Install & First Run

Get OpenClaw running on your machine in under 5 minutes.

1. Prerequisites

• Node.js 22+
• An AI API key (Anthropic Claude recommended, or OpenAI)
• Optional: A chat platform account (WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, etc.)

2. Install OpenClaw

Install globally via npm:

npm install -g openclaw@latest

Or use the one-line installer:

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

Or build from source via GitHub: github.com/openclaw/openclaw

3. Run the Onboarding Wizard

openclaw onboard --install-daemon

The wizard walks you through:

• AI model selection — Claude, GPT-4, or Gemini
• Channel setup — connect your preferred messaging platform
• Security settings — API key storage, permissions
• Daemon installation — launchd (macOS) or systemd (Linux)

4. Your First Conversation

Once onboarding completes, OpenClaw runs as a background daemon. Send a message from your configured channel (WhatsApp, Telegram, etc.) or use the CLI:

openclaw chat "What can you do?"

Or open the dashboard:

openclaw dashboard

5. Verify Setup

openclaw doctor

This checks:

• Node.js version
• Gateway health
• Channel connections
• Model authentication

Troubleshooting

• Check logs: openclaw logs
• Gateway status: openclaw gateway status
• Community: discord.gg/w2sKrd9cSH

Next Steps

• Workspace Config — shape your assistant with AGENTS.md, SOUL.md, TOOLS.md
• Channels — connect to WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord
• Skills & ClawHub — browse 565+ community skills