OpenClaw Discord Bot Not Responding
Fix a Discord bot that is connected but silent by checking Gateway state, intents, channel permissions, mentions, and sender policy.
The Discord bot is present in the server but ignores a DM, channel message, or explicit mention.
Separate transport, Discord permissions, and OpenClaw message policy. An online bot can still lack permission to read or reply in a specific channel.
Check the transport
openclaw gateway status
openclaw channels status --probe
openclaw logs --followIf the Gateway is unhealthy, fix it before changing Discord settings.
Send one explicit test
Use a permitted test channel and mention the bot directly. Confirm that the bot can view the channel, read message history when required, and send messages.
Read the skip reason
Logs containing mention required indicate policy—not a broken token. Pairing, allowlist, or blocked-sender lines mean the inbound user or room did not pass OpenClaw’s rules. A Discord forbidden or missing-scope response points to application permissions.
Avoid overcorrecting
Do not grant administrator permission to solve a single missing channel permission. Add only the required intent or channel grant and retest.
Expected result
The Discord transport is healthy, the test room and sender pass policy, and an explicit mention receives one reply without a repeating error in logs.
Source notes
Technical facts on this page were checked against primary sources.