Chapter 33: Additional Channels

Chapters 7–10 covered the most popular messaging platforms. OpenClaw supports many more — from regional Asian super-apps to self-hosted open-source platforms. This chapter covers every additional channel available, with setup instructions for each.

Channel Overview

OpenClaw supports 25+ channels across two categories:

Built-in channels — bundled with OpenClaw, zero installation required
Plugin channels — installed separately via ClawHub, for platforms that require additional dependencies

Channel	Type	Region / Audience
Matrix	Built-in	Global, tech/privacy community
WebChat	Built-in	Browser-based, any website
IRC	Built-in	Legacy, developer communities
LINE	Plugin	Japan, Thailand, Taiwan
Zalo	Plugin	Vietnam
WeChat	Plugin	China
QQ Bot	Plugin	China
Feishu	Plugin	China (ByteDance enterprise)
BlueBubbles	Plugin	iMessage via Android/server
Mattermost	Plugin	Self-hosted Slack alternative
Nextcloud Talk	Plugin	Self-hosted video/chat
Synology Chat	Plugin	Synology NAS users
Twitch	Plugin	Live streaming chat
Nostr	Plugin	Decentralized, censorship-resistant
Tlon	Plugin	Urbit-based network
Zalo Personal	Plugin	Vietnam (personal accounts)

Matrix

Matrix is a decentralized, end-to-end encrypted messaging protocol. It is popular with privacy-focused communities, European tech companies, and government organizations.

{
  "channels": {
    "matrix": {
      "enabled": true,
      "homeserverUrl": "https://matrix.org",
      "accessToken": "${MATRIX_ACCESS_TOKEN}",
      "userId": "@mybot:matrix.org",
      "respondToDMs": true,
      "respondToRooms": ["!roomId:matrix.org"],
      "encryptionEnabled": true
    }
  }
}

Getting a Matrix Access Token

Create a Matrix account on any homeserver (matrix.org or self-hosted Synapse/Dendrite)
Go to Element → Settings → Help & About → Access Token
Copy the token and add it as MATRIX_ACCESS_TOKEN

Matrix-Specific Features

Rich Approvals: Matrix clients that support structured metadata (like Element) can render enhanced approval dialogs when the agent asks for confirmation
Live Streaming: Tool progress updates stream into Matrix in real time as the agent works
Encrypted rooms: The agent participates in encrypted rooms with full E2EE

WebChat

WebChat embeds an OpenClaw chat interface directly into any website. Users can chat with your agent without installing any app.

{
  "channels": {
    "webchat": {
      "enabled": true,
      "title": "Ask Our AI Assistant",
      "welcomeMessage": "Hello! How can I help you today?",
      "allowAnonymous": true,
      "requireName": false,
      "theme": "light",
      "position": "bottom-right"
    }
  }
}

Embedding the Widget

Add one script tag to your website:

<script
  src="https://your-gateway.com/webchat/widget.js"
  data-gateway="https://your-gateway.com"
  data-workspace="public"
></script>

The chat widget appears as a floating button in the bottom-right corner. Clicking it opens a full chat interface.

WebChat Features

Streaming responses (text appears word by word)
File upload support
Conversation history within the browser session
Mobile-responsive design
PWA-ready (add to home screen)

IRC

For developer communities and legacy systems still on IRC:

{
  "channels": {
    "irc": {
      "enabled": true,
      "server": "irc.libera.chat",
      "port": 6697,
      "tls": true,
      "nick": "my-ai-bot",
      "channels": ["#mychannel"],
      "respondToDirectMessages": true,
      "triggerPrefix": "!ai"
    }
  }
}

The agent responds when its nick is mentioned or a message starts with triggerPrefix.

LINE (Plugin)

LINE is the dominant messaging app in Japan, Thailand, and Taiwan, with 200M+ users.

openclaw hub install @openclaw/line

{
  "channels": {
    "line": {
      "enabled": true,
      "channelAccessToken": "${LINE_CHANNEL_ACCESS_TOKEN}",
      "channelSecret": "${LINE_CHANNEL_SECRET}",
      "webhookPath": "/webhooks/line"
    }
  }
}

Set your webhook URL in the LINE Developers Console:

https://your-gateway.com/webhooks/line

Zalo (Plugin)

Zalo is Vietnam's most popular messaging app with 70M+ users.

openclaw hub install @openclaw/zalo

{
  "channels": {
    "zalo": {
      "enabled": true,
      "appId": "${ZALO_APP_ID}",
      "appSecret": "${ZALO_APP_SECRET}",
      "accessToken": "${ZALO_ACCESS_TOKEN}",
      "oaId": "${ZALO_OA_ID}"
    }
  }
}

WeChat (Plugin)

WeChat integration requires a verified WeChat Official Account (Subscription Account or Service Account).

openclaw hub install @openclaw/wechat

{
  "channels": {
    "wechat": {
      "enabled": true,
      "appId": "${WECHAT_APP_ID}",
      "appSecret": "${WECHAT_APP_SECRET}",
      "token": "${WECHAT_TOKEN}",
      "encodingAesKey": "${WECHAT_AES_KEY}"
    }
  }
}

Note: WeChat Service Accounts require a Chinese business license for registration.

QQ Bot (Plugin)

QQ is China's second-largest messaging platform. The QQ Bot plugin supports group chats with mention-based activation.

openclaw hub install @openclaw/qqbot

{
  "channels": {
    "qqbot": {
      "enabled": true,
      "appId": "${QQ_APP_ID}",
      "appSecret": "${QQ_APP_SECRET}",
      "respondToMentions": true,
      "respondToDMs": true,
      "historyTracking": true
    }
  }
}

Feishu / Lark (Plugin)

Feishu (international name: Lark) is ByteDance's enterprise collaboration platform, dominant in Chinese tech companies.

openclaw hub install @openclaw/feishu

{
  "channels": {
    "feishu": {
      "enabled": true,
      "appId": "${FEISHU_APP_ID}",
      "appSecret": "${FEISHU_APP_SECRET}",
      "verificationToken": "${FEISHU_VERIFICATION_TOKEN}",
      "encryptKey": "${FEISHU_ENCRYPT_KEY}"
    }
  }
}

BlueBubbles (Plugin)

BlueBubbles lets you use iMessage on non-Apple hardware by running a server on a Mac and accessing it remotely. The OpenClaw plugin connects to your BlueBubbles server to receive and send iMessages.

openclaw hub install @openclaw/bluebubbles

{
  "channels": {
    "bluebubbles": {
      "enabled": true,
      "serverUrl": "http://your-mac.local:1234",
      "password": "${BLUEBUBBLES_PASSWORD}",
      "pollInterval": 5000
    }
  }
}

This is the recommended way to add iMessage support on Linux or Windows gateways.

Mattermost (Plugin)

Mattermost is a self-hosted Slack alternative popular with enterprises that need on-premises data control.

openclaw hub install @openclaw/mattermost

{
  "channels": {
    "mattermost": {
      "enabled": true,
      "serverUrl": "https://mattermost.yourcompany.com",
      "botToken": "${MATTERMOST_BOT_TOKEN}",
      "respondToDMs": true,
      "respondToMentions": true
    }
  }
}

Nextcloud Talk (Plugin)

Nextcloud Talk is the built-in video and chat feature in Nextcloud — the popular self-hosted file storage and collaboration platform.

openclaw hub install @openclaw/nextcloud-talk

{
  "channels": {
    "nextcloud-talk": {
      "enabled": true,
      "serverUrl": "https://nextcloud.yourcompany.com",
      "username": "${NEXTCLOUD_USER}",
      "password": "${NEXTCLOUD_PASS}"
    }
  }
}

Twitch (Plugin)

Bring your AI agent into Twitch live stream chat. The agent can respond to viewers, moderate, answer questions, and run channel commands.

openclaw hub install @openclaw/twitch

{
  "channels": {
    "twitch": {
      "enabled": true,
      "username": "your_bot_username",
      "accessToken": "${TWITCH_ACCESS_TOKEN}",
      "channels": ["your_stream_channel"],
      "triggerPrefix": "!ask",
      "moderatorMode": false
    }
  }
}

Nostr (Plugin)

Nostr is a decentralized, censorship-resistant protocol for social networking. No central server, no account bans, cryptographic identity.

openclaw hub install @openclaw/nostr

{
  "channels": {
    "nostr": {
      "enabled": true,
      "privateKey": "${NOSTR_PRIVATE_KEY}",
      "relays": [
        "wss://relay.damus.io",
        "wss://relay.nostr.band"
      ],
      "respondToDMs": true,
      "respondToMentions": true
    }
  }
}

Checking Channel Status

# See all channels and their connection status
openclaw channels status

# Restart a specific channel
openclaw channel restart matrix

# View logs for a specific channel
openclaw logs --channel zalo

Next: This is the final chapter of the OpenClaw book. Return to Chapter 1 for a refresher, or visit the official documentation for the latest updates.