šŸ¦žOpenClaw Guide
šŸ“‹ Setup Guide

Setup OpenClaw

Get your personal AI assistant running in 15 minutes. No coding required ā€” just follow these steps.

ā±ļø 15 minutesā€¢šŸ†“ Free to startā€¢šŸ’» Mac / Linux / Cloud

Before You Start

šŸ’»macOS 13+ or Linux
šŸŸ¢Node.js 20+
šŸ”‘Claude or OpenAI API key
šŸ“±Telegram account (recommended)

Don't have an AI API key? Get Claude API key ($5 free credits for new accounts).

Setup Steps

1
Install OpenClaw
One command to download and install OpenClaw on your system.
2 min

Open Terminal and run:

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

This installs OpenClaw and all dependencies. Works on macOS and Linux.

Alternative: Install via npm
npm install -g openclaw
2
Run the Setup Wizard
Interactive wizard guides you through configuration.
5 min
openclaw setup

The wizard will ask for:

  • AI Provider ā€” Claude (recommended), GPT-4, or local models
  • API Key ā€” Your Anthropic or OpenAI key
  • Workspace ā€” Where OpenClaw stores memory and files
  • Channels ā€” Telegram, Discord, WhatsApp, or CLI-only
3
Connect a Channel
Link Telegram (easiest) so you can chat with OpenClaw from your phone.
5 min

Telegram Setup:

  1. Message @BotFather on Telegram
  2. Send /newbot and follow the prompts
  3. Copy the bot token (looks like 123456:ABC-DEF...)
  4. Paste it in the OpenClaw setup wizard
# Or add manually to openclaw.yaml:
channels:
  telegram:
    enabled: true
    token: "YOUR_BOT_TOKEN"
    allowedUsers:
      - "YOUR_TELEGRAM_ID"
4
Start OpenClaw
Launch your AI assistant and start chatting.
1 min
openclaw start

You should see:

āœ“ OpenClaw started
āœ“ Telegram connected
āœ“ Claude API ready

Your AI assistant is now online!
Message your Telegram bot to start chatting.
5
Test Your Setup
Send a message to verify everything works.
2 min

Open Telegram and message your bot:

"Hey, what can you help me with?"

OpenClaw should respond within seconds. If it doesn't, check the logs with openclaw logs.

šŸŽ‰

You're All Set!

OpenClaw is now running on your machine. Chat with it via Telegram, teach it about your work, and let it automate your tasks.

What's Next?

šŸ• Run 24/7
Host OpenClaw in the cloud so it's always available ā€” even when your laptop is off.
šŸ“± Advanced Telegram
Groups, inline buttons, voice messages, and more Telegram features.
ā˜ļø Hosting Options
Compare Mac Mini cloud hosting, VPS, and managed providers.
šŸ”§ Add Skills
Extend OpenClaw with email, calendar, GitHub, and custom integrations.

Troubleshooting

"command not found: openclaw"

Restart your terminal, or run: source ~/.bashrc (or ~/.zshrc)

Telegram bot not responding

Check your bot token is correct. Make sure your Telegram ID is in allowedUsers.

API key error

Verify your Claude/OpenAI key at console.anthropic.com or platform.openai.com

"Port already in use"

Another OpenClaw instance might be running. Run: openclaw stop, then try again.

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