If OpenClaw is already running as a background service, restart it via the OpenClaw Mac app or by stopping and restarting the `openclaw gateway run` process.

For managed service installs, run `openclaw gateway install` from a shell where `DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN` is present, or store the variable in `~/.openclaw/.env`, so the service can resolve the env SecretRef after restart.

If your host is blocked or rate-limited by Discord's startup application lookup, set `channels.discord.applicationId` to the application's client ID from the Developer Portal so startup can skip that REST call.

If your host is blocked or rate-limited by Discord's startup application lookup, set the Discord application/client ID from the Developer Portal so startup can skip that REST call. Use `channels.discord.applicationId` for the default account, or `channels.discord.accounts.<accountId>.applicationId` when you run multiple Discord bots.

</Step>

For scripted or remote setup, write the same JSON5 block with `openclaw config patch --file ./discord.patch.json5 --dry-run` and then rerun without `--dry-run`. Plaintext `token` values are supported. SecretRef values are also supported for `channels.discord.token` across env/file/exec providers. See [Secrets Management](/gateway/secrets).

For multiple Discord bots, keep each bot token and application ID under its account. A top-level `channels.discord.applicationId` is inherited by accounts, so only set it there when every account should use the same application ID.

```json5

{

channels: {

discord: {

enabled: true,

accounts: {

personal: {

token: { source: "env", provider: "default", id: "DISCORD_PERSONAL_TOKEN" },

applicationId: "111111111111111111",

},

work: {

token: { source: "env", provider: "default", id: "DISCORD_WORK_TOKEN" },

applicationId: "222222222222222222",

},

},

},

},

}

```

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