Install OpenClaw — every path that actually works.

The fastest install for your situation depends on where you'll run OpenClaw and how long it needs to live. Pick a platform below and the rest of the page assumes that path.

• Node.js 22 or higher. Earlier versions break on the gateway's structured-clone usage.
• An LLM API key. Anthropic (Claude), OpenAI, OpenRouter, or a local Ollama install. You'll paste it during onboarding.
• 2 GB free RAM minimum, 4 GB recommended. Browser automation pushes that to 8 GB.
• A non-root user. If you're on a fresh VPS, create one before you run anything.

The official installer detects your OS, installs Node if it's missing, installs OpenClaw, and launches the conversational onboarding flow. Works on macOS and Linux out of the box.

curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install-cli.sh | bash

The onboarding wizard asks for:

• Install option (pick QuickStart)
• LLM provider (Anthropic, OpenAI, OpenRouter, or local Ollama)
• API key (paste it; never committed to git)
• Agent name (the one your channels will see)

If you'd rather manage Node and binaries yourself:

npm install -g @openclaw/cli
openclaw onboard

You get the same onboarding flow. Use this path when you want to pin a specific OpenClaw version, run multiple OpenClaw versions side by side, or integrate with an existing Node toolchain.

The recommended way to run OpenClaw long-term. Process isolation, easy updates, sane resource limits, and persistence that survives crashes.

services:
  openclaw:
    image: openclaw/openclaw:latest
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "127.0.0.1:18789:18789"
    volumes:
      - ./state:/root/.openclaw
    environment:
      - ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=${ANTHROPIC_API_KEY}
    deploy:
      resources:
        limits:
          memory: 4G

Then:

docker compose up -d
docker compose exec openclaw openclaw onboard

The full Docker setup (volumes, browser, updates, monitoring) is in the OpenClaw on Docker guide.

For 24/7 operation. Hetzner CPX21 (€7/mo) or DigitalOcean s-2vcpu-4gb ($14/mo) is the sweet spot for personal use. Pick the dedicated guide for the full hardening walk-through.

The minimum sequence on a fresh Ubuntu 24.04:

# As root
adduser openclaw
usermod -aG sudo openclaw
ssh-copy-id openclaw@your-vps-ip   # from your laptop

# As openclaw
curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install-cli.sh | bash
openclaw onboard
openclaw service install   # registers with systemd

Full guide: deploy OpenClaw on a VPS.

OpenClaw on Windows means OpenClaw on WSL2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux). PowerShell-only setups are not supported.

# In an admin PowerShell:
wsl --install -d Ubuntu

# Reboot if prompted, then in your new Ubuntu shell:
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_22.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt-get install -y nodejs
curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install-cli.sh | bash
openclaw onboard

After install, run these three commands. They should all return clean output.

openclaw gateway status
openclaw models list
openclaw chat

You have an agent that responds to chat. Now make it useful:

• Add a channel. Telegram is the easiest — 3 minutes from BotFather to working bot. See Telegram setup.
• Install a few skills. tavily-search for proper web search, imap-smtp-email for email. Browse ClawHub.
• Set a cron job. A daily 09:00 digest is the canonical "I love this thing" moment. See the tutorial.
• Lock it down. Run through the day-1 security checklist before you connect anything important.