https://github.com/JairFC/openclaw-telegram-approval-buttons

OpenClaw plugin: Inline keyboard buttons for exec approval messages in Telegram
https://github.com/JairFC/openclaw-telegram-approval-buttons

approval exec inline-keyboard openclaw openclaw-extension plugin telegram typescript

Last synced: 4 months ago
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OpenClaw plugin: Inline keyboard buttons for exec approval messages in Telegram

• Host: GitHub
• URL: https://github.com/JairFC/openclaw-telegram-approval-buttons
• Owner: JairFC
• License: mit
• Created: 2026-02-14T18:19:33.000Z (7 months ago)
• Default Branch: main
• Last Pushed: 2026-03-01T14:49:36.000Z (7 months ago)
• Last Synced: 2026-03-01T17:54:48.682Z (7 months ago)
• Topics: approval, exec, inline-keyboard, openclaw, openclaw-extension, plugin, telegram, typescript
• Language: TypeScript
• Homepage:
• Size: 1.93 MB
• Stars: 7
• Watchers: 1
• Forks: 1
• Open Issues: 0
• Metadata Files:
  • Readme: README.md
  • Changelog: CHANGELOG.md
  • License: LICENSE
  • Security: SECURITY.md

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README

          

--Closed #30695.

# 🔐 Approval Buttons for OpenClaw

> One-tap `exec` approvals in **Telegram** and **Slack** — no more typing `/approve  allow-once`.

## What does this look like?



  



## What does this do?

OpenClaw's Discord has built-in approval buttons. **Telegram and Slack don't** — you're stuck typing long `/approve` commands. This plugin fixes that for both.

**Features:**

- ✅ **One-tap approvals** — Allow Once · 🔏 Always · ❌ Deny

- 💬 **Multi-channel** — works on Telegram (inline keyboard) and Slack (Block Kit buttons)

- 🔄 **Auto-resolve** — edits the message after decision (removes buttons, shows result)

- ⏰ **Expiry handling** — stale approvals auto-cleaned and marked as expired

- 🩺 **Self-diagnostics** — `/approvalstatus` checks health and stats for both channels

- 🛡️ **Graceful fallback** — if buttons fail, the original text goes through

- 📦 **Zero dependencies** — uses only Node.js built-in `fetch`

## Quick Start

### Step 1: Install the plugin

```bash

openclaw plugins install telegram-approval-buttons

```

That's it — OpenClaw downloads it from npm and enables it automatically.

Alternative: install from source (for development)

```bash

git clone https://github.com/JairFC/openclaw-telegram-approval-buttons.git

```

Then add the path manually to your `openclaw.json`:

```jsonc

{

  "plugins": {

    "load": {

      "paths": ["/path/to/openclaw-telegram-approval-buttons"]

    }

  }

}

```

### Step 2: Configure approvals and plugin

Open your `~/.openclaw/openclaw.json` and add two things:

1. **Exec approvals targeting Telegram** — without this, approvals stay as plain text

2. **Plugin config with your bot token and chat ID** — the plugin needs these to send buttons

```jsonc

{

  "approvals": {

    "exec": {

      "enabled": true,

      "mode": "targets",

      "targets": [

        {

          "channel": "telegram",

          "to": ""

        }

      ]

    }

  },

  "plugins": {

    "entries": {

      "telegram-approval-buttons": {

        "enabled": true,

        "config": {

          "botToken": "",

          "chatId": ""

        }

      }

    }

  }

}

```

> 💡 **Where to find these values:**

> - **Bot token** — the token you got from [@BotFather](https://t.me/BotFather) when creating your bot. It's the same token OpenClaw uses for Telegram.

> - **Chat ID** — your Telegram user ID. Send a message to [@userinfobot](https://t.me/userinfobot) to get it, or check `openclaw logs --follow` after sending a message to your bot.

### Step 3: Restart and verify

```bash

openclaw gateway restart

```

Then send `/approvalstatus` in your Telegram chat. You should see:

```

🟢 Approval Buttons Status

Telegram: chatId=✓ · token=✓

  ✓ connected (@your_bot)

Slack: not configured

Pending: 0 · Processed: 0

Uptime: 1m

```

> ⚠️ **If you see `DISABLED — missing config`**, the plugin can't find your bot token or chat ID. Double-check that `botToken` and `chatId` are set in `plugins.entries.telegram-approval-buttons.config` in your `~/.openclaw/openclaw.json`.

**That's it!** Next time the AI triggers an `exec` approval, you'll get inline buttons instead of text.

## Prerequisites

- **OpenClaw ≥ 2026.2.9** installed and running

- **Node.js ≥ 20** (uses built-in `fetch`)

- **Telegram configured** in your `openclaw.json` (bot token + `allowFrom`)

- **Exec approvals targeting Telegram** — see Step 2 above

## How it works

```

┌─────────────┐    message_sending     ┌──────────────────┐

│  OpenClaw    │ ── approval text ──→  │     Plugin        │

│  Gateway     │                       │                   │

│              │   cancel original     │  1. Parse text    │

│              │ ←──────────────────── │  2. Send buttons  │

└─────────────┘                        │  3. Track pending │

                                       └────────┬─────────┘

                                                │

                                    Telegram Bot API

                                                │

                                       ┌────────▼─────────┐

                                       │   Telegram Chat   │

                                       │                   │

                                       │  🔐 Exec Approval │

                                       │  [✅ Allow] [🔏]  │

                                       │  [❌ Deny]        │

                                       └──────────────────┘

```

When you tap a button, OpenClaw converts the `callback_data` into a synthetic text message — **no webhook needed**.

## Configuration

The plugin **auto-detects** `botToken` and `chatId` from your Telegram channel config. Most setups need zero extra configuration.

### Config resolution order

| Setting    | Priority 1 (explicit)       | Priority 2 (shared config)         | Priority 3 (env)          |

|------------|-----------------------------|------------------------------------|---------------------------|

| `botToken` | `pluginConfig.botToken`     | `channels.telegram.token`          | `TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN`      |

| `chatId`   | `pluginConfig.chatId`       | `channels.telegram.allowFrom[0]`   | `TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID`        |

### Advanced options

```jsonc

{

  "plugins": {

    "entries": {

      "telegram-approval-buttons": {

        "enabled": true,

        "config": {

          "chatId": "123456789",          // Telegram chat ID

          "botToken": "123:ABC...",        // Telegram bot token

          "slackBotToken": "xoxb-...",     // Slack bot OAuth token (optional)

          "slackChannelId": "C0123456",    // Slack channel/DM ID (optional)

          "staleMins": 10,                // Minutes before stale cleanup (default: 10)

          "verbose": false                // Diagnostic logging (default: false)

        }

      }

    }

  }

}

```

## FAQ

**Q: I installed the plugin but I still get old text approvals.**  

A: Most likely your `approvals.exec` section is missing or doesn't target Telegram. Make sure you have `"mode": "targets"` with a target pointing to `"channel": "telegram"` — see Step 2 above. Restart the gateway after changing the config.

**Q: I installed the plugin but no buttons appear at all.**  

A: Make sure `tools.exec.ask` is NOT set to `"off"` in your config. If it's `"off"`, there are no approvals to buttonize. Set it to `"on-miss"` or `"always"`.

**Q: How do I find my Telegram Chat ID?**  

A: Send `/start` to [@userinfobot](https://t.me/userinfobot) on Telegram — it replies with your ID. Alternatively, check `https://api.telegram.org/bot/getUpdates` after sending a message to your bot.

**Q: Do I need to set up a webhook?**  

A: No! OpenClaw's Telegram integration automatically converts button taps into synthetic text messages. No extra setup needed.

**Q: What happens if the plugin fails to send buttons?**  

A: The original plain-text approval message goes through normally. The plugin never blocks approvals.

**Q: Does this work in group chats?**  

A: Yes, but the bot needs to be an admin or it needs permission to edit its own messages.

## Troubleshooting

| Problem | Fix |

|---------|-----|

| `DISABLED — missing config` in logs | Add `botToken` and `chatId` to `plugins.entries.telegram-approval-buttons.config` in your `~/.openclaw/openclaw.json`. See Step 2. |

| Still getting old text approvals | Your `approvals.exec` config must target Telegram. See Step 2. |

| `/approvalstatus` says "unknown command" | Plugin didn't load. Run `openclaw plugins install telegram-approval-buttons` and restart the gateway. |

| No buttons appear | Check `tools.exec.ask` is not `"off"`. Run `/approvalstatus` to check config. |

| Buttons show but nothing happens | Bot needs message editing permission. Use a private chat or make bot admin. |

| Buttons say "expired" | Approval timed out before you tapped. Adjust `staleMins` if needed. |

## Architecture

```

telegram-approval-buttons/

├── index.ts                  # Entry point — orchestration only

├── types.ts                  # Shared TypeScript interfaces

├── lib/

│   ├── telegram-api.ts       # Telegram Bot API client

│   ├── slack-api.ts          # Slack Web API client

│   ├── approval-parser.ts    # Parse OpenClaw approval text format

│   ├── message-formatter.ts  # HTML formatting for Telegram messages

│   ├── slack-formatter.ts    # Block Kit formatting for Slack messages

│   ├── approval-store.ts     # In-memory pending approval tracker

│   └── diagnostics.ts        # Config resolution, health checks

├── openclaw.plugin.json      # Plugin manifest

└── package.json

```

## Contributing

Issues and PRs welcome. Each file in `lib/` is self-contained with a single responsibility.

## Contributors

- [@JairFC](https://github.com/JairFC) — creator and maintainer

- [@sjkey](https://github.com/sjkey) — Slack support and message simplification (v5.0.0)

## License

[MIT](LICENSE)