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      • OpenClaw Installation & Usage

      This chapter walks you through installation, initialization, and your first conversation via the Dashboard and chat apps.

      System Requirements

      • OS: macOS, Linux, Windows
      • Runtime: Node.js 22+
      • Hardware: minimum 2GB RAM / 2 cores (basic chat); 4GB+ recommended for browser automation
      • Runs on old laptops, Docker containers, or a $5/month VPS

      One-Line Install

      macOS / Linux:

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

      Windows (PowerShell):

      iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1 | iex

      The installer comes from the network — understand what it does before running. For production, try it first on an isolated machine.

      Initialize: onboard

      After installing, run the onboarding wizard and install the persistent daemon:

      openclaw onboard --install-daemon

      The wizard guides you through the model provider and keys, the chat platforms to connect, basic tool policies, and more.

      Check the gateway status:

      openclaw gateway status

      Open the Dashboard

      OpenClaw ships a local web console:

      openclaw dashboard

      Then open in your browser:

      http://127.0.0.1:18789/

      The control plane listens on WebSocket :18789. Do not expose this port to the public internet, and keep it updated (see Security).

      To run the gateway on a custom port:

      openclaw gateway --port 18789

      Your First Conversation

      After onboarding you can chat with OpenClaw two ways:

      1) Dashboard (fastest to verify): type directly into the chat box at http://127.0.0.1:18789/, e.g.:

      Hi, introduce yourself and tell me which tools you can access right now.

      2) Chat app: message your bot on a connected platform (e.g., Telegram). See Message Channels.

      Try a real task:

      Create a "notes" folder in the current workspace and add a README.md describing its purpose.

      For risky actions like writes/deletes, OpenClaw asks for your approval per the tool policy before executing.

      Common Commands

      CommandPurpose
      openclaw onboard --install-daemonOnboard and install the daemon
      openclaw gateway statusShow gateway status
      openclaw gateway --port 18789Start the gateway on a port
      openclaw dashboardOpen the local web console

      Commands vary by version; run openclaw --help for the current full list.

      Deploy as a Persistent Service

      To keep OpenClaw online 24×7 (great for a VPS):

      • --install-daemon installs a system daemon
      • Or keep the gateway running with systemd / pm2 / Docker
      • Ensure auto-restart on crash, and periodically git-back up ~/.openclaw

      Updating

      OpenClaw iterates fast and has had a critical vulnerability — keep it updated to the latest (at least 2026.1.29 or newer, see Security). Use the update command per the official repo.

      Next Steps