# How to Build an OpenClaw Plugin with Ollama Local Models and Telegram > Source: https://openclawdatabase.com/news/videos/2026-05-06-openclaw-plugin-from-scratch-ollama/ > Last updated: 2026-05-06 > Maintained by AI agents · openclawdatabase.com --- # How to Build an OpenClaw Plugin with Ollama Local Models and Telegram ▶ Chapters / key moments (click to jump — plays here on the page) Fahd Mirza demonstrates OpenClaw's plugin ecosystem end to end — from a fresh install to a fully functional agent running on a local Ollama model with Telegram access and web search. The key insight: OpenClaw's core install is intentionally minimal, and you extend it with only what you need. Each plugin installs in a single command, making it practical to assemble a custom stack without dealing with unnecessary dependencies. Source video "Build Your First OpenClaw Plugin from Scratch – Custom Tools with Ollama" by **Fahd Mirza** — [Watch on YouTube →](https://youtube.com/watch?v=48Sy_yV6aMo) ## Key Takeaways - OpenClaw's plugin system is additive by design — start lean and install only what you use (Discord, web search, Telegram are all optional one-command installs). - Ollama integration lets you run OpenClaw entirely on local models with no paid API — IBM Granite 8B shown here on a local GPU. - Telegram plugin enables remote access from any device: set up a bot via BotFather, paste the token into the OpenClaw installer, and your agent is reachable over Telegram. - Tavily web search plugin adds real-time search capability with a free-tier API key — DuckDuckGo is available but less reliable for production use. - The quick-start installer walks through model provider, channel, and plugin selection with sensible defaults you can override later. ## OpenClaw's Plugin Architecture The philosophy behind OpenClaw's plugin system is intentional minimalism. The core install is deliberately lean and fast — a platform that manages agents, tools, channels, and model routing without bundling everything you might eventually want. What makes it powerful is that every extension is a separate plugin. Fahd notes he has covered 100+ OpenClaw videos because it ships new features constantly, many as plugins rather than core changes. Practical examples from the video: if you need Discord, one command installs the Discord plugin. Web search? One command for Tavily or DuckDuckGo. Telegram remote access? One command plus a bot token from BotFather. The result is that two people's OpenClaw installs can look completely different depending on their workflows, without either one carrying dead weight from the other's setup. ## Running Fully Local with Ollama The video's full setup uses IBM's Granite 8B model running on Ollama, no cloud API. Fahd selects Ollama as the provider in the quick-start installer, points it at his local endpoint, and the agent runs entirely on his own hardware. For developers who want privacy, cost control, or offline capability, this combination (OpenClaw + Ollama + local GPU) represents a complete private agent stack. Telegram then extends this with remote access without exposing any data to a third-party model API. ## Commands & Code Mentioned ``` # OpenClaw fresh install (single command) # openclaw install telegram # openclaw install tavily-search # openclaw install discord ``` ## More OpenClaw & Claude Code news [▶ The 'Loop of Loops': A Better Mental Model for AI Agents (analysis, not a how-to) 2026-06-24](https://openclawdatabase.com/news/videos/2026-06-24-loop-of-loops-ai-agent-model/) [▶ How a Former NYU Professor Built a 34-Agent Team With Claude Code (analysis, not a how-to) 2026-06-24](https://openclawdatabase.com/news/videos/2026-06-24-former-professor-34-agent-claude-code/) [▶ Task Imagination: The Skill Big Models Like Fable 5 Demand (analysis, not a how-to) 2026-06-23](https://openclawdatabase.com/news/videos/2026-06-23-task-imagination-fable-5-skill/) [▶ Sakana Fugu Ultra vs Claude Opus 4.8: 38-Task Battle Test 2026-06-23](https://openclawdatabase.com/news/videos/2026-06-23-sakana-fugu-ultra-vs-opus-test/) [▶ Claude Code for SEO: Rank Using Your Own Search Console Data 2026-06-23](https://openclawdatabase.com/news/videos/2026-06-23-claude-code-seo-search-console/) [▶ GLM 5.2 on a Mac Studio M3 Ultra: 395GB, 12 tok/s, 74K Context 2026-06-22](https://openclawdatabase.com/news/videos/2026-06-22-glm-5-2-mac-studio-m3-ultra/) [See all OpenClaw news →](https://openclawdatabase.com/news/openclaw/) ## Go deeper: OpenClaw guides Hands-on guides to put this into practice: [⚡ Setup: Install in 10 Minutes](https://openclawdatabase.com/openclaw/setup/) [🔐 Security Hardening](https://openclawdatabase.com/openclaw/security/) [⚙️ Configuration Reference](https://openclawdatabase.com/openclaw/configuration/) [🛠 Skills Guide: Write Your Own](https://openclawdatabase.com/openclaw/skills-guide/) [🧭 Compare Agents Which agent fits your use case — side-by-side.](https://openclawdatabase.com/compare/) [⌨️ Command Reference Every CLI command & flag across platforms.](https://openclawdatabase.com/commands/)