Claude Channels Just Dropped, And It Kills OpenClaw (Again)
Nick Saraev ·2026-03-20 ·2 min read
Summary written by us from the video's transcript. The video, and everything in it, is Nick Saraev's work.
Learn how to set up Claude Code’s new Channels integration for Telegram and Discord, enabling you to interact with local AI agents via everyday messaging apps.
Takeaways
- Channels let you control locally running Claude agents through familiar Telegram or Discord chats.
- Setting up a bot token and installing the corresponding plugin is enough to start sending natural‑language commands from any device.
- The integration maintains full skill functionality, returning files and logs directly into the messaging app.
- Security is handled via sender allow‑lists, preventing unauthorized message execution.
- Keeping your computer awake (caffeinate or power settings) or using a headless server ensures continuous availability.
Overview of Channels Integration
Claude Code recently added *Channels*, letting you text AI agents through Telegram or Discord just like any other contact. The demo shows a local Claude instance receiving messages, executing tasks, and updating conversation history for accountability.
The system processes incoming queries, runs the associated skill on your computer, and returns results back to the messaging app, providing both execution and reasoning logs.
Using Telegram with Claude
Create a bot via Bot Father, copy its token, then install the Telegram plugin in Claude Code (`/plugin install telegram@claude-plugins-official`). Configure it with `/telegram:configure` using the token.
Start the channel with `claude --channels plugin:telegram@claude-plugins-official`. Send a test message (e.g., “hey”) to verify that Claude receives and replies through Telegram.
Using Discord with Claude
Set up a Discord application, enable *Message Content Intent*, reset the bot token, and grant permissions (view/send messages, read history, attach files, add reactions). Generate an invite URL and add the bot to your server.
In Claude Code install the Discord plugin (`/plugin install discord@claude-plugins-official`), reload plugins, then configure with `/discord:configure` using the token. Launch the channel with `claude --channels plugin:discord@claude-plugins-official` and DM the bot to start chatting.
Running Skills via Messaging
Once channels are active, you can trigger any local Claude skill—e.g., thumbnail redesign or lead scraping—by sending a natural‑language command in Telegram or Discord.
Claude executes the skill on your machine, streams intermediate results (like generated thumbnails), and finally sends back files such as CSVs or images directly to the chat.
Keeping Your Agent Available 24/7
On macOS you can prevent sleep with `caffeinate -t <seconds>` or by setting display‑off and sleep options to *Never* in System Settings. Windows has similar power‑management settings.
For a more permanent solution, run Claude on a headless device (e.g., Mac mini) and sync your workspace folder using tools like Syncthing so both the UI machine and the server share files in real time.
Security Considerations
Each channel plugin uses a *sender allow‑list*; only pre‑approved user IDs can push messages, with all others silently dropped.
This mirrors Claude Code’s built‑in security model, ensuring that only trusted contacts can trigger your local skills.