Errors / pairing required
Fix: Pairing Required
Messages not processed until sender is approved.
"pairing request"
Also seen as:
- •
pairing pending - •
pending approval - •
sender not approved
What It Means
Your channel is configured with "pairing" policy. Unknown senders can message the bot but their messages are held until you explicitly approve them. This is a security feature to prevent unauthorized access.
Why It Happens
- • DM policy set to "pairing" (default for most channels)
- • New user trying to message the bot for the first time
- • Sender not in the allowlist
- • Upgraded OpenClaw with stricter default policies
Ask Your Agent to Fix This
Copy this prompt and send it to your OpenClaw agent:
List all pending pairing requests across all channels.
Then approve the sender [paste their ID or code] so they
can message me. Tell me what you approved.
How to Fix
1. Check Pending Pairing Requests
# Check all channels openclaw pairing list # Check specific channel openclaw pairing list telegram openclaw pairing list whatsapp openclaw pairing list discord
2. Approve the Sender
# Approve with pairing code openclaw pairing approve telegram ABC12345 openclaw pairing approve whatsapp DEF67890 # Or approve by sender ID openclaw pairing approve telegram +1234567890
3. List All Approved Senders
# Check approved senders openclaw pairing list telegram --approved openclaw pairing list whatsapp --approved
4. Change DM Policy (Less Secure)
If you want anyone to message the bot without approval:
# Set DM policy to open (anyone can message) openclaw config set channels.telegram.dmPolicy open openclaw config set channels.whatsapp.dmPolicy open # Or allowlist specific senders openclaw config set channels.telegram.allowFrom ["+1234567890"]
⚠️ Warning: This allows anyone to message your bot.
5. Check Current Policy
openclaw config get channels.telegram.dmPolicy
Channel-Specific Notes
Telegram
Default DM policy is "pairing". Users send /start and get a pairing code.
openclaw pairing list telegram openclaw pairing approve telegram CODE123
Discord
Default DM policy is "pairing". Bot must be in a server to work.
openclaw pairing list discord openclaw pairing approve discord CODE123
Uses pairing with QR code or numeric code.
openclaw pairing list whatsapp
Signal
Pairing via Signal CLI daemon.
openclaw pairing list signal
CLI Commands
# List pending pairing requests
openclaw pairing list
openclaw pairing list
# Approve a sender
openclaw pairing approve <channel> <code>
openclaw pairing approve <channel> <code>
# Reject a sender
openclaw pairing reject <channel> <code>
openclaw pairing reject <channel> <code>
# Check channel status
openclaw channels status --probe
openclaw channels status --probe