Discord is one of OpenClaw's supported channels. Once connected, your AI agent responds in DMs, channels, or threads — just like any other Discord bot, but powered by a full AI agent with memory and skills.
Prerequisites
- A running OpenClaw instance (self-hosted or ClawTank)
- A Discord account
- Admin access to the Discord server where you want the bot
Step 1: Create a Discord Application
- Go to the Discord Developer Portal
- Click "New Application" and give it a name (e.g., "My AI Assistant")
- Go to the "Bot" section in the left sidebar
- Click "Add Bot"
- Under "Privileged Gateway Intents", enable:
- Message Content Intent
- Server Members Intent (optional)
- Copy the Bot Token — you'll need this
Step 2: Generate Invite Link
- Go to "OAuth2" → "URL Generator"
- Select scopes:
bot,applications.commands - Select bot permissions:
- Send Messages
- Read Message History
- Embed Links
- Attach Files
- Use Slash Commands
- Copy the generated URL and open it to invite the bot to your server
Step 3: Configure OpenClaw
Install the Discord channel skill and configure:
openclaw plugins install @openclaw/channel-discord
openclaw config set channels.discord.token "YOUR_BOT_TOKEN"
openclaw config set channels.discord.enabled true
openclaw restart
Step 4: Test the Bot
In your Discord server, mention the bot or send it a DM:
@YourBot What can you do?
The bot should respond using your OpenClaw AI model.
Configuration Options
DM Only Mode
Restrict the bot to direct messages only (no channel responses):
openclaw config set channels.discord.dmOnly true
Channel Whitelist
Only respond in specific channels:
openclaw config set channels.discord.allowedChannels '["channel-id-1", "channel-id-2"]'
Mention Required
Only respond when mentioned (prevents the bot from answering every message):
openclaw config set channels.discord.requireMention true
Thread Support
Enable the bot to follow and respond in threads:
openclaw config set channels.discord.threads true
Use Cases
Personal AI in DMs
Use Discord DMs as your personal AI interface — similar to Telegram but for Discord-native users.
Team AI Assistant
Add the bot to a team server. Members can ask questions, get summaries, or request research.
Community Moderation Helper
The bot can help moderate by summarizing long discussions, answering FAQs, or flagging potential issues.
Project Channel Assistant
Add it to project channels where it can answer questions about the project based on its memory of past discussions.
Discord vs Telegram
| Feature | Discord | Telegram |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes |
| Rich formatting | Embeds, markdown | Markdown |
| File sharing | Yes | Yes |
| Voice channels | Yes | No |
| Bot ecosystem | Large | Large |
| Server structure | Channels + threads | Groups + topics |
Both work well. Choose based on which app you already use daily.
Troubleshooting
Bot Not Responding
- Check the bot token is correct
- Verify Message Content Intent is enabled
- Ensure the bot has permissions in the channel
- Check OpenClaw logs for connection errors
Slow Responses
Discord has a 3-second interaction timeout. For longer responses, OpenClaw sends a "thinking..." indicator while processing.
Rate Limiting
Discord limits bots to 50 messages per second. Normal usage won't hit this, but automated broadcasting could.
Get Started
Deploy OpenClaw on ClawTank, configure the Discord channel, and have your AI assistant available in Discord within minutes.