Channel Pairing
When someone sends a direct message to your agent on Slack, Telegram, WhatsApp, or Discord, the agent requires pairing approval before responding. This keeps your agent secure by default.
How pairing works
Pairing is a one-time approval process per user, per channel.
Someone sends a DM to your agent
When a new user sends a direct message to your agent on Slack, Telegram, WhatsApp, or Discord, the agent checks whether that user is approved.
Agent sends a pairing code
If the user hasn't been approved yet, the agent replies with an 8-character pairing code (e.g. HJB5VR62) and instructions to share it with the bot owner.
You approve the pairing in the Gateway Dashboard
Open your agent's Gateway Dashboard and type the approval command in the chat. The gateway has direct access to your agent, so the command runs immediately.
User is approved and can chat
The user is added to the agent's allowlist permanently. They can now DM the agent freely without needing to pair again.
The approval command
Type this command in the Gateway Dashboard chat to approve a pairing request.
openclaw pairing approve <channel> <code>Replace <channel> with the channel name: slack, telegram, whatsapp, or discord.
Replace <code> with the 8-character pairing code the user received.
Examples:
openclaw pairing approve slack HJB5VR62openclaw pairing approve telegram A3KM9X7POther useful commands:
# List all pending pairing requestsopenclaw pairing listWhere to run the command
The approval command must be run in a place where your agent has terminal access.
Gateway Dashboard chat
Open the Gateway Dashboard from your agent's page in the ClawTrust dashboard. Click the Gateway tab in the sidebar, then click Open Gateway Dashboard. Type the pairing command in the chat window.
The Gateway Dashboard connects directly to your agent's instance with full command access.
Regular chat page (will not work)
The Chat tab in the ClawTrust dashboard is a proxied conversation for chatting with your agent. It does not have terminal access, so typing the pairing command there will not approve the request. Your agent will just treat it as a normal message.
Channel-specific notes
Pairing works the same way across all channels, with minor differences.
Slack
Pairing applies to DMs only. In channels, the agent responds to @mentions and assigned channels without pairing.
Telegram
Each Telegram user who DMs the bot needs pairing approval. In group chats, the agent responds when @mentioned.
Each WhatsApp number that messages the agent needs pairing approval.
Discord
Pairing applies to DMs. In servers, the agent responds to mentions in channels it has access to.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Gateway Dashboard?
The Gateway Dashboard is your agent's native management interface. It gives you direct access to chat, view logs, manage skills, and run commands. You can open it from your agent's detail page in the ClawTrust dashboard by clicking "Open Gateway Dashboard" on the Gateway tab.
Can I approve pairing from the regular ClawTrust chat?
No. The regular chat page at /tenants/[id]/chat is a proxied conversation with your agent. It does not have access to the pairing CLI. You need to use the Gateway Dashboard chat, which has direct terminal-level access to your agent instance.
Do I need to pair every single person who messages my agent?
Only for direct messages. Channel messages (Slack channels, Telegram groups, Discord servers) do not require pairing. If you want to disable pairing entirely and let anyone DM the agent, you can request an "open" DM policy through support.
What if I lose the pairing code?
You can list all pending pairing requests in the Gateway Dashboard by typing: openclaw pairing list. This shows all pending codes with the requester's username and the channel they came from.
Does pairing expire?
Yes. Pairing codes expire after 1 hour. If the code expires, the user just needs to send another DM and a new code will be generated. There is a maximum of 3 pending pairing requests per channel.
Ready to connect your team?
Every plan includes Slack, Telegram, WhatsApp, and Discord. Secured by default with DM pairing.