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January 28, 2026
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What is OpenClaw?

OpenClaw (prev. Clawdbot) is an open-source AI Agent gateway that bridges popular messaging platforms with AI models. It allows you to chat with AI assistants directly from your favorite messaging apps.

Multi-Platform Support

WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, iMessage, and more via plugins

AI Agent Bridge

Connect to coding agents like Pi with RPC mode and tool streaming

Multi-Agent Routing

Route different accounts to isolated agents with separate workspaces

MiniMax Integration

Native support for MiniMax M2.1 as a model provider
With OpenClaw and MiniMax M2.1, you can create a powerful AI assistant accessible from your pocket - just send a message and get intelligent responses anywhere, anytime.

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Quick Start

This guide will walk you through setting up OpenClaw with Telegram and MiniMax M2.1.

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Prerequisites

  • A Telegram account (phone number required)
  • A MiniMax Coding Plan subscription or Pay-as-you-go API Key
  • A computer with terminal access (macOS, Linux, or Windows with WSL)

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Part 1: Create a Telegram Bot

1

Open Telegram

Create a Telegram account if you don’t have one (phone number required).
2

Find BotFather

Search and select @BotFather in Telegram. This is the official bot for creating and managing Telegram bots.Find BotFather
3

Create Your Bot

Send /newbot to BotFather, then:
  • Choose your bot’s display name
  • Choose your bot’s username (must be unique and end with “bot”)
  • Save the bot token - you’ll need it later!
Create bot
4

Find UserInfoBot

Search and select @userinfobot in Telegram.Find UserInfoBot
5

Get Your Telegram ID

Send /start to @userinfobot. Save your Telegram ID for later use.Get Telegram ID

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Part 2: Install and Configure openclaw

1

Install openclaw

Run the following command in your terminal:
curl -fsSL https://openclaw.bot/install.sh | bash
2

Start Setup Wizard

When prompted, select “Yes” to start the setup wizard.Select Yes
3

Select QuickStart Mode

Select QuickStart
4

Select MiniMax Provider

When asked to choose a model provider, select “MiniMax”.Select MiniMax
5

Select MiniMax M2.1 Model

Select M2.1
6

Enter API Key

Enter your MiniMax Coding Plan API Key. You can get it from Coding Plan Dashboard.Enter API Key
7

Confirm Model Selection

Select “Keep current (minimax/MiniMax-M2.1)” to confirm your model choice.Confirm model
8

Select Telegram Channel

Choose “Telegram (Bot API)” as your messaging channel.Select Telegram
9

Enter Bot Token

Enter the Telegram Bot token you saved from BotFather in Part 1.Enter bot token
10

Confirm Installation

Select “Yes” when asked to confirm.Confirm
11

Select Package Manager

Select “npm” as the package manager.Select npm
12

Select Skills

Select any additional skills you wish to install (optional, use space to select).Select skills
13

Configure API Keys

Configure additional API keys for tools that openclaw can use (optional).Configure API keys
14

Skip Additional Config

Select “Skip for now” if you don’t want to configure additional tools.Skip for now
15

Open Web UI

Select “Open the Web UI” to access the openclaw dashboard.Open Web UI

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Part 3: Connect to Your Bot

1

Find Your Bot

In Telegram, search and select the bot you created in Part 1.Find your bot
2

Start the Bot

Send /start to your bot. You should receive a message containing a pairing code.Start bot
3

Approve Pairing

In your terminal, run the following command (replace <code> with the pairing code from the message):
clawdbot pairing approve telegram <code>
4

Verify Connection

You should see a success message in both the terminal and Telegram.SuccessSuccess

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Start Chatting!

Congratulations! Your AI assistant is now ready. You can start chatting with MiniMax M2.1 directly in Telegram.
Your openclaw-powered assistant can help you with:
  • Answering questions and providing information
  • Writing and editing text
  • Coding assistance and debugging
  • Creative tasks and brainstorming
  • And much more!

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Summary

In this tutorial, you learned how to:
  • Create a Telegram Bot using BotFather
  • Install and configure openclaw with MiniMax M2.1 as the AI provider
  • Connect your bot to enable AI-powered conversations
With openclaw and MiniMax M2.1, you now have a personal AI assistant accessible from anywhere through Telegram. The combination of openclaw’s flexible gateway architecture and MiniMax M2.1’s powerful capabilities creates a seamless AI experience on your favorite messaging platform.

openclaw Documentation

Official openclaw Docs

MiniMax M2.1

Model Introduction

Coding Plan

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