Matrix Integration

OpenClaw on Matrix: Decentralized AI for a Decentralized World

Matrix is the open standard for decentralized, real-time communication. OpenClaw integrates seamlessly with Matrix homeservers to provide AI assistance that you truly own. Host on your own server, federate with the global Matrix network, use end-to-end encryption, and maintain complete control. No corporate gatekeepers, no platform lock-in, just open-source AI on an open protocol.

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How OpenClaw Matrix Integration Works

We Set Up Your Matrix Homeserver

We deploy a Matrix homeserver (Synapse, Dendrite, Conduit) or configure your existing one. The homeserver handles message routing, federation, and user management. Your OpenClaw bot becomes a user on this homeserver.

We Create Your Bot Account

We register a dedicated Matrix account for your OpenClaw bot, configure the bot's profile, display name, and avatar. This account can join rooms, receive messages, and respond to users.

We Connect the OpenClaw Bridge

We link your Matrix account credentials to OpenClaw's Matrix bridge module. The bridge handles Matrix protocol communication using the Matrix Client-Server API, including encryption for E2EE rooms.

We Deploy and Test Everything

We invite your OpenClaw bot to Matrix rooms and verify direct message handling. The bot can participate in public rooms, private rooms, and encrypted conversations. AI assistance is ready across your Matrix network.

Why Connect OpenClaw to {page.integration.name}

True Data Sovereignty

Host everything on your own infrastructure. Your Matrix homeserver, your OpenClaw instance, your AI model - all under your control. No data leaves your network unless you choose to federate. The ultimate in privacy and sovereignty.

Federation Flexibility

Choose to federate with the global Matrix network or run isolated. Federating lets your bot assist users from other homeservers. Isolated mode keeps everything internal. You control the network boundaries.

End-to-End Encryption

Matrix supports end-to-end encryption (E2EE) via Megolm/Olm. OpenClaw can participate in encrypted rooms, keeping AI conversations private even from homeserver administrators. True privacy, not just promises.

Open Standard Protocol

Matrix is an open standard with multiple implementations. You're not locked into any single vendor. Switch homeservers, switch clients, switch bridges - your data and conversations remain portable and accessible.

Rich Client Ecosystem

Users access your OpenClaw bot through any Matrix client - Element, FluffyChat, Cinny, Nheko, and dozens more. Desktop, mobile, web - users choose their preferred interface while you provide unified AI assistance.

Bridge to Everything

Matrix bridges connect to other platforms - Slack, Discord, IRC, Telegram, and more. Your OpenClaw Matrix bot can effectively serve users across all these platforms through Matrix bridges, providing unified AI assistance.

Setup Guide

Prerequisites: Matrix Homeserver

Ensure you have access to a Matrix homeserver. You can use a public homeserver, your organization's server, or deploy your own. For full control, self-hosting is recommended.

# Option 1: Use matrix.org (public)
# Register at https://app.element.io

# Option 2: Deploy Synapse (most popular homeserver)
sudo apt install matrix-synapse-py3
sudo systemctl enable matrix-synapse
sudo systemctl start matrix-synapse

# Option 3: Deploy Dendrite (newer, more efficient)
# https://matrix-org.github.io/dendrite/installation

# Option 4: Deploy Conduit (Rust, resource-efficient)
# https://conduit.rs

Create Bot Account

Register a dedicated Matrix account for your OpenClaw bot. Use registration tokens or admin API depending on your homeserver configuration.

# Using Element or any Matrix client:
# 1. Register new account on your homeserver
# 2. Set display name: "OpenClaw AI"
# 3. Set avatar image

# Or using Synapse admin API:
curl -X POST "https://your-homeserver/_synapse/admin/v1/register" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ADMIN_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "nonce": "NONCE_FROM_SERVER",
    "username": "openclaw",
    "password": "SECURE_PASSWORD",
    "displayname": "OpenClaw AI",
    "admin": false
  }'

# Note the user ID: @openclaw:your-homeserver.com

Install Matrix Bridge Module

Add the Matrix bridge to your OpenClaw installation. The bridge uses matrix-js-sdk for protocol communication and handles encryption, room management, and message processing.

# Using OpenClaw CLI
openclaw install matrix-bridge

# Or manual installation
cd /path/to/openclaw
npm install @openclaw/matrix-bridge

# This installs matrix-js-sdk and related packages
npm install matrix-js-sdk

# For E2EE support (recommended)
npm install @matrix-org/olm

# Verify installation
openclaw plugins list | grep matrix

Configure Matrix Connection

Create your Matrix configuration file with account credentials, homeserver URL, and processing settings. Configure encryption and room behavior.

# config/matrix.yaml
matrix:
  enabled: true
  
  # Account settings
  homeserver: "https://your-homeserver.com"
  user_id: "@openclaw:your-homeserver.com"
  access_token: "YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN"
  # Or use password login:
  # password: "YOUR_PASSWORD"
  
  # Device settings (for E2EE)
  device_id: "OPENCLAW_BOT"
  device_name: "OpenClaw AI Assistant"
  
  # Storage for crypto keys (E2EE)
  store_path: "./data/matrix-store"
  
  # Encryption settings
  encryption:
    enabled: true
    verify_devices: false  # Auto-verify for bot use
    backup_key: true

Configure Room Behavior

Set up how OpenClaw behaves in Matrix rooms. Configure invite acceptance, mention requirements, and per-room settings.

# config/matrix-rooms.yaml
rooms:
  # Auto-join settings
  auto_join:
    enabled: true
    require_invite: true  # Only join when invited
    allowed_servers: []   # Empty = all servers, or list specific ones
    blocked_servers: []   # Block specific servers
  
  # Message handling
  messages:
    require_mention: true  # Only respond when mentioned
    mention_patterns:
      - "@openclaw"
      - "!ai"
      - "OpenClaw"
    respond_to_dm: true   # Always respond in DMs
    respond_in_thread: true  # Use threads when available
  
  # Per-room overrides
  room_settings:
    "!roomid:your-server.com":
      require_mention: false  # Respond to all messages
      ai_personality: "technical_expert"

Configure AI Response Behavior

Set up how OpenClaw processes messages and formats responses. Configure personality, response limits, and special handlers.

# config/matrix-ai.yaml
ai_responses:
  # Response formatting
  format:
    max_length: 16000  # Matrix allows longer messages
    use_markdown: true
    use_html: true  # Matrix supports HTML formatting
    split_long_messages: true
  
  # Message context
  context:
    history_limit: 50  # Messages to consider
    include_thread: true
    include_room_topic: true
  
  # Media handling
  media:
    images: analyze_and_respond
    files: process_and_respond
    audio: transcribe_and_respond
    max_file_size_mb: 100
  
  # Reactions
  reactions:
    acknowledge_with: "<3"  # React to show message received
    success: "<2"
    error: "<2"
  
  # Commands
  commands:
    prefix: "!"
    enabled:
      - help
      - settings
      - clear

Set Up E2EE Support

Configure end-to-end encryption support for participating in encrypted rooms. This requires additional setup for key management.

# Encryption requires persistent storage for keys
mkdir -p ./data/matrix-store

# Initialize encryption on first run
openclaw matrix init-crypto

# Cross-sign the device (if using interactive verification)
# Or configure auto-verification for bot use

# config/matrix-crypto.yaml
crypto:
  # Key backup
  backup:
    enabled: true
    passphrase: "YOUR_BACKUP_PASSPHRASE"
  
  # Cross-signing
  cross_signing:
    enabled: true
    auto_sign: true
  
  # Device verification
  device_verification:
    auto_verify_own_devices: true
    trust_on_first_use: true

Test and Deploy

Start your OpenClaw Matrix bot and verify it's working correctly. Test in both unencrypted and encrypted rooms.

# Start the Matrix bridge
openclaw matrix start

# Check connection status
openclaw matrix status

# View real-time logs
openclaw logs matrix --follow

# Test from a Matrix client:
# 1. Invite @openclaw:your-server.com to a room
# 2. Send a message mentioning the bot
# 3. Verify response

# Test encryption
# 1. Create an encrypted room
# 2. Invite the bot
# 3. Send encrypted message
# 4. Verify bot can decrypt and respond

What You Can Do

Private Team AI

Deploy AI assistance for your organization entirely on your infrastructure. Team members chat with OpenClaw in Matrix rooms, getting help with work while keeping all data internal. No external APIs, no cloud dependencies, complete control.

Community Moderation

Add OpenClaw to public Matrix communities for automated moderation, FAQ answers, and community engagement. The bot can help manage large communities, answer repeated questions, and maintain healthy discussions.

Federated AI Network

Create a network of OpenClaw bots across federated homeservers. Each organization hosts their own instance, but users can interact across server boundaries. Collaborative AI while maintaining data sovereignty.

Multi-Platform Hub

Use Matrix bridges to bring OpenClaw to Slack, Discord, IRC, and more. One OpenClaw instance serves users across all bridged platforms. Unified AI assistance without managing multiple integrations.

Research Collaboration

Academic and research teams can use Matrix for secure collaboration with AI assistance. Discuss papers, analyze data, organize research - all in encrypted rooms that meet institutional requirements.

Open Source Projects

Add OpenClaw to open source project Matrix rooms. Help contributors with documentation, answer questions about the codebase, assist with issue triage, and improve project accessibility.

Healthcare Communication

Healthcare organizations can use self-hosted Matrix with OpenClaw for compliant AI-assisted communication. With proper configuration, this can meet HIPAA and other healthcare privacy requirements.

Government and Defense

Highly regulated environments can deploy air-gapped Matrix networks with local AI models. Complete isolation from external networks while still providing advanced AI capabilities to users.

IoT Command Center

Use Matrix as the backbone for IoT communication with AI orchestration. OpenClaw processes commands, coordinates devices, and provides a natural language interface to complex IoT systems.

Known Limitations

E2EE verification can be complex - new devices require key verification
Federation adds latency - messages to other servers take longer
Matrix protocol is complex - debugging issues requires Matrix expertise
Homeserver resources scale with users - large deployments need careful capacity planning
Some Matrix clients have limited E2EE support, affecting encrypted room participation
File upload limits vary by homeserver configuration
Rich content (polls, location sharing) has inconsistent client support
Bot presence in rooms may not update in real-time across all clients
Matrix Spaces support is newer and may have edge cases
Historical messages require additional API calls to fetch, impacting context retrieval speed
Our team can help you work around these limitations with custom configurations

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Matrix homeserver should I use?

For self-hosting: Synapse is the reference implementation with the most features but requires more resources. Dendrite is newer, more efficient, and good for medium deployments. Conduit is Rust-based, very efficient, suitable for smaller deployments or resource-constrained environments. For managed hosting, consider Element Server Suite or various Matrix hosting providers. If you just want to test, matrix.org is free but public.

How does federation work with OpenClaw?

Federation allows your OpenClaw bot on server A to interact with users on servers B, C, etc. When a user from another server invites your bot to a room, federation handles the cross-server communication. The bot sees and responds to messages from all servers. You can limit federation to specific servers or disable it entirely for internal-only deployments. Federation is optional - internal deployments work fine without it.

Is end-to-end encryption really end-to-end with a bot?

Yes, Matrix E2EE is true end-to-end. Messages are encrypted by the sender and only decrypted by intended recipients - including your bot. The homeserver never sees plaintext. Your bot needs proper key management to participate in E2EE rooms. This means storing cryptographic keys securely, handling key verification, and managing key backup. The encryption is as strong as you configure it to be.

Can I use Matrix bridges with OpenClaw?

Yes, this is powerful. Matrix bridges like mautrix-slack, mautrix-discord, and others bring messages from other platforms into Matrix. Your OpenClaw bot sees these bridged messages as regular Matrix messages and responds. The response bridges back to the original platform. This lets one OpenClaw instance serve users on Slack, Discord, IRC, Telegram, and more through a single Matrix integration.

How do I handle key verification in E2EE rooms?

For bot use, configure auto-verification and trust-on-first-use. This automatically verifies devices without interactive verification (which isn't practical for bots). The tradeoff is security - a compromised device could be auto-trusted. For high-security deployments, implement monitoring for new devices and alert on unexpected verifications. Key backup ensures you don't lose access if the bot restarts.

What happens if my homeserver goes down?

If your homeserver is down, the bot cannot receive or send messages. For federated rooms, other servers may queue messages, but delivery depends on your server returning. For high availability, consider Synapse in clustered mode with PostgreSQL replication, or use load-balanced Dendrite instances. Regular backups ensure you can recover state if needed.

Can OpenClaw create and manage Matrix rooms?

Yes, with proper permissions. The bot can create rooms, set room topics, manage room settings, invite users, and moderate (kick/ban). Configure these capabilities in your matrix.yaml and ensure the bot account has appropriate power levels in the rooms where it needs administrative functions. For user safety, consider limiting these capabilities to specific trusted rooms.

How do I scale Matrix + OpenClaw for many users?

Matrix scales horizontally. Synapse supports workers that distribute load across multiple processes. Dendrite is designed for horizontal scaling. For OpenClaw, ensure your AI processing can handle the message volume - consider running multiple OpenClaw instances with a message queue. Monitor homeserver resources, especially database and memory. Large deployments benefit from PostgreSQL tuning and proper caching.

What clients work best with OpenClaw bots?

Element (web, desktop, mobile) is the most feature-complete and what most users will use. It fully supports E2EE, threads, reactions, and rich content. FluffyChat is good for mobile. Cinny and Hydrogen are lightweight web options. nheko and Quaternion are desktop alternatives. For your bot, client doesn't matter - it uses the Matrix API directly. Ensure your responses render well in popular clients.

How does Matrix compare to Slack/Discord for AI integration?

Matrix offers more control but requires more setup. With Slack/Discord, you're on their infrastructure following their rules. With Matrix, you host everything and control everything. For organizations requiring data sovereignty, compliance, or independence from big tech, Matrix is compelling. For ease of use and existing user bases, Slack/Discord may be more practical. Matrix bridges let you have both - self-host Matrix while bridging to where users already are.

Ready for Truly Decentralized AI?

Let our team handle the integration. Book a free consultation and we'll set up Matrix + OpenClaw so you get AI assistance without compromises - self-hosted, federated, encrypted, and fully under your control.

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