🕐 Always-On Guide

Run OpenClaw 24/7

Your AI assistant should never sleep. Here's how to set up OpenClaw to run around the clock — managing your life even while you rest.

Why Run OpenClaw 24/7?

📧

Email at 3am

OpenClaw can triage urgent emails and draft responses while you sleep

🌍

Global Availability

Chat with your AI from any timezone, any device, anywhere

⚡

Instant Automations

Cron jobs, scheduled tasks, and triggers run on time — every time

Setup Guide

Get a Mac Mini in the Cloud

The easiest way to run OpenClaw 24/7 is with a cloud-hosted Mac Mini. No hardware to maintain, no power bills, no internet outages.

5 min

We recommend HostMyApple — affordable Mac Mini hosting starting at $24.99/mo (or $21.24/mo with code OPENCLAW15).

Go to hostmyapple.com
Choose a Mac Mini plan (M1 8GB is plenty for OpenClaw)
Apply discount code OPENCLAW15 at checkout
You'll get SSH and VNC access within minutes

Get HostMyApple — 15% Off

Install OpenClaw

Once you have access to your Mac Mini, install OpenClaw with one command.

10 min

SSH into your Mac Mini and run:

# Install OpenClaw
curl -fsSL https://get.openclaw.ai | bash

# Follow the setup wizard
openclaw setup

The setup wizard will walk you through connecting your AI provider (Claude, GPT-4) and messaging platforms (Telegram, WhatsApp, etc.).

Configure Auto-Start

Make OpenClaw start automatically when the Mac boots — so it survives restarts and updates.

5 min

OpenClaw includes a built-in service manager:

# Enable auto-start on boot
openclaw service install

# Check status
openclaw service status

# View logs
openclaw service logs

This creates a launchd service that starts OpenClaw on boot and restarts it if it crashes.

Set Up Monitoring (Optional)

Get notified if OpenClaw goes offline. Peace of mind for your always-on assistant.

5 min

OpenClaw can ping you if something goes wrong:

# In your openclaw.yaml config:
monitoring:
  healthcheck:
    enabled: true
    interval: 5m
  alerts:
    telegram: true  # Get alerts via Telegram
    
# Or use external monitoring:
# - UptimeRobot (free)
# - Better Stack
# - Pingdom

Connect Your Channels

Link Telegram, WhatsApp, Discord, or email so you can chat with OpenClaw from anywhere.

10 min

Example: Connect Telegram for mobile access:

# In openclaw.yaml:
channels:
  telegram:
    enabled: true
    token: "your-bot-token"
    allowedUsers:
      - "your-telegram-id"

Now you can message your AI assistant from your phone, anywhere in the world, 24/7.

Total Setup Time

From zero to 24/7 AI assistant

~35 min

One-time setup

Pro Tips for 24/7 Reliability

💡 Use Cloud Hosting

Self-hosting at home means power outages and ISP issues affect your AI. Cloud hosting (like HostMyApple) has redundant power and internet.

💡 Enable Auto-Updates Carefully

macOS and OpenClaw updates can require restarts. Schedule updates for low-activity times and test in a staging environment first.

💡 Set Up Backups

Backup your OpenClaw memory and config regularly. Use Time Machine or automated scripts to an external location.

💡 Monitor Resource Usage

Watch CPU and memory with Activity Monitor or htop. If OpenClaw is using too much, you might need to optimize your skills or upgrade your plan.

Ready for Always-On AI?

Get a Mac Mini in the cloud and have OpenClaw running 24/7 today. Use code OPENCLAW15 for 15% off.

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