Skip to main content

​
openclaw message

Single outbound command for sending messages and channel actions across Discord, Google Chat, iMessage, Matrix, Mattermost (plugin), Microsoft Teams, Signal, Slack, Telegram, and WhatsApp. 
openclaw message <subcommand> [flags]

​
Channel selection

  • --channel <name> is required if more than one channel is configured; with exactly one channel configured, that channel is the default.
  • Values: discord|googlechat|imessage|matrix|mattermost|msteams|signal|slack|telegram|whatsapp (Mattermost requires the plugin).
  • Channel-prefixed targets (for example discord:channel:123) resolve the owning plugin without an explicit --channel.

​
Target formats (-t, --target)

ChannelFormat
Discordchannel:<id>, user:<id>, <@id> mention, or a bare numeric id (treated as a channel id)
Google Chatspaces/<spaceId> or users/<userId>
iMessagehandle, chat_id:<id>, chat_guid:<guid>, or chat_identifier:<id>
Mattermost (plugin)channel:<id>, user:<id>, @username, or a bare id (treated as a channel)
Matrix@user:server, !room:server, or #alias:server
Microsoft Teamsconversation:<id> (19:...@thread.tacv2), a bare conversation id, or user:<aad-object-id>
Signal+E.164, group:<id>, uuid:<id>, username:<name>/u:<name>, or any of these prefixed with signal:
Slackchannel:<id> or user:<id> (a bare id is treated as a channel)
Telegramchat id, @username, or a forum topic target: <chatId>:topic:<topicId> (or --thread-id <topicId>)
WhatsAppE.164, group JID (...@g.us), or Channel/Newsletter JID (...@newsletter)
Channel name lookup: for providers with a directory (Discord/Slack/etc), names like Help or #help resolve via the directory cache, falling back to a live directory lookup on a cache miss where the provider supports it.

​
Common flags

Every action accepts: --channel <name>, --account <id>, --json, --dry-run, --verbose. Actions that take a destination also accept -t, --target <dest>.

​
SecretRef resolution

openclaw message resolves channel SecretRefs before running the action, scoped as narrowly as possible:
  • channel-scoped when --channel is set (or inferred from a prefixed target)
  • account-scoped when --account is also set
  • all configured channels when neither is set
Unresolved SecretRefs on unrelated channels never block a targeted action; an unresolved SecretRef on the selected channel/account fails the action closed.

​
Actions

​
Core

ActionChannelsRequiredNotes
sendDiscord, Google Chat, iMessage, Matrix, Mattermost (plugin), Microsoft Teams, Signal, Slack, Telegram, WhatsApp--target, plus one of --message/--media/--presentationSee Send below.
pollDiscord, Matrix, Microsoft Teams, Telegram, WhatsApp--target, --poll-question, --poll-option (repeat)See Poll below.
reactDiscord, Google Chat, Matrix, Nextcloud Talk, Signal, Slack, Telegram, WhatsApp--message-id, --target--emoji, --remove (needs --emoji; omit it to clear own reactions where supported, see Reactions). WhatsApp: --participant, --from-me. Signal group reactions require --target-author or --target-author-uuid. Nextcloud Talk only adds reactions; --remove errors.
reactionsDiscord, Google Chat, Matrix, Microsoft Teams, Slack--message-id, --target--limit.
readDiscord, Matrix, Microsoft Teams, Slack--target--limit, --message-id, --before, --after. Discord: --around, --include-thread. Slack: --message-id reads a specific timestamp, combine with --thread-id for an exact thread reply.
editDiscord, Matrix, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Telegram--message-id, --message, --targetTelegram forum threads use --thread-id.
deleteDiscord, Matrix, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Telegram--message-id, --target
pin / unpinDiscord, Matrix, Microsoft Teams, Slack--message-id, --targetunpin also accepts --pinned-message-id (Microsoft Teams: the pin/list-pins resource id, not the chat message id).
pins (list)Discord, Matrix, Microsoft Teams, Slack--target--limit.
permissionsDiscord, Matrix--targetMatrix: available only when encryption is enabled and verification actions are allowed.
searchDiscord--guild-id, --query--channel-id, --channel-ids (repeat), --author-id, --author-ids (repeat), --limit.
member infoDiscord, Matrix, Microsoft Teams, Slack--user-id--guild-id (Discord).

​
Send

openclaw message send --channel discord \
  --target channel:123 --message "hi" --reply-to 456
  • --media <path-or-url>: attach image/audio/video/document (local path or URL).
  • --presentation <json>: shared payload with text, context, divider, buttons, select blocks, rendered per channel capability. See Message Presentation.
  • --delivery <json>: generic delivery preferences, for example {"pin": true}. --pin is shorthand for pinned delivery when the channel supports it.
  • --reply-to <id>, --thread-id <id> (Telegram forum topic; Slack thread timestamp, same field as --reply-to).
  • --force-document (Telegram, WhatsApp): send images/GIFs/videos as documents to avoid channel compression.
  • --silent (Telegram, Discord): send without a notification.
  • --gif-playback (WhatsApp only): treat video media as GIF playback.
openclaw message send --channel discord \
  --target channel:123 --message "Choose:" \
  --presentation '{"blocks":[{"type":"buttons","buttons":[{"label":"Approve","value":"approve","style":"success"},{"label":"Decline","value":"decline","style":"danger"}]}]}'

openclaw message send --channel telegram --target @mychat --message "Choose:" \
  --presentation '{"blocks":[{"type":"buttons","buttons":[{"label":"Yes","value":"cmd:yes"},{"label":"No","value":"cmd:no"}]}]}'
Telegram Mini App buttons use webApp (web_app still parses for legacy JSON) and only render in private chats between a user and the bot: 
openclaw message send --channel telegram --target 123456789 --message "Open app:" \
  --presentation '{"blocks":[{"type":"buttons","buttons":[{"label":"Launch","webApp":{"url":"https://example.com/app"}}]}]}'

openclaw message send --channel telegram --target @mychat \
  --media ./diagram.png --force-document

openclaw message send --channel msteams \
  --target conversation:19:abc@thread.tacv2 \
  --presentation '{"title":"Status update","blocks":[{"type":"text","text":"Build completed"}]}'

​
Poll

openclaw message poll --channel discord \
  --target channel:123 \
  --poll-question "Snack?" \
  --poll-option Pizza --poll-option Sushi \
  --poll-multi --poll-duration-hours 48
  • --poll-option <choice>: repeat 2-12 times.
  • --poll-multi: allow multiple selections.
  • Discord: --poll-duration-hours, --silent, --message.
  • Telegram: --poll-duration-seconds <n> (5-600), --silent, --poll-anonymous / --poll-public, --thread-id.
openclaw message poll --channel telegram \
  --target @mychat \
  --poll-question "Lunch?" \
  --poll-option Pizza --poll-option Sushi \
  --poll-duration-seconds 120 --silent

openclaw message poll --channel msteams \
  --target conversation:19:abc@thread.tacv2 \
  --poll-question "Lunch?" \
  --poll-option Pizza --poll-option Sushi

​
Threads

  • thread create: channels Discord. Required: --thread-name, --target (channel id). Optional: --message-id, --message, --auto-archive-min.
  • thread list: channels Discord. Required: --guild-id. Optional: --channel-id, --include-archived, --before, --limit.
  • thread reply: channels Discord. Required: --target (thread id), --message. Optional: --media, --reply-to.

​
Emojis

  • emoji list: Discord (--guild-id), Slack (no extra flags).
  • emoji upload: Discord. Required: --guild-id, --emoji-name, --media. Optional: --role-ids (repeat).

​
Stickers

  • sticker send: Discord. Required: --target, --sticker-id (repeat). Optional: --message.
  • sticker upload: Discord. Required: --guild-id, --sticker-name, --sticker-desc, --sticker-tags, --media.

​
Roles, channels, voice, events (Discord)

  • role info: --guild-id.
  • role add / role remove: --guild-id, --user-id, --role-id.
  • channel info: --target.
  • channel list: --guild-id.
  • voice status: --guild-id, --user-id.
  • event list: --guild-id.
  • event create: required --guild-id, --event-name, --start-time; optional --end-time, --desc, --channel-id, --location, --event-type, --image <url-or-path>.

​
Moderation (Discord)

  • timeout: --guild-id, --user-id; optional --duration-min or --until (omit both to clear the timeout), --reason.
  • kick: --guild-id, --user-id, --reason.
  • ban: --guild-id, --user-id, --delete-days, --reason.

​
Broadcast

openclaw message broadcast --targets <target...> [--channel all] [--message <text>] [--media <url>] [--dry-run]
Sends one payload to multiple targets. --targets takes a space-separated list. Use --channel all to target every configured provider.