OpenClaw Home Automation: Control Your Smart Home via Telegram

What if you could control your entire smart home by messaging a Telegram bot? With OpenClaw and the right skills, your AI assistant becomes a natural language interface for every connected device.

Why OpenClaw for Smart Home?

Traditional smart home control means:

• Multiple apps (one per device brand)
• Voice assistants with rigid commands ("Hey Siri, turn off the living room lights")
• Automation apps with complex rule builders

OpenClaw replaces all of that with natural language on Telegram:

"It's movie time — dim the living room, turn on the TV, and set the thermostat to 72."

"I'm leaving for work. Make sure everything is off and lock the front door."

"What's the temperature in the bedroom?"

Supported Integrations

OpenClaw connects to smart home platforms through skills and APIs:

Home Assistant

The most popular option. Home Assistant is an open-source platform that connects to 2,000+ device types.

openclaw plugins install home-assistant
openclaw config set homeAssistant.url "http://your-ha-instance:8123"
openclaw config set homeAssistant.token "YOUR_LONG_LIVED_TOKEN"

MQTT

For direct device communication via MQTT protocol:

openclaw plugins install mqtt-control
openclaw config set mqtt.broker "mqtt://your-broker:1883"

Direct API Calls

Many smart devices have REST APIs. OpenClaw can call them directly:

"Turn off the office light" → API call to Philips Hue bridge

Practical Use Cases

Scene Control

Instead of configuring scenes in 5 different apps:

"Good morning" → lights on at 70%, coffee maker starts, news briefing plays "Movie time" → living room dims, TV on, blinds close "Goodnight" → all lights off, doors locked, alarm armed, thermostat to 68°F

Context-Aware Automation

Because OpenClaw has memory and access to your calendar:

"I have a meeting in 10 minutes" → OpenClaw mutes the TV and turns on the desk light

"It's going to rain today" → OpenClaw reminds you to close the windows before leaving

Security Monitoring

"Show me the front door camera" "Has anyone been at the door today?" "Lock all doors and arm the alarm"

Energy Management

"What's my energy usage today?" "Turn off everything in the guest room — nobody's staying this week" "Set the AC to eco mode when electricity prices are above $0.15/kWh"

Setting Up: The Simple Way

Step 1: Get OpenClaw Running

Deploy on ClawTank for the fastest setup.

Step 2: Install Home Assistant (If You Don't Have It)

Home Assistant runs on a Raspberry Pi, old laptop, or Docker container. It's the bridge between OpenClaw and your devices.

Step 3: Connect OpenClaw to Home Assistant

Install the skill and configure the connection. After that, OpenClaw can see and control all your Home Assistant devices through natural language.

Step 4: Teach It Your Preferences

"When I say 'movie time,' I want: living room lights at 20%, TV on HDMI 2, soundbar on, blinds closed."

OpenClaw remembers and executes this every time.

Tips for a Good Experience

Name Your Devices Clearly

Instead of "Light 1" and "Light 2," use "Living Room Ceiling" and "Bedroom Lamp." OpenClaw understands natural names better.

Start with Simple Commands

Get basic on/off working before building complex scenes. Make sure OpenClaw can reliably control individual devices before combining them.

Use Memory for Routines

Tell OpenClaw your routines once:

"My typical evening: I get home at 6 PM. I like the hallway light on, living room at 50%, and thermostat at 73°F."

Then just say:

"I'm home"

Set Up Safety Rules

"Never turn off the fridge or freezer, even if I say 'turn everything off.'"

The Advantage Over Alexa/Siri/Google

The biggest advantage: you can control your home from anywhere in the world through Telegram, with context-aware AI that understands what you actually mean.

Get Started

Deploy OpenClaw on ClawTank, connect it to Home Assistant, and start controlling your smart home through natural language on Telegram.