How to connect OpenClaw to Discord, step by step

By the serverserv team · 8 min read · Updated 22 October 2026

OpenClaw connects to Discord as a bot, so your agent can answer you in DMs and in your server's channels. You create an application in the Discord Developer Portal, switch on one intent, invite the bot, and give OpenClaw the token. Setup takes about 15 minutes. This guide covers each step, how to limit the bot to the right server and channels, and the errors people hit most.

Before you start

• OpenClaw installed, with a model provider such as Anthropic, OpenAI, Google or OpenRouter.
• A machine that stays on. The bot only replies while the OpenClaw gateway runs, so most people use a small server. See OpenClaw VPS requirements.
• A Discord server where you can add bots (you need the Manage Server permission).

Step 1: Create the Discord application and bot

1. Open the Discord Developer Portal and click New Application. Name it, for example "OpenClaw".
2. Open Bot in the sidebar and set the bot's username.
3. Click Reset Token and copy the token. On a new bot this simply creates the first token. Keep it private: anyone with it controls your bot.

Step 2: Turn on the intents

On the same Bot page, under Privileged Gateway Intents:

• Message Content Intent: required. Without it the bot cannot read normal messages in your server.
• Server Members Intent: recommended. It lets OpenClaw match people and roles for allowlists.
• Presence Intent: optional; only needed if you use presence updates.

Step 3: Invite the bot to your server

1. Go to OAuth2, then OAuth2 URL Generator.
2. Tick the scopes bot and applications.commands.
3. Under bot permissions, tick View Channels, Send Messages, Read Message History, Embed Links and Attach Files. Add Send Messages in Threads if the agent will reply in threads, and Add Reactions if you like.
4. Open the generated link, pick your server and click Continue.

Then turn on Developer Mode in Discord (User Settings, then Developer) so you can right-click to copy your server ID and your own user ID. You will need both to lock the bot down later. To DM the bot, allow direct messages from server members in the server's Privacy Settings; you can turn this off again after pairing.

Step 4: Add the token to OpenClaw

Keep the token out of chat and config files by setting it as an environment variable on the server:

export DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN="your-bot-token"

Create a small file, discord.patch.json5, that turns on Discord and points at that variable:

{ channels: { discord: { enabled: true, token: { source: "env", provider: "default", id: "DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN" }, }, }, }

Check it, apply it and start the gateway:

openclaw config patch --file ./discord.patch.json5 --dry-run openclaw config patch --file ./discord.patch.json5 openclaw gateway

If OpenClaw runs as a background service, install or restart the service from a shell where DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN is set, or put the variable in ~/.openclaw/.env so the service always sees it.

Step 5: Approve your first DM

Discord DMs use pairing by default, so nobody can use your agent until you approve them. Send your bot a direct message, then approve the request on the server:

openclaw pairing list discord openclaw pairing approve discord <CODE>

Message the bot again and your agent replies. Check the connection any time with openclaw channels status --probe.

Limiting who and where

Your agent can act for you, so keep it to the people and places you choose:

Setting	What it controls
channels.discord.dmPolicy	DMs: pairing (default), allowlist, open or disabled
channels.discord.allowFrom	Who may DM the agent when using an allowlist
channels.discord.groupPolicy	Server channels: allowlist (the safe default), open or disabled
channels.discord.guilds	Which servers are allowed, by server ID; a channels list inside a server limits it to those channels; users and roles limit who can trigger it
requireMention	Set on a server or channel entry so the agent only answers when mentioned
channels.discord.allowBots	Set to false or "mentions" to stop other bots triggering endless loops

Use IDs rather than names. Name matching is off by default for good reason: names can be changed by anyone. Keep the server itself patched, as in our Linux VPS security guide.

Troubleshooting

• "Used disallowed intents", or the bot sees no server messages: turn on Message Content Intent (and Server Members Intent if you use roles), then restart the gateway.
• Messages in your server are ignored: with groupPolicy on allowlist, your server ID must be listed under channels.discord.guilds. If that server has a channels list, only those channels work. Also check whether requireMention is on.
• DMs do nothing: the sender may be waiting for pairing approval, or DMs are disabled in dmPolicy.
• Gateway timeout warnings at startup: usually a slow or blocked connection to Discord. A server in a proper data centre with a stable connection avoids most of these.
• Still stuck: run openclaw doctor, then openclaw logs --follow while you send a message, and read the skip reason.

Using other chat apps too? See our guides for Telegram and WhatsApp. One agent can answer on all of them.

Questions

Sources

• OpenClaw Docs: Discord
• OpenClaw Docs: Discord setup
• OpenClaw Docs: Discord access control
• OpenClaw Docs: Discord troubleshooting
• Discord Developer Portal