Rocket.Chat

Rocket.Chat channel plugin for OpenClaw. Connect via mobile app, ideal for China mainland users.

The Rocket.Chat plugin bridges OpenClaw with Rocket.Chat — the popular open-source team communication platform that serves as a self-hosted alternative to Slack. This integration is particularly valuable for China mainland users, where many Western messaging platforms are restricted or unreliable. Rocket.Chat's self-hosted nature means it can run within local networks and comply with data sovereignty requirements. The plugin connects to Rocket.Chat via its REST API and real-time WebSocket protocol, allowing bidirectional messaging between Rocket.Chat channels and the OpenClaw gateway. It supports direct messages, channel participation, and group conversations. The architecture follows OpenClaw's channel plugin pattern, registering as a bot user within Rocket.Chat and processing messages through webhooks or WebSocket subscriptions. With ~51 weekly downloads and version 0.7.17, this is a newer, smaller community plugin maintained by @kxiandaoyan. The relatively low download count reflects both the niche intersection of Rocket.Chat and OpenClaw users, and the plugin's pre-1.0 status. However, the demand is real — multiple GitHub issues (#7520, #16926) from the OpenClaw community have requested Rocket.Chat integration, particularly from users in self-hosted and enterprise environments. Ideal for teams running self-hosted Rocket.Chat instances who want AI assistant capabilities, especially in regions where Telegram, Discord, or Slack may be restricted. Not recommended for new users looking for the easiest setup — consider Telegram or Discord instead.

Tags: channel, messaging, self-hosted

Use Cases

AI assistant for self-hosted enterprise teams using Rocket.Chat
OpenClaw integration in China mainland where Telegram/Discord/Slack may be restricted
Privacy-compliant AI agent that keeps all data within your own infrastructure
Team knowledge base assistant accessible through existing Rocket.Chat channels
Automated customer support bot for Rocket.Chat-based helpdesks

Tips

Create a dedicated bot user in Rocket.Chat with a clear name like 'openclaw-bot' to avoid confusion
Use Rocket.Chat's admin panel to restrict which channels the bot can access
For China mainland deployments, host both Rocket.Chat and OpenClaw on the same local network for best performance
Pin the plugin version in production — pre-1.0 plugins may have breaking changes between minor versions
Test the WebSocket connection stability before deploying to production

Known Issues & Gotchas

Rocket.Chat bot users need specific permissions — ensure the bot role has 'send-message' and 'view-room' at minimum
WebSocket connections can drop on unstable networks — the plugin may not auto-reconnect reliably in v0.7.x
Rocket.Chat's API differs between versions — confirm your server version is compatible with the plugin
China mainland users: Rocket.Chat's releases.rocket.chat domain is blocked — use a local mirror or manual installation
The plugin may not handle Rocket.Chat's E2E encryption — messages in encrypted rooms may not be readable
Bot responses in public channels are visible to everyone — configure channel access carefully

Alternatives

Slack (via OpenClaw native)
Mattermost
Discord

Community Feedback

I would like to see it integrate with Rocket.Chat. I would like it to work like Telegram. I host my own Rocket.Chat, but it can be cloud hosted also.
— GitHub Issue #7520

Rocket.Chat is a popular open-source team communication platform, widely used in self-hosted environments. Adding support would allow Clawdbot to serve enterprise and privacy-conscious teams.
— GitHub Issue #16926

Want something like OpenClaw that integrates with Rocket.Chat or MatterMost? The demand for self-hosted AI assistants in enterprise messaging platforms is growing.
— Reddit r/txtai

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is this plugin described as 'ideal for China mainland users'?

Many popular messaging platforms (Telegram, Discord, Slack) are restricted or unreliable in mainland China. Rocket.Chat is self-hosted, meaning it runs on your own servers within China, avoiding firewall issues entirely. This makes it one of the best options for Chinese teams wanting an AI assistant.

Is this plugin production-ready?

At version 0.7.x, it's considered beta. It works for basic messaging but may lack advanced features like threads, reactions, or rich media. Test thoroughly before deploying to a production team.

Do I need a Rocket.Chat cloud subscription?

No. Rocket.Chat is open source and can be fully self-hosted for free. The plugin works with both self-hosted and Rocket.Chat cloud instances. Self-hosting gives you complete data control.

Can the bot respond in multiple Rocket.Chat channels?

Yes, the bot can be configured to listen and respond in multiple channels. Use the allowedChannels config to restrict which channels the bot participates in, or leave it open for all channels the bot user has access to.

How does this compare to Mattermost integration?

Both are open-source team chat platforms with OpenClaw plugins. Choose based on which your team already uses. Rocket.Chat has a larger global install base and better mobile apps; Mattermost has stronger developer tooling.

Will Rocket.Chat E2E encrypted rooms work?

The plugin likely cannot read messages in E2E encrypted rooms, as the bot would need the encryption keys. Stick to standard (server-side encrypted) rooms for bot interactions.

Configuration Examples

Basic Rocket.Chat connection

channels:
  rocketchat:
    enabled: true
    serverUrl: https://chat.example.com
    username: openclaw-bot
    password: YOUR_BOT_PASSWORD

Rocket.Chat with channel restrictions

channels:
  rocketchat:
    enabled: true
    serverUrl: https://chat.example.com
    username: openclaw-bot
    password: YOUR_BOT_PASSWORD
    allowedChannels:
      - general
      - ai-assistant
      - engineering

Installation

openclaw plugins install openclaw-rocketchat