Official Guide

Get Started with OpenClaw

Your journey to AI autonomy starts here. Follow these steps to install your own personal agent.

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1

Prerequisites

Before you invite a space lobster into your machine, ensure you have:

Hardware

  • Mac (M1 or newer recommended)
  • Windows (WSL2 recommended)
  • Linux (Ubuntu 22.04+)
  • 8GB RAM minimum (16GB preferred)

Software

  • Node.js v20+
  • Docker (optional but recommended)
  • Git
2

Installation

The easiest way to install OpenClaw is via the CLI.

bash
npx openclaw@latest init

This command will:

  • Check your system compatibility
  • Download the core OpenClaw engine
  • Create a ~/.openclaw configuration folder
  • Prompt you to select your preferred LLM provider (Anthropic, OpenAI, or Local)
ℹ️
Note for Windows Users: We strongly recommend running this inside WSL2 (Ubuntu) for the best experience with file system permissions.
3

Configuration

Once installed, you can talk to your agent via the terminal:

...
bash
openclaw chat

Connecting Chat Apps

To make your agent useful, connect it to where you hang out. Run:

...
bash
openclaw connect telegram

Follow the prompts to enter your Bot Token (get this from BotFather on Telegram). You can repeat this for Discord, Slack, or WhatsApp.

4

Safety First

⚠️
Critical Warning: OpenClaw has real access to your system.
Read the full Security Risk Analysis before proceeding.
Verify First
Local-only check
By default, OpenClaw runs in "Ask Permission" mode. It will ask you before executing any shell command or modifying files. Do not disable this until you are comfortable with how it behaves.
Your API keys are stored in ~/.openclaw/config.yaml. Ensure this file is never shared or committed to public version control.

🛠️ Troubleshooting

Invalid API Key

Ensure your keys (Anthropic, OpenAI, etc.) are complete and include any required prefixes. Double-check your ~/.openclaw/config.yaml or your project's .env file.

Permission Denied (MacOS)

OpenClaw requires specific permissions for background tasks. If an agent fails to run a command, check System Settings > Privacy & Security and ensure your terminal has "Full Disk Access".

Node.js Version Conflict

The framework requires Node.js 18+. If you encounter "Module not found" or syntax errors, verify your version with node -v and update if necessary.

Port Conflicts (5173)

If the monitoring dashboard fails to start, ensure port 5173 is not being used by another Vite application. You can force a port in vite.config.js.