How to Set Up OpenClaw with Tinyloop

Your AI Agent, Living in Telegram: How to Set Up OpenClaw with Tinyloop

You already live in Telegram. So why should your AI agent live somewhere else?

That is the whole idea behind OpenClaw. Instead of another tab, another login, another app to babysit, you get a real Claude-powered agent sitting in your Telegram chat list like a contact. You message it, it works, it reports back. No code. No setup wizard to suffer through.

Below is the full walkthrough. But first, here is the short version you can read in under a minute.

The One-Minute Version

Here is the whole flow, top to bottom:

1. Go to the Tinyhat landing page and Initiate the process.

2. Open your new bot in Telegram. If you have an invite, your agent spins up automatically. If you do not, you can ask to join the waitlist.

3. Wait about 30 to 40 seconds while your OpenClaw computer sets itself up.

4. Answer a couple of quick questions to give your agent its personality.

5. Connect your paid ChatGPT subscription (even the basic Plus tier works). This is the step that makes everything better, so do it early.

6. Install the Codex app and link your email, calendar, drive, and any other tools you want your agent to use.

7. Start small, set clear rules, and build up from there.

That is genuinely it. Most people are chatting with a working agent before their coffee is done. Now let's go through each part properly.

A Quick Word on Invitations

Tinyloop is in an invite-only launch right now, so it is worth knowing where you stand before you begin.

If you already have an invitation, you can be up and running in about a minute. Just keep the email address your invite landed on close by, because you will need it to verify.

If you do not have one yet, you are not locked out. You can still ask for access and join the waitlist. We read every request and grant early access as fast as we can, though we cannot promise a spot to everyone right away.

The steps are identical for both groups until the verification screen, where the two paths split. More on that in a second.

Step 1: Start at the Landing Page

Open the Tinyhat landing page to begin:

This is where your agent is born.

Step 2: Name Your Bot

Now give your bot a name. The easiest way to think about this is as the contact name for your personal assistant. It can be anything you like. Use a real name like Max or Anna, or just go with Tinyloop OpenClaw. Whatever feels right.

You will also set a username. Since usernames are unique, it has to be one that is still free, and it has to end in "bot."

Do not lose any sleep over either of these. The name has nothing to do with how well your agent works, so pick something fast and keep moving.

Step 3: Open Your Bot and Pick Your Path

Your bot now shows up in Telegram. Open it, and you will see two ways forward.

If you have an invitation, enter the email address it was sent to and verify it. Your OpenClaw agent kicks off on its own from there. Nothing else to do.

If you want to request an invitation, drop in your business email instead. That puts you on the waitlist, and we will work to get you early access as soon as we can.

Step 4: Your OpenClaw Computer Boots Up

Once you clear the verification step, you will get a message confirming that your OpenClaw Claude computer is starting up.

Give it about 30 to 40 seconds. When the "all operational" message lands, your agent is fully set up and ready to work. That is your green light.

Step 5: Give Your Agent a Personality

The first thing your OpenClaw agent does is ask you a few questions:

What should it call itself? What should it call you? And roughly what do you expect it to help with?

Your answers shape how it shows up for you. And if you change your mind later, no problem. You can ask your agent to update any of this anytime. Nothing here is set in stone.

Step 6: Connect Your ChatGPT Subscription First

This is the single best thing you can do for your OpenClaw experience, so do it before anything else. Connect it to your paid ChatGPT subscription. And to be clear, you do not need the expensive plan. Even the basic Plus tier works fine.

Here is the flow:

First, turn on Codex access inside ChatGPT. Open ChatGPT, head to Settings, then Security, and scroll down until you find the "Enable device code authorization for Codex". Flip that toggle on.

Next, ask your agent to connect. Back in your Telegram bot, just say "connect my ChatGPT." It will remind you of the step you just did. Confirm it is done and continue.

Then enter the code. Your agent hands you a code and a link. Copy the code, click the link, and log in to Codex using the same email as your paid ChatGPT account. Paste the code when asked, and let it finish.

That is it. A confirmation message means your ChatGPT subscription is connected and ready.

Step 7: Install Codex and Plug In Your Tools

Now grab the Codex app for your computer. There are builds for both Windows and macOS.

Once it is installed, open it and head to Plugins. This is where you connect the tools you actually use day to day: email, calendar, drive, and more. The moment a connection goes through, your agent in Telegram can use it. No extra steps.

Want a tool that is not on the default list? As long as you have an API token for it, you are covered. Just tell your agent something like "I want to connect tool X." It gives you a button to click, you paste your token into a secured vault, and that tool is live.

Step 8: Start Working, But Start Smart

Your agent is ready and it has access to the tools you care about. Now the fun part. A couple of habits will get you a lot more out of it.

Start small. Hand it easy tasks first, see how it handles them, then work your way up to the bigger, more important stuff as you build trust.

Set clear boundaries. Tell your agent plainly what it is not allowed to do. For example, I always tell mine: you can draft anything, but you never send or publish on my behalf. That stays a manual step so I can review before anything goes out. A simple rule like that keeps you in control.

And that is the whole thing. In a few minutes you went from a landing page to a working AI agent inside your Telegram, hooked up to your ChatGPT subscription and your favorite tools, ready to actually take things off your plate.

Go give it something to do.