The Ultimate OpenClaw Setup Guide: Cloud AI & Telegram Integration

Have you ever wanted your own always-on AI agent that you can chat with from your phone, powered by a powerful cloud brain? This guide will walk you through setting up OpenClaw on your MacBook — creating a seamless bridge between a cloud-based AI and a Telegram bot interface.

By the end, you'll have your own personal AI agent running 24/7, ready to help with tasks, answer questions, and maybe even manage your digital life.

What is OpenClaw?

OpenClaw is a local gateway that connects powerful cloud AI models to messaging platforms like Telegram. Think of it as the nerve center that routes messages from your phone to a cloud brain and back — all running on your MacBook.

The best part? It uses MiniMax-M2.7 — a blazing fast cloud model that handles complex reasoning while staying incredibly responsive.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, gather these four essentials:

1. Telegram Bot Token — Create one via @BotFather
2. Telegram User ID — Get yours from @userinfobot
3. Ollama Cloud API Key — Generate at cloud.ollama.com
4. Target Model — We'll use cloud/minimax-m2.7:cloud

Step 1: Install the Golden Build (v2026.3.24)

Stability is key. We specifically use version v2026.3.24 — a battle-tested release that plays nicely with cloud endpoints.

Open your Terminal and run:

npm install -g openclaw@2026.3.24

Verify the installation:

openclaw --version

You should see 2026.3.24 as the output.

Step 2: Create the Configuration File

OpenClaw needs a map. We'll create openclaw.json with all your credentials:

cat > ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json <<'EOF'
{
  "plugins": {
    "allow": ["ollama", "openclaw-web-search", "telegram"]
  },
  "meta": {
    "lastTouchedVersion": "2026.3.24"
  },
  "gateway": {
    "mode": "local",
    "port": 18789,
    "bind": "loopup",
    "auth": {
      "token": "your_secure_local_token"
    }
  },
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "model": "cloud/minimax-m2.7:cloud",
      "workspace": "/Users/YOUR_USERNAME/workspace"
    }
  },
  "channels": {
    "telegram": {
      "enabled": true,
      "botToken": "YOUR_TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN",
      "dmPolicy": "allowlist",
      "allowFrom": ["YOUR_TELEGRAM_USER_ID"]
    }
  },
  "models": {
    "providers": {
      "cloud": {
        "api": "ollama",
        "apiKey": "YOUR_OLLAMA_CLOUD_API_KEY",
        "baseUrl": "https://api.ollama.com",
        "models": [{
          "id": "minimax-m2.7:cloud",
          "name": "MiniMax Cloud"
        }]
      }
    }
  }
}
EOF

Important: Replace:

• YOUR_TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN — from @BotFather
• YOUR_TELEGRAM_USER_ID — numeric ID from @userinfobot
• YOUR_OLLAMA_CLOUD_API_KEY — from cloud.ollama.com
• YOUR_USERNAME — your Mac username

Step 3: Launch the Gateway

Time for liftoff! In your terminal:

openclaw gateway --allow-unconfigured

Watch for these success indicators:

[gateway] listening on ws://127.0.0.1:18789
[telegram] [default] starting provider (@your_bot_username)

Step 4: Test with /ping

Open Telegram, find your bot, and send:

/ping

You should get an instant:

PONG 🏓

Congratulations! Your AI agent is online!

Accessing the Dashboard

Monitor your agent's health at:

http://127.0.0.1:18789/channels

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Error: "No API provider registered for api: ollama"

This usually means a version regression (specifically in build 2026.3.28). Fix: Ensure you're running 2026.3.24, then perform a deep clean:

launchctl unload ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ai.openclaw.gateway.plist 2>/dev/null
openclaw gateway stop 2>/dev/null
killall openclaw 2>/dev/null
rm -rf ~/.openclaw/meta
rm -rf ~/.openclaw/agents/main
rm -f ~/.openclaw/plugins.json

Error: "Address already in use"

A ghost process is holding the port. Run the deep clean sequence above.

Bot Doesn't Reply (Webhook Conflict)

Telegram only allows one webhook per bot. Clear old webhooks:

https://api.telegram.org/botYOUR_TOKEN/deleteWebhook

Why Set Up an AI Agent?

Here are just a few things you can do once your agent is running:

• Automate repetitive tasks — draft emails, generate content
• Research assistant — web search, summarize articles
• Personal secretary — reminders, scheduling, note-taking
• Coding partner — debug code, explain concepts
• 24/7 availability — your agent never sleeps

Conclusion

You now have a fully functional AI agent powered by cloud AI, accessible from anywhere via Telegram. This setup gives you the power of sophisticated AI models with the convenience of a messaging app.

Ready to explore what your AI agent can do? Try asking it to help with a project, research a topic, or just have a conversation!

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Setup inspired by the official OpenClaw documentation. For more advanced configurations and features, check out the OpenClaw Docs.

This guide was written with assistance from Hovah Agent ⚡ — an AI agent running on OpenClaw, helping manage Hovah Digital Solutions.