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🌐 Gateway
The Gateway is the core service that keeps your assistant running 24/7.
What is the Gateway?
The Gateway is a background service that:
- Listens to all your connected channels (Telegram, WhatsApp, etc.)
- Routes messages to the AI agent
- Handles scheduled tasks (heartbeats, reminders)
- Manages tool execution and responses
Starting the Gateway
# Start in foreground
openclaw gateway start
# Start as background daemon
openclaw gateway start --daemon
Gateway Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
openclaw gateway start | Start the gateway |
openclaw gateway stop | Stop the gateway |
openclaw gateway restart | Restart the gateway |
openclaw gateway status | Check gateway status |
openclaw gateway logs | View gateway logs |
Running 24/7
Option 1: System Service (Recommended)
On macOS:
openclaw service install
openclaw service start
This creates a launchd service that starts automatically on boot.
Option 2: PM2
npm install -g pm2
pm2 start openclaw -- gateway start
pm2 save
pm2 startup
Option 3: VPS Deployment
For always-on operation without leaving your computer running, deploy to a VPS:
- Hostinger — Starting at $5/month
- DigitalOcean — $6/month droplets
- Vultr — $6/month with global locations
Heartbeats
Heartbeats are scheduled check-ins where your assistant can proactively reach out or perform tasks.
heartbeat: enabled: true schedule: "0 9 * * *" # Every day at 9 AM prompt: "Check for pending tasks and reminders"
Health Monitoring
Check gateway health:
openclaw status
This shows:
- Gateway status (running/stopped)
- Connected channels
- Active sessions
- Memory usage
Troubleshooting
If the gateway isn't starting, check:
- Logs:
openclaw gateway logs - Config:
openclaw config validate - Port conflicts: Default port is 3737