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# Add Channels After Onboarding

> Add a messaging channel to an existing NemoClaw sandbox and rebuild the runtime safely.

Run channel commands from the host, not from inside the sandbox.

## Select and Add a Channel

List the supported channel names:

```bash
nemohermes my-assistant channels list
```

Add the channel you want:

```bash
nemohermes my-assistant channels add telegram
nemohermes my-assistant channels add discord
nemohermes my-assistant channels add slack
nemohermes my-assistant channels add wechat
nemohermes my-assistant channels add whatsapp
nemohermes my-assistant channels add teams
```

`channels add` accepts mixed-case input such as `Telegram`, then stores and prints the canonical lowercase name.
It collects the inputs the channel needs, registers bridge providers with the OpenShell gateway when it captures tokens, records the channel in the sandbox registry, and asks whether to rebuild immediately.

Telegram, Discord, Slack, and Microsoft Teams prompt for credentials and configuration.
WeChat runs an interactive host-side QR scan.
WhatsApp collects no token because pairing happens inside the rebuilt sandbox.

## Apply Policy and Rebuild

`channels add` requires the matching built-in network policy preset YAML.
A missing or malformed preset aborts before token prompts, registry writes, or the rebuild prompt, so the sandbox never advertises a channel without matching policy.
With the preset present, the command applies it before rebuild.

When policy application fails after a fresh add writes registry state, NemoClaw attempts to roll back the bridge providers, `messagingChannels` entry, and staged environment credentials.
It exits without prompting for a rebuild.
If a gateway-side cleanup step fails, rollback continues and prints `Rollback could not fully clean <surfaces>` so you can clean up manually.

When the same failure happens while re-adding an enabled channel, NemoClaw restores the prior `messagingChannels` entry, staged environment credentials when available, registry credential hashes, and prior bridge providers.
It flags `gateway-providers` as residual because the in-flight upsert can leave the gateway with the new token.

Verify the gateway bridge before relying on the channel.
Restore the preset YAML and rerun the original command.

Choose the rebuild so the running sandbox image picks up the new channel.
For Telegram, Discord, Slack, and Microsoft Teams, `channels add` checks the rebuilt runtime for the selected bridge and reports startup, credential, or missing-plugin warnings before returning.
If you defer the rebuild, apply the change later:

```bash
nemohermes my-assistant rebuild
```

## Add a Channel Non-Interactively

Set required environment variables before running `channels add`.
Missing credentials fail fast, and the command queues the change for a manual rebuild:

```bash
NEMOCLAW_NON_INTERACTIVE=1 TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN="<your-bot-token>" \
  nemohermes my-assistant channels add telegram
nemohermes my-assistant rebuild
```

Optional mention-mode settings that declare defaults are still written when unset.
Telegram mention mode defaults to `1`.
Discord mention mode defaults to `1` when `DISCORD_SERVER_ID` is set.

For Discord server access, include the server settings:

```bash
DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN="<your-discord-bot-token>" \
  DISCORD_SERVER_ID="<your-discord-server-id>" \
  DISCORD_REQUIRE_MENTION=1 \
  nemohermes my-assistant channels add discord
```

For Microsoft Teams, create the Teams app and public endpoint first:

```bash
MSTEAMS_APP_ID="<your-teams-app-id>" \
  MSTEAMS_APP_PASSWORD="<your-teams-client-secret>" \
  MSTEAMS_TENANT_ID="<your-teams-tenant-id>" \
  TEAMS_ALLOWED_USERS="<your-entra-object-id>" \
  MSTEAMS_PORT=3978 \
  nemohermes my-assistant channels add teams
```

After rebuild starts the Teams webhook forward, route the public HTTPS endpoint to `http://127.0.0.1:3978/api/messages` or the selected `MSTEAMS_PORT`.

## Add WeChat

`channels add wechat` renders a QR code, polls Tencent's iLink gateway, and captures the bot token plus `accountId`, `baseUrl`, and `userId` after you scan the QR.
The login has an eight-minute deadline and refreshes the QR up to three times on expiry.

Keep the terminal in the foreground until you see `✓ WeChat login confirmed`.

The command requires an interactive terminal.
`NEMOCLAW_NON_INTERACTIVE=1` fails fast because the QR handshake needs a paired phone.

```bash
nemohermes my-assistant channels add wechat
```

If `WECHAT_BOT_TOKEN` is already cached for this sandbox, the command reuses it and skips the QR scan so the upstream plugin's iLink session remains valid.
Use `channels remove wechat` first if you intend to acquire a fresh account.

## Verify Delivery

Send a message to the configured bot or app after the rebuild.
For Telegram, a Bot API `sendMessage` proves outbound delivery only.
To test inbound agent replies, send a message from the Telegram client as an allowed user and inspect the gateway log for the inbound turn and outbound reply.

## Related Topics

* [Choose Messaging Channels](choose-messaging-channels) for provider-specific prerequisites.
* [Manage Messaging Channels](manage-messaging-channels) to rotate, pause, resume, or remove channels.
* [Common Integration Policy Examples](../../network-policy/integration-policy-examples) for messaging presets.