How to Connect Openclaw to Signal

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Quick Start

Signal integration lets you run Openclaw as a private messaging bot. You will need signal-cli installed and a phone number for your bot account.

Install signal-cli

You have two options for installation:

Option A: Automatic (Recommended)

Run Openclaw's interactive onboarding wizard to automatically download and install the correct signal-cli release for your system:

Openclaw onboard --auth-choice signal

Option B: Manual Install

Install signal-cli directly on your Gateway host. Note: If using the JVM build instead of native, Java 21+ is required.

Configure Openclaw

Add the Signal channel to your ~/.Openclaw/Openclaw.json configuration:

{

  "channels": {

    "signal": {

      "enabled": true,

      "account": "+15551234567",

      "cliPath": "signal-cli",

      "dmPolicy": "pairing"

    }

  }

}

Replace +15551234567 with your bot's actual E.164 formatted phone number.

For more messaging options, check out our guides on Connect LINE Openclaw and Connect Feishu Openclaw.

Verification

Once configured, restart your Openclaw gateway:

Openclaw gateway restart

Send a direct message to your Signal bot number. If configured with pairing policy, you will need to pair your account first using the Openclaw CLI.

Troubleshooting

signal-cli not found: Verify the cliPath points to your binary location
Registration errors: Ensure the phone number is not already registered with Signal
Message delivery fails: Check that signal-cli is running and your device has internet connectivity

Your Signal bot is now ready for secure, private AI interactions.