{"id":9163,"date":"2026-03-27T11:42:29","date_gmt":"2026-03-27T11:42:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/support\/?p=9163"},"modified":"2026-10-08T08:20:47","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T08:20:47","slug":"how-to-connect-and-troubleshoot-telegram-and-whatsapp-channels-in-openclaw-on-hostinger-vps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/support\/how-to-connect-and-troubleshoot-telegram-and-whatsapp-channels-in-openclaw-on-hostinger-vps\/","title":{"rendered":"How to connect and troubleshoot Telegram and WhatsApp channels in OpenClaw on Hostinger VPS"},"content":{"rendered":"

To connect Telegram and WhatsApp channels to OpenClaw on a Hostinger VPS<\/a>, enter your Telegram bot token or WhatsApp number in the deployment form, or add them later from the Channels page in the OpenClaw dashboard. This guide also covers the status indicators for each channel and fixes for common Telegram and WhatsApp connection issues.<\/span><\/p>

Connecting channels during deployment<\/b><\/h2>

When deploying OpenClaw<\/a> from Hostinger dashboard, you can configure Telegram and WhatsApp directly in the deployment form.<\/span><\/p>

    \n
  1. In Hostinger dashboard, go to <\/span>VPS<\/b> → <\/span>Manage<\/b> → <\/span>OS & Panel<\/b> → <\/span>Operating System <\/b> →<\/span> Docker Application<\/b>.
    \n\"OS
    \n<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Search for <\/span>OpenClaw<\/b> and click <\/span>Deploy<\/b>.
    \n\"OpenClaw
    \n<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Copy the required <\/span>Gateway Token<\/b> field.
    \n
    \n<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. To connect Telegram, enter your bot token in the <\/span>Telegram bot token<\/b> field. You can get this token from @BotFather on Telegram.
    \n\"Configuration
    \n<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. To connect WhatsApp, enter your phone number with country code in the <\/span>WhatsApp number<\/b> field (e.g., <\/span>+1234567890<\/span>).<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Click <\/span>Deploy<\/b>.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>
    The WhatsApp number and Telegram bot token fields are optional. You can leave them empty and connect channels later through the OpenClaw dashboard.<\/span><\/div>

    After deployment, you still need to complete the WhatsApp pairing by scanning a Quick Response (QR) code. See the “Connecting WhatsApp after deployment” section below.<\/span><\/p>

    Connecting Telegram after deployment<\/b><\/h2>

    If you did not add your Telegram bot token during deployment, or want to connect a different bot:<\/span><\/p>

      \n
    1. Open the OpenClaw dashboard by clicking <\/span>Open<\/b> next to your OpenClaw container in Hostinger dashboard.<\/span><\/li>\n
    2. Go to <\/span>Channels<\/b> in the left sidebar
      \n\"OpenClaw
      \n<\/span><\/li>\n
    3. In the Telegram<\/b> section, add your bot token to the OpenClaw configuration.
      \n\"Telegram<\/li>\n
    4. Scroll down, and click <\/span>Save. <\/b>The gateway will restart. Wait for it to finish.<\/span><\/span>\"OpenClaw<\/li>\n<\/ol>

      Once connected, the Telegram section displays the following status indicators:
      \n\"Telegram
      \n<\/span><\/p>

        \n
      • Configured<\/b> – Whether the bot token is set.<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Running<\/b> – Whether the Telegram channel is active.<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Mode<\/b> – The polling method (typically “polling”).<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Last start<\/b> – Time since the channel started.<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Last probe<\/b> – Time since the last health check.<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Probe ok<\/b> – Confirms the channel is responding.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>

        Connecting WhatsApp after deployment<\/b><\/h2>

        OpenClaw connects to WhatsApp using WhatsApp Web. You can use a regular WhatsApp account — WhatsApp Business is not required.<\/span><\/p>

        OpenClaw recommends using a separate phone number for WhatsApp when possible. Personal number setups are supported, but a dedicated number provides better reliability.<\/span><\/div>

        To connect or complete WhatsApp pairing:<\/span><\/p>

          \n
        1. Open the OpenClaw dashboard.<\/span><\/li>\n
        2. Go to <\/span>Channels<\/b> in the left sidebar.<\/span><\/li>\n
        3. In the <\/span>WhatsApp<\/b> section, click <\/span>Show QR<\/b>. A QR code appears.
          \n\"WhatsApp
          \n\"OpenClaw
          \n<\/span><\/li>\n
        4. On your phone, open WhatsApp and go to <\/span>Settings<\/b> → <\/span>Linked Devices<\/b> → <\/span>Link a Device<\/b>.<\/span><\/li>\n
        5. Scan the QR code displayed in the OpenClaw dashboard.<\/span><\/li>\n
        6. Wait for the connection to complete. The status indicators update to show <\/span>Linked: Yes<\/b> and <\/span>Connected: Yes<\/b>.
          \n\"WhatsApp
          \n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>

          The WhatsApp section displays these status indicators:<\/span><\/p>

            \n
          • Configured<\/b> – Whether WhatsApp is set up.<\/span><\/li>\n
          • Linked<\/b> – Whether a WhatsApp account is linked.<\/span><\/li>\n
          • Running<\/b> – Whether the WhatsApp channel is active.<\/span><\/li>\n
          • Connected<\/b> – Whether there is an active connection to WhatsApp servers.<\/span><\/li>\n
          • Last connect<\/b> – Time of the last successful connection.<\/span><\/li>\n
          • Last message<\/b> – Time of the last message received.<\/span><\/li>\n
          • Auth age<\/b> – How long the current authentication has been valid.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>

            Troubleshooting Telegram issues<\/b><\/h2>

            Telegram pairing loop<\/b><\/h3>

            If Telegram keeps sending new pairing codes instead of completing the connection, restart the OpenClaw container.<\/span><\/p>

            Using Hostinger dashboard:<\/b><\/p>

              \n
            1. Go to <\/span>VPS<\/b> → <\/span>Manage<\/b> → <\/span>Docker Containers<\/b> in Hostinger dashboard.<\/span><\/li>\n
            2. Find your OpenClaw container.<\/span><\/li>\n
            3. Click the three-dot menu and select <\/span>Restart<\/b>.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>

              \"\"<\/p>

              Using SSH:<\/b><\/p>

              Run the following command, replacing <\/span>container_name<\/span> with the correct name of your docker container:<\/span><\/p>

              docker restart [container_name]<\/span><\/p>

              Telegram bot does not respond<\/b><\/h3>

              If your Telegram bot is connected but not responding to messages:<\/span><\/p>

                \n
              1. Open the OpenClaw dashboard and check the <\/span>Health<\/b> indicator in the top-right corner. It should display <\/span>Health OK<\/b>.<\/span><\/li>\n
              2. Go to <\/span>Channels<\/b> and verify the Telegram section shows <\/span>Running: Yes<\/b> and <\/span>Probe ok<\/b>.<\/span><\/li>\n
              3. If the probe status shows an error, restart the OpenClaw container using the steps above.
                \n\"OpenClaw
                \n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>

                Troubleshooting WhatsApp issues<\/b><\/h2>

                WhatsApp shows “not linked”<\/b><\/h3>

                If the WhatsApp channel shows <\/span>not linked<\/b> after previously being connected:<\/span><\/p>

                  \n
                1. In the OpenClaw dashboard, go to <\/span>Channels<\/b>.<\/span><\/li>\n
                2. In the WhatsApp section, click <\/span>Logout<\/b> to clear the previous session.<\/span><\/li>\n
                3. Click <\/span>Show QR<\/b> to generate a new QR code.<\/span><\/li>\n
                4. On your phone, go to WhatsApp → <\/span>Settings<\/b> → <\/span>Linked Devices<\/b> → <\/span>Link a Device<\/b> and scan the new QR code.
                  \n\"Account
                  \n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>

                  WhatsApp QR code keeps refreshing<\/b><\/h3>

                  If the QR code refreshes repeatedly without completing the pairing:<\/span><\/p>

                    \n
                  1. On your phone, open WhatsApp and go to <\/span>Settings<\/b> → <\/span>Linked Devices<\/b>.<\/span><\/li>\n
                  2. Log out from all linked devices.<\/span><\/li>\n
                  3. In the OpenClaw dashboard, click <\/span>Logout<\/b> in the WhatsApp section to clear any pending sessions.<\/span><\/li>\n
                  4. Restart the OpenClaw container using Hostinger dashboard or the <\/span>docker restart<\/span> command.<\/span><\/li>\n
                  5. Click <\/span>Show QR<\/b> immediately after the container restarts and scan the code promptly — QR codes expire quickly.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>

                    NOTES<\/b><\/p>

                      \n
                    • WhatsApp pairing requests expire after 1 hour.<\/span><\/li>\n
                    • OpenClaw limits pending pairing requests to 3 per channel. Exceeding this limit can cause pairing loops.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>

                      WhatsApp connection drops frequently<\/b><\/h3>

                      If the WhatsApp connection is unstable:<\/span><\/p>

                        \n
                      1. Keep the phone running WhatsApp connected to the internet (Wi-Fi recommended).<\/span><\/li>\n
                      2. Keep the phone charged to prevent disconnections from battery-saving features.<\/span><\/li>\n
                      3. If you use a personal number, check that no other WhatsApp Web sessions conflict with the OpenClaw connection.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>

                        Troubleshooting Unsupported type issue<\/b><\/h2>

                        If your WhatsApp or Telegram connection display the error <\/span>“Unsupported type: … Use Raw mode.”<\/strong>, you can fix it by following these steps:<\/p>

                          \n
                        1. Install (or upgrade) the plugin oxylabs-ai-studio-openclaw to version 1.0.2<\/li>\n
                        2. Wait until it’s online, and restart the OpenClaw container<\/li>\n
                        3. The integration will work again<\/li>\n<\/ol>

                          Viewing logs<\/b><\/h2>

                          To investigate persistent issues, check the OpenClaw logs:<\/span><\/p>

                            \n
                          1. In Hostinger dashboard, go to <\/span>VPS<\/b> → <\/span>Manage<\/b> → <\/span>Docker Containers<\/b>.
                            \n\"Docker
                            \n<\/span><\/li>\n
                          2. Find your OpenClaw container and click the three-dot menu.<\/span><\/li>\n
                          3. Select <\/span>View logs<\/b>.
                            \n\"Docker
                            \n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>

                            Your Telegram and WhatsApp channels are now ready to use with OpenClaw. Once connected, you can start receiving and responding to messages through your AI assistant.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                            To connect Telegram and WhatsApp channels to OpenClaw on a Hostinger VPS, enter your Telegram bot token or WhatsApp number in the deployment form, or…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":594,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"include_on_kodee":true,"footnotes":""},"categories":[309],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9163","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-openclaw-vps"],"hreflangs":[{"locale":"en-US","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/support\/how-to-connect-and-troubleshoot-telegram-and-whatsapp-channels-in-openclaw-on-hostinger-vps","default":1}],"include_on_kodee":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/support\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9163","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/support\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/support\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/support\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/594"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/support\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9163"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/support\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9163\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19966,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/support\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9163\/revisions\/19966"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/support\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9163"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/support\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9163"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/support\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9163"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}