OC-101 · Module 2

Your First Conversation

2 min read

With OpenClaw running and Telegram connected, you are ready for your first real interaction. Open Telegram and send your bot a message. Start simple: ask it what time it is, ask for the weather in your city, or ask it to set a reminder. These are built-in capabilities that work out of the box without any skill configuration.

Out of the box, OpenClaw can have natural conversations, answer questions using its connected AI model, perform web searches, and manage basic reminders. These default capabilities are useful on their own, but they are not the point. The point is that you now have a platform. Every skill you add from here multiplies what this agent can do — and it all runs 24/7 without you needing to be at a computer.

Do This

  • Try asking a factual question to test the AI model connection
  • Ask for a web search to verify internet access works
  • Set a reminder for 5 minutes from now to confirm scheduled tasks work
  • Send a longer message to test that context handling works correctly

Avoid This

  • Do not jump straight into building skills — verify the basics first
  • Do not worry about optimizing model selection yet — defaults are fine for now
  • Do not create Telegram topics yet — use the main chat for initial testing