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openclaw message

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Usage

openclaw message <subcommand> [flags]

• --channel required if more than one channel is configured.
• If exactly one channel is configured, it becomes the default.
• Values: whatsapp|telegram|discord|googlechat|slack|mattermost|signal|imessage|msteams (Mattermost requires plugin)

• WhatsApp: E.164 or group JID
• Telegram: chat id or @username
• Discord: channel:<id> or user:<id> (or <@id> mention; raw numeric ids are treated as channels)
• Google Chat: spaces/<spaceId> or users/<userId>
• Slack: channel:<id> or user:<id> (raw channel id is accepted)
• Mattermost (plugin): channel:<id>, user:<id>, or @username (bare ids are treated as channels)
• Signal: +E.164, group:<id>, signal:+E.164, signal:group:<id>, or username:<name>/u:<name>
• iMessage: handle, chat_id:<id>, chat_guid:<guid>, or chat_identifier:<id>
• Microsoft Teams: conversation id (19:...@thread.tacv2) or conversation:<id> or user:<aad-object-id>

• For supported providers (Discord/Slack/etc), channel names like Help or #help are resolved via the directory cache.
• On cache miss, OpenClaw will attempt a live directory lookup when the provider supports it.

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Common flags

• --channel <name>
• --account <id>
• --target <dest> (target channel or user for send/poll/read/etc)
• --targets <name> (repeat; broadcast only)
• --json
• --dry-run
• --verbose

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SecretRef behavior

• openclaw message resolves supported channel SecretRefs before running the selected action.
• Resolution is scoped to the active action target when possible:
  • channel-scoped when --channel is set (or inferred from prefixed targets like discord:...)
  • account-scoped when --account is set (channel globals + selected account surfaces)
  • when --account is omitted, OpenClaw does not force a default account SecretRef scope
• Unresolved SecretRefs on unrelated channels do not block a targeted message action.
• If the selected channel/account SecretRef is unresolved, the command fails closed for that action.

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Actions

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Core

• send
  • Channels: WhatsApp/Telegram/Discord/Google Chat/Slack/Mattermost (plugin)/Signal/iMessage/Microsoft Teams
  • Required: --target, plus --message or --media
  • Optional: --media, --reply-to, --thread-id, --gif-playback
  • Telegram only: --buttons (requires channels.telegram.capabilities.inlineButtons to allow it)
  • Telegram only: --force-document (send images and GIFs as documents to avoid Telegram compression)
  • Telegram only: --thread-id (forum topic id)
  • Slack only: --thread-id (thread timestamp; --reply-to uses the same field)
  • WhatsApp only: --gif-playback
• poll
  • Channels: WhatsApp/Telegram/Discord/Matrix/Microsoft Teams
  • Required: --target, --poll-question, --poll-option (repeat)
  • Optional: --poll-multi
  • Discord only: --poll-duration-hours, --silent, --message
  • Telegram only: --poll-duration-seconds (5-600), --silent, --poll-anonymous / --poll-public, --thread-id
• react
  • Channels: Discord/Google Chat/Slack/Telegram/WhatsApp/Signal
  • Required: --message-id, --target
  • Optional: --emoji, --remove, --participant, --from-me, --target-author, --target-author-uuid
  • Note: --remove requires --emoji (omit --emoji to clear own reactions where supported; see /tools/reactions)
  • WhatsApp only: --participant, --from-me
  • Signal group reactions: --target-author or --target-author-uuid required
• reactions
  • Channels: Discord/Google Chat/Slack
  • Required: --message-id, --target
  • Optional: --limit
• read
  • Channels: Discord/Slack
  • Required: --target
  • Optional: --limit, --before, --after
  • Discord only: --around
• edit
  • Channels: Discord/Slack
  • Required: --message-id, --message, --target
• delete
  • Channels: Discord/Slack/Telegram
  • Required: --message-id, --target
• pin / unpin
  • Channels: Discord/Slack
  • Required: --message-id, --target
• pins (list)
  • Channels: Discord/Slack
  • Required: --target
• permissions
  • Channels: Discord
  • Required: --target
• search
  • Channels: Discord
  • Required: --guild-id, --query
  • Optional: --channel-id, --channel-ids (repeat), --author-id, --author-ids (repeat), --limit

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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

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Emojis

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

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Stickers

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

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Roles / Channels / Members / Voice

• role info (Discord): --guild-id
• role add / role remove (Discord): --guild-id, --user-id, --role-id
• channel info (Discord): --target
• channel list (Discord): --guild-id
• member info (Discord/Slack): --user-id (+ --guild-id for Discord)
• voice status (Discord): --guild-id, --user-id

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Events

• event list (Discord): --guild-id
• event create (Discord): --guild-id, --event-name, --start-time
  • Optional: --end-time, --desc, --channel-id, --location, --event-type

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Moderation (Discord)

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

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Broadcast

• broadcast
  • Channels: any configured channel; use --channel all to target all providers
  • Required: --targets (repeat)
  • Optional: --message, --media, --dry-run

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Examples

openclaw message send --channel discord \
  --target channel:123 --message "hi" --reply-to 456

openclaw message send --channel discord \
  --target channel:123 --message "Choose:" \
  --components '{"text":"Choose a path","blocks":[{"type":"actions","buttons":[{"label":"Approve","style":"success"},{"label":"Decline","style":"danger"}]}]}'

openclaw message poll --channel discord \
  --target channel:123 \
  --poll-question "Snack?" \
  --poll-option Pizza --poll-option Sushi \
  --poll-multi --poll-duration-hours 48

openclaw message poll --channel telegram \
  --target @mychat \
  --poll-question "Lunch?" \
  --poll-option Pizza --poll-option Sushi \
  --poll-duration-seconds 120 --silent

openclaw message send --channel msteams \
  --target conversation:19:abc@thread.tacv2 --message "hi"

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

openclaw message react --channel slack \
  --target C123 --message-id 456 --emoji "✅"

openclaw message react --channel signal \
  --target signal:group:abc123 --message-id 1737630212345 \
  --emoji "✅" --target-author-uuid 123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426614174000

openclaw message send --channel telegram --target @mychat --message "Choose:" \
  --buttons '[ [{"text":"Yes","callback_data":"cmd:yes"}], [{"text":"No","callback_data":"cmd:no"}] ]'

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