapp-... token (from Socket Mode)
  4. Click Connect

Step 3: Test It​

Invite your bot to a Slack channel, then mention it with @YourBot hello!

Channel Features​

Each channel supports different features:

FeatureTelegramDiscordSlackWhatsAppWeb Chat
Text messages✅✅✅✅✅
Images✅✅✅✅✅
Files✅✅✅❌✅
Voice messages✅✅❌✅❌
Reply threading✅✅✅✅❌
Reactions✅✅✅✅❌
Group chats✅✅✅✅❌

Routing: Different Agents for Different Channels​

You can set different agents to handle different channels:

  • Telegram → "General Assistant" agent
  • Discord → "Gaming Buddy" agent
  • Slack → "Work Assistant" agent

To configure this:

  1. Go to Channels → select a channel
  2. In the channel settings, choose which agent handles messages
  3. Save

Managing Channels​

Viewing Channel Status​

On the Channels page, each channel shows:

  • Green dot — Connected and running
  • Yellow dot — Connecting or has warnings
  • Red dot — Disconnected or error

Starting and Stopping​

You can start/stop individual channels:

  • Click a channel → Start or Stop
  • Stopping a channel pauses it without deleting the configuration

Editing Settings​

Click a channel to edit its token, agent assignment, or other settings.

Removing a Channel​

Click a channel → Delete. This removes the channel connection but doesn't affect the external app (your Telegram bot still exists, ClawDesk just stops listening).

Security​

  • Tokens are stored locally — Your bot tokens never leave your computer
  • DM Pairing — Optional feature to require users to verify before the bot responds
  • Allowlists — Restrict which users can interact with your bot
  • Content scanning — Automatic scanning of incoming messages for safety

Learn more in Privacy & Security →.

Troubleshooting​

ProblemSolution
Bot doesn't respondCheck the channel status in ClawDesk (should be green). Make sure a provider is configured.
"Invalid token"Re-copy the token from the platform (Telegram BotFather, Discord Developer Portal, etc.)
Bot responds slowlyThis is usually the AI provider's response time, not a channel issue
Can't find bot on platformMake sure you completed all setup steps on the platform side (inviting the bot to a server, etc.)