Verified project record

openclaw/openclaw

A local-first, single-user AI assistant that connects to messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, and Discord from your own devices. It is suited for individuals seeking a unified inbox with voice and visual canvas support, but is not designed for multi-user environments.

Project overview

Project type: AI Agent
Use cases: Knowledge Q&A
Deployment: Refer to project documentation
License: License pending

Best for

Single users who need a local-first assistant consolidating text communications across platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, and Discord.
Individuals who prioritize an own-your-data philosophy and need desktop or CLI interaction.

Key capabilities

Connect to and receive messages from various channels like WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, etc.
A single control plane for managing sessions, channels, tools, and events running on your own devices.
Guides users step by step through setting up the gateway, workspace, channels, and skills.

Limitations and risks

Requires Node 24.15+ (recommended), Node 22.22.3+, or Node 25.9+.
Inbound DMs on real messaging surfaces must be treated as untrusted input.

Getting started

Install via npm, run openclaw onboard, and send a message via openclaw agent.
Provides an onboarding wizard CLI and native companion apps for GUI setup.

Evidence and sources

README: **OpenClaw** is a _personal AI assistant_ you run on your own devices.
README: Preferred setup: run `openclaw onboard` in your terminal. OpenClaw Onboard guides you step by step through setting up the gateway, workspace, channels, and skills.
README: Supported channels include: WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, Google Chat, Signal, iMessage, IRC, Microsoft Teams, Matrix, Feishu, LINE, Mattermost, Nextcloud Talk, Nostr, Synol…
README: - **[Multi-channel inbox](https://docs.openclaw.ai/channels)** — WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, Google Chat, Signal, iMessage, IRC, Microsoft Teams, Matrix, Feishu, LINE, Mat…
README: Runtime: **Node 24.15+ (recommended), Node 22.22.3+, or Node 25.9+**.

Reviewed at: 2026-07-16T06:58:40Z