Chapter 4: Chat Platform Integration

After completing this chapter, you'll be able to chat with the lobster on your phone.

AutoClaw users: Scan the QR code in Lark to complete integration — you can skip this chapter.

0. Which Chat Platforms Are Supported?

OpenClaw supports almost all mainstream chat applications, with text messaging available across all channels.

Channel	Description	Installation
Feishu / Lark	WebSocket persistent connection; preferred for enterprise collaboration	Built-in
WeChat	WorkBuddy bridge; personal accounts / WeCom	Plugin
QQ	QQ Open Platform Bot API	Plugin
WhatsApp	Most popular globally; Baileys library, requires QR pairing	Built-in
Telegram	Bot API (grammY); supports group chats, most open API	Built-in
Discord	Bot API + Gateway; servers, channels, direct messages	Built-in
Slack	Bolt SDK; workspace apps	Built-in
Signal	signal-cli; privacy-focused	Built-in
Google Chat	Google Chat API; HTTP webhook	Built-in
iMessage	BlueBubbles (recommended) or legacy imsg CLI	Built-in
IRC	Classic IRC server; channels + direct messages	Built-in
WebChat	Built-in web chat interface in the Gateway	Built-in
LINE	LINE Messaging API	Plugin
Matrix	Matrix open protocol	Plugin
Mattermost	Bot API + WebSocket	Plugin
Microsoft Teams	Bot Framework; enterprise support	Plugin
Nostr	Decentralized protocol NIP-04	Plugin
Twitch	IRC connection	Plugin
Zalo	Zalo Bot API (Vietnam)	Plugin

Can multiple platforms be connected at the same time?

Yes. OpenClaw automatically routes messages by source — use Feishu for work and Telegram as a personal assistant, all sharing the same AI brain.

This chapter uses Feishu as the example — it's the preferred platform for office use in China, with deep integration for documents, calendars, and multi-dimensional tables. Telegram is simpler to configure but requires a proxy in mainland China.

1. Prerequisites

Completed the installation in Chapter 2 (openclaw status shows normal)
A Feishu account (personal account is fine; no enterprise admin permissions required)

2. Create a Feishu App

Step 1: Log in to the Feishu Open Platform

Visit the Feishu Open Platform and log in with your Feishu account.

Feishu Open Platform homepage

Using the international Lark version?

Visit Lark Open Platform and set domain: "lark" in the subsequent configuration.

Step 2: Create an Enterprise Custom App

Click "Create Enterprise Custom App", fill in the name (e.g., "OpenClaw Assistant") and description, then click "Create".

Step 3: Obtain App Credentials

Go to "Credentials & Basic Info", copy the App ID (format: cli_xxx) and App Secret, and save them securely.

Feishu app credentials page

Step 4: Enable Bot Capability

Go to "Add App Capabilities" → "Bot" and click "Add".

Add app capabilities page

This step must be done first: Otherwise, when importing permissions in the next step, messaging-related permissions cannot be enabled.

Step 5: Configure Permissions

Go to "Permission Management", click "Batch Import", and paste the following JSON:

Feishu permission management page

json

{
  "scopes": {
    "tenant": [
      "application:application:self_manage",
      "application:bot.menu:write",
      "cardkit:card:read",
      "cardkit:card:write",
      "contact:contact.base:readonly",
      "contact:user.employee_id:readonly",
      "docs:document.content:read",
      "docx:document:readonly",
      "event:ip_list",
      "im:chat",
      "im:chat.members:bot_access",
      "im:chat:read",
      "im:chat:update",
      "im:message",
      "im:message.group_at_msg:readonly",
      "im:message.group_msg",
      "im:message.p2p_msg:readonly",
      "im:message.pins:read",
      "im:message.pins:write_only",
      "im:message.reactions:read",
      "im:message.reactions:write_only",
      "im:message:readonly",
      "im:message:recall",
      "im:message:send_as_bot",
      "im:message:send_multi_users",
      "im:message:send_sys_msg",
      "im:message:update",
      "im:resource",
      "sheets:spreadsheet",
      "wiki:wiki:readonly"
    ],
    "user": [
      "base:app:copy",
      "base:app:create",
      "base:app:read",
      "base:app:update",
      "base:field:create",
      "base:field:delete",
      "base:field:read",
      "base:field:update",
      "base:record:create",
      "base:record:delete",
      "base:record:retrieve",
      "base:record:update",
      "base:table:create",
      "base:table:delete",
      "base:table:read",
      "base:table:update",
      "base:view:read",
      "base:view:write_only",
      "board:whiteboard:node:create",
      "board:whiteboard:node:read",
      "calendar:calendar.event:create",
      "calendar:calendar.event:delete",
      "calendar:calendar.event:read",
      "calendar:calendar.event:reply",
      "calendar:calendar.event:update",
      "calendar:calendar.free_busy:read",
      "calendar:calendar:read",
      "contact:contact.base:readonly",
      "contact:user.base:readonly",
      "contact:user.employee_id:readonly",
      "contact:user:search",
      "docs:document.comment:create",
      "docs:document.comment:read",
      "docs:document.comment:update",
      "docs:document.media:download",
      "docs:document:copy",
      "docx:document:create",
      "docx:document:readonly",
      "docx:document:write_only",
      "drive:drive.metadata:readonly",
      "drive:file:download",
      "drive:file:upload",
      "im:chat.members:read",
      "im:chat:read",
      "im:message",
      "im:message.group_msg:get_as_user",
      "im:message.p2p_msg:get_as_user",
      "im:message:readonly",
      "offline_access",
      "search:docs:read",
      "search:message",
      "space:document:delete",
      "space:document:move",
      "space:document:retrieve",
      "task:comment:read",
      "task:comment:write",
      "task:task:read",
      "task:task:write",
      "task:task:writeonly",
      "task:tasklist:read",
      "task:tasklist:write",
      "wiki:node:copy",
      "wiki:node:create",
      "wiki:node:move",
      "wiki:node:read",
      "wiki:node:retrieve",
      "wiki:space:read",
      "wiki:space:retrieve",
      "wiki:space:write_only"
    ]
  }
}

This permission bundle covers the full set of capabilities including messaging, cloud documents, multi-dimensional tables, calendar, and tasks.

What do these permissions do?

Permission Category	Representative Permissions	Purpose
App Management (application:)	`application:application:self_manage`, `application:bot.menu:write`	App self-management, bot menu configuration
Message Cards (cardkit:)	`cardkit:card:read`, `cardkit:card:write`	Read and write message cards
Messaging (im:)	`im:message`, `im:message:send_as_bot`, `im:resource`	Send and receive messages, images, files
Group Chat (im:chat)	`im:chat`, `im:chat.members:bot_access`	Group chat management, member access
Contacts (contact:)	`contact:user.base:readonly`, `contact:user.employee_id:readonly`	Retrieve basic user information
Cloud Documents (docx:/docs:)	`docx:document:create`, `docs:document.content:read`	Create and read Feishu documents
Spreadsheets (sheets:)	`sheets:spreadsheet`	Operate Feishu spreadsheets
Multi-dimensional Tables (base:)	`base:record:create`, `base:table:read`	Operate multi-dimensional table data
Calendar (calendar:)	`calendar:calendar.event:create`, `calendar:calendar.event:read`	Manage calendar events
Tasks (task:)	`task:task:read`, `task:task:write`	Create and manage Feishu tasks
Wiki (wiki:)	`wiki:node:read`, `wiki:wiki:readonly`	Read and write the Feishu knowledge base
Cloud Storage (drive:/space:)	`drive:file:upload`, `drive:file:download`	Upload and download files
Whiteboard (board:)	`board:whiteboard:node:create`, `board:whiteboard:node:read`	Read and write Feishu whiteboards
Search (search:)	`search:docs:read`, `search:message`	Search documents and messages
Events (event:)	`event:ip_list`	Event push IP allowlist

If you only need basic chat functionality, the minimum required permissions are: im:message, im:message.p2p_msg:readonly, im:message.group_at_msg:readonly, im:message:send_as_bot, and im:resource. However, importing the full permission set is recommended for the best experience.

After importing, click "Apply for Authorization" to confirm. Enterprise admins can approve directly; otherwise, contact your admin for review.

Step 6: Publish the App

Go to "Version Management & Publishing", click "Create Version", fill in the version number, and submit the publishing request. The app takes effect once approved by the admin (you can approve it yourself if you are the admin).

Version management and publishing page

3. Add the Feishu Channel in OpenClaw

Return to your terminal and run:

bash

openclaw channels add

Select "Feishu/Lark", enter the App ID and App Secret, and keep the rest as defaults. After adding, restart the gateway:

bash

openclaw gateway restart
openclaw gateway status

Confirm that the feishu channel status in the output shows connected.

Equivalent CLI command (recommended)

Don't want to use the interactive wizard? You can do it in one line:

bash

openclaw channels add --channel feishu --token "cli_xxx:your_app_secret"
openclaw gateway restart

Not recommended to edit the config file directly — manually editing JSON is prone to missing commas or brackets, which causes configuration parsing failures. Always prefer CLI commands.

3.5 Configure Event Subscriptions

This step must be performed after the previous step (adding the channel + starting the gateway). Feishu performs a real-time check for WebSocket connections when saving persistent connection settings — if the OpenClaw gateway is not running, Feishu will report an "Application connection information not detected" error and will not save.

Return to the Feishu Open Platform and go to "Events & Callbacks" → "Event Configuration":

Events and callbacks page

Select "Use persistent connection to receive events"
Add event: im.message.receive_v1

Why use a persistent connection instead of a Webhook?

Webhooks require a public IP address. A persistent connection (WebSocket) has OpenClaw actively connect to Feishu — no public IP, no domain name, and it works on a home network.

4. Pairing and First Conversation

Find your bot in Feishu and send "Hello". The bot will reply with an 8-character pairing code:

Feishu pairing code prompt interface

Why is pairing required?

To prevent strangers from abusing your bot — every conversation consumes your API quota. When a new user sends their first message, they receive a pairing code. They can only have a normal conversation after you approve them. Pairing codes expire after 1 hour.

Approve in the terminal:

bash

openclaw pairing approve feishu <pairing-code>

For example: openclaw pairing approve feishu 6KKG7C7K. You can also click Approve in the web dashboard (openclaw dashboard).

Once paired, the lobster in Feishu will respond to you. Try:

Hello, please introduce yourself

5. Using in Group Chats

Add the bot to a Feishu group and @mention the bot to trigger a reply.

Group chat access control

OpenClaw controls group chat behavior via groupPolicy:

Policy	Behavior
`"open"`	Allow all group chats; still requires @mention to reply
`"allowlist"`	Only allow groups on the allowlist (default)
`"disabled"`	Disable all group chat messages

Configuration examples:

bash

# Allow all group chats
openclaw config set channels.feishu.groupPolicy "open"

# Set a specific group to reply without requiring @mention
openclaw config set channels.feishu.groups.<group-id>.requireMention false

Each group in a group chat has its own independent conversation — group conversations do not affect your private chat history with the bot.

Direct message access policy (dmPolicy)

dmPolicy controls who can use your bot via direct message:

Policy	Behavior
`"pairing"`	Default. New users require pairing code approval
`"allowlist"`	Only allow users in the `allowFrom` list
`"open"`	Allow everyone (requires setting `"*"` in `allowFrom`)
`"disabled"`	Disable direct messages

6. Troubleshooting

Event subscription fails to save?

First confirm the gateway is running (openclaw gateway status). Persistent connection mode requires the gateway to be online for registration.

Bot not replying?

Troubleshoot in order:

openclaw status — Is the gateway running?
openclaw pairing list feishu — Has pairing been completed?
openclaw logs --follow — View real-time logs to locate the error
openclaw gateway restart — Restart and retry

Permission review rejected?

If you are the admin, go to the Feishu Admin Console → "Workplace" → "App Review", find the app, and click "Approve".

App review page

Configuration changes not taking effect?

Run openclaw gateway restart. For more configuration options, see Appendix G.

@mentioned the bot in a group chat but no response?

Check whether groupPolicy is set to "disabled" or "allowlist" (the latter requires adding the group ID to the allowlist).

Chapter 4: Chat Platform Integration ​

0. Which Chat Platforms Are Supported? ​

1. Prerequisites ​

2. Create a Feishu App ​

Step 1: Log in to the Feishu Open Platform ​

Step 2: Create an Enterprise Custom App ​

Step 3: Obtain App Credentials ​

Step 4: Enable Bot Capability ​

Step 5: Configure Permissions ​

Step 6: Publish the App ​

3. Add the Feishu Channel in OpenClaw ​

3.5 Configure Event Subscriptions ​

4. Pairing and First Conversation ​

5. Using in Group Chats ​

6. Troubleshooting ​

Chapter 4: Chat Platform Integration

0. Which Chat Platforms Are Supported?

1. Prerequisites

2. Create a Feishu App

Step 1: Log in to the Feishu Open Platform

Step 2: Create an Enterprise Custom App

Step 3: Obtain App Credentials

Step 4: Enable Bot Capability

Step 5: Configure Permissions

Step 6: Publish the App

3. Add the Feishu Channel in OpenClaw

3.5 Configure Event Subscriptions

4. Pairing and First Conversation

5. Using in Group Chats

6. Troubleshooting