You want to drive your own OpenClaw agent from personal WeChat, but the ClawBot plugin and Gateway install order are unclear. This guide is for operators who already run or plan to run OpenClaw in 2026 and want Tencent’s official openclaw-weixin channel. You get pre-install checks, npx @tencent-weixin/openclaw-weixin-cli install versus manual steps, a 2.0.x / legacy matrix, multi-account dmScope, and WeChat-side limits (single chat, files in-only, 8.0.70+, content review). It pairs with our Telegram post-deploy triad, channels probe, and half-install recovery so you fix the right layer.
Tencent’s 2026 WeChat ClawBot (Settings → Plugins) is the official channel entry. Skills and model calls run on your OpenClaw Gateway. Community shorthand calls OpenClaw the “lobster” and ClawBot the phone line—if the line is down, a healthy Gateway never sees WeChat traffic.
WeChat plugin only, no OpenClaw: QR login may succeed, but no agent handles inbound messages.
Host too old: plugin 2.0.x needs >=2026.3.22; startup may refuse with requires OpenClaw >=2026.3.22.
Gateway not always on: laptop sleep, Docker without restart policy, or VPS without systemd—yesterday worked, today silent.
Treating ClawBot like Tencent Yuanbao: Yuanbao is Tencent’s own product; ClawBot connects your OpenClaw and model stack—you own ops.
Multiple WeChat accounts, one session bucket: without session.dmScope, replies can cross between users.
Ignoring WeChat product limits: the official channel is single chat only, no groups, with file and review constraints—see Section 4.
| Dimension | Official ClawBot plugin | WeCom self-built app | Telegram Bot (OpenClaw built-in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Personal trials, single-chat automation | Teams, groups, compliance paths | Global dev community, mature group gating |
| Install effort | Low: openclaw-weixin-cli + QR | High: public IP, callback URL, trusted IP | Medium: bot token + pairing |
| WeChat version | 8.0.70+ (plugin entry) | Scan to follow corp account | N/A |
| Group chat | Not supported | Extensible | Supported (mention policies) |
| Troubleshooting doc | This article | WeCom plugin docs | Post-deploy triad |
“Messages work in WeChat” is not “channel closed”—plugin enabled, gateway restart, and probe pass are three separate gates.
Confirm OpenClaw and Node baseline first (Node 24 production deploy). If Gateway is missing, read half-install recovery before scanning QR codes.
Check host version: openclaw --version; for plugin 2.0.x below 2026.3.22, run openclaw update or plan the legacy line (Section 4).
One-shot install: npx -y @tencent-weixin/openclaw-weixin-cli install — detects version, runs plugins install, guides QR login, restarts Gateway.
Manual equivalent: openclaw plugins install "@tencent-weixin/openclaw-weixin" → openclaw config set plugins.entries.openclaw-weixin.enabled true → openclaw channels login --channel openclaw-weixin → openclaw gateway restart.
WeChat client: 8.0.70+, path Me → Settings → Plugins → “WeChat ClawBot”; on Android without gray release, CLI QR may still trigger plugin update (re-scan after force-close).
Multi-account (optional): repeat channels login; set openclaw config set session.dmScope per-account-channel-peer; optional channels.openclaw-weixin.botAgent in openclaw.json for log attribution only.
Acceptance: openclaw channels status --probe + openclaw doctor --deep; send a test line in WeChat and watch openclaw logs --follow. Pairing issues: channels probe article.
# 2026 Tencent WeChat channel — one-shot + acceptance npx -y @tencent-weixin/openclaw-weixin-cli install openclaw --version openclaw channels status --probe openclaw doctor --deep openclaw logs --follow # Older host: legacy plugin line openclaw plugins install @tencent-weixin/openclaw-weixin@legacy
Tip: if npx is slow, point npm at a mirror, then retry. On plugin install failure, confirm openclaw plugins list before scanning QR again.
Note: traffic uses Tencent’s official channel and passes content safety review. Sensitive wording may be filtered. Use a secondary WeChat account for production binding when possible.
| Plugin line | OpenClaw host | npm dist-tag | Typical error |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0.x | >= 2026.3.22 | latest | Host too old → upgrade OpenClaw |
| 1.0.x | >= 2026.1.0 < 2026.3.22 | legacy | Install @legacy instead of forcing host upgrade |
A sleeping laptop Gateway breaks WeChat the moment the lid closes. An exclusive, always-on macOS node matches 7×24 channel expectations better than intermittent personal hardware. Supervise with the same discipline as remote Mac launchd health checks.
If you want VPS-like provisioning for SSH-maintainable Macs where this six-step runbook ships in a golden image, NodeMini Mac Mini cloud rental is usually the better fit than home Gateway sleep schedules and office bots waiting on a machine that is offline. See rental rates and help center for sizing and access.
WeChat ClawBot is the channel plugin; OpenClaw Gateway is the runtime. Install OpenClaw first, then openclaw-weixin-cli. Baseline install: cross-platform install troubleshooting.
Set plugins.entries.openclaw-weixin.enabled to true and gateway restart. Multiple accounts need session.dmScope per-account-channel-peer. Host sizing: Mac Mini cloud rental rates.
The Telegram article covers 409, webhooks, and Chrome Relay. This article covers Tencent’s official WeChat plugin, install steps, and product limits. Onboarding help: help center.