OpenClaw presents itself as a "universal application platform" designed to simplify the deployment, scaling, and management of applications, regardless of the underlying infrastructure. At its core, OpenClaw aims to abstract away the complexities of cloud providers, Kubernetes, and container orchestration, allowing developers to focus purely on their code.

Understanding the OpenClaw Vision and Moltbot's Role

The OpenClaw website highlights a key problem: the increasing complexity of modern infrastructure. Developers often find themselves spending more time managing servers, containers, and cloud configurations than actually building features. OpenClaw's promise is to provide a unified platform that makes deployment "boringly simple," while also offering the flexibility to run applications anywhere—from your local machine to private data centers or public clouds.

Getting Started with OpenClaw: Your Fast Track to install and use it

This guide will walk you through setting up your first OpenClaw chat application, from initial installation to a fully functional conversational agent. Our goal is to get you up and running as quickly as possible, with sensible defaults for a seamless experience.

Recommended Path: CLI Onboarding Wizard

For a more flexible setup, including model authentication, gateway settings, and channel configuration, we recommend using the CLI onboarding wizard.

1. Prerequisites:
   • Node.js: Ensure you have Node.js version 22 or higher installed.
   • pnpm (Optional but Recommended): For those building from source, pnpm is recommended.
   • Brave Search API Key (Recommended): For web search capabilities, obtain a Brave Search API key. Configure it by running openclaw configure --section web.
   • macOS: Install Xcode or its Command Line Tools if you plan to build applications. For CLI and gateway only, Node.js is sufficient.
   • Windows: Strongly Recommended: Use WSL2 (Ubuntu is preferred). Install WSL2 first, then follow the Linux steps within your WSL environment. Native Windows is largely untested and may present compatibility issues.

2. Install the CLI:
   • Linux/macOS:

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

   • Windows (PowerShell):

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

   • Alternative (Global npm/pnpm install):

     npm install -g openclaw@latest
     # OR
     pnpm add -g openclaw@latest

3. Run the Onboarding Wizard:
   • Execute the wizard and install the background service:

     openclaw onboard --install-daemon

* The wizard will guide you through:
* Local vs. Remote Gateway: Choose your gateway deployment.
* Authentication: Select between OpenAI Code (Codex) subscription (OAuth recommended) or API keys. For Anthropic, API keys are recommended.
* Providers: Configure channels like WhatsApp (QR login), Telegram/Discord bot tokens, or Mattermost plugin tokens.
* Daemon: Install as a background service (launchd for macOS, systemd for Linux/WSL2).
* Runtime: Node.js is recommended and required for WhatsApp/Telegram.
* Gateway Token: The wizard will generate and store a gateway token.

4. Auth: Where Credentials Live (Important):
   • Anthropic: Set an API key (wizard can store it for service use).
   • OAuth (Legacy): ~/.openclaw/credentials/oauth.json
   • Auth Profiles (OAuth + API keys): ~/.openclaw/agents/<agentId>/agent/auth-profiles.json
   • Headless/Server Tip: Perform OAuth on a desktop machine first, then copy oauth.json to your gateway host.
     

Starting the Gateway

If you installed the service during onboarding, your Gateway should already be running.

1. Check Gateway Status:

   openclaw gateway status

2. Manual Run (Foreground):

   openclaw gateway --port 18789 --verbose

3. Access Dashboard: http://127.0.0.1:18789/
   • If a token is configured, paste it into the Control UI settings (stored as connect.params.auth.token).
   • Bun Warning: If using WhatsApp or Telegram, run the Gateway with Node.js due to known Bun issues.
     

Quick Verification (2 Minutes)

Perform a quick system check to ensure everything is configured correctly.

1. Overall Status:

   openclaw status

2. Health Check:

   openclaw health

3. Security Audit (Deep):

   openclaw security audit --deep

Pair and Connect Your First Chat Surface

WhatsApp (QR Login)

openclaw channels login

Scan the QR code via WhatsApp → Settings → Linked Devices.

DM Safety (Pairing Approvals)

By default, direct messages from unknown contacts receive a short code, and messages are not processed until approved.

1. List Pairings:

   openclaw pairing list whatsapp

2. Approve Pairing:

   openclaw pairing approve whatsapp <code>

Running from Source (Development)

If you're contributing to OpenClaw, follow these steps to run from the source code.

1. Clone the Repository:

   git clone https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw.git
   cd openclaw

2. Install Dependencies:

   pnpm install
   pnpm ui:build # Auto-installs UI dependencies on first run
   pnpm build

3. Onboard and Install Daemon:

   openclaw onboard --install-daemon

   • If you don't have a global install, run pnpm openclaw ... from the repo for onboarding.
   • pnpm build also bundles A2UI assets. To run just that step, use pnpm canvas:a2ui:bundle.
4. Gateway (from this repo):

   node openclaw.mjs gateway --port 18789 --verbose

Verify End-to-End

Send a test message to confirm your setup is fully functional.

1. Send a Test Message (in a new terminal):

   openclaw message send --target <your contact number> --message "Hello from OpenClaw"

Setting up your own personal assistant

OpenClaw acts as the bridge between your chosen messaging platform and your Pi agent, enabling seamless communication and execution of tasks. This "personal assistant" configuration dedicates one WhatsApp number to your agent, ensuring focused and direct interaction.

Prioritizing Security: A Critical First Step

Before diving into the setup, it's crucial to understand the capabilities and potential risks associated with empowering a digital agent. Your OpenClaw agent, depending on its configuration, can:

• Execute commands on your machine.
• Read and write files within its designated workspace.
• Send messages through connected platforms.

To mitigate these risks, a conservative approach is highly recommended:

1. Restrict Access: Always configure channels.whatsapp.allowFrom to a specific list of trusted numbers. Never expose your personal Mac to an "open-to-the-world" setup.
2. Dedicated Number: Utilize a separate, dedicated WhatsApp number (SIM/eSIM/prepaid) for your assistant. This isolates the agent's communications from your personal chats.
3. Heartbeat Control: OpenClaw agents have a default heartbeat every 30 minutes. Initially, disable this proactive mode by setting agents.defaults.heartbeat.every: "0m" until you have full confidence in your agent's behavior and configuration.

Getting Started: Prerequisites and Installation

Installation is straightforward:

npm install -g openclaw@latest
# Or, if you prefer pnpm:
pnpm add -g openclaw@latest

For those interested in development or running from source:

git clone https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw.git
cd openclaw
pnpm install
pnpm ui:build # Auto-installs UI dependencies on first run
pnpm build
pnpm link --global

The Recommended Two-Phone Setup

5-minute quick start

Pair WhatsApp Web (shows QR; scan with the assistant phone):

openclaw channels login

Start the Gateway (leave it running):

openclaw gateway --port 18789

Put a minimal config in ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json:

{
  channels: { whatsapp: { allowFrom: ["your phone number"] } },
}

Now message the assistant number from your allowlisted phone.
When onboarding finishes, we auto-open the dashboard with your gateway token and print the tokenized link.

For optimal separation and to prevent unintended agent input from your personal messages, the two-phone setup is highly recommended.

Conclusion

In conclusion, OpenClaw provides an innovative and unified platform that significantly simplifies application deployment and management across diverse infrastructures. By abstracting away underlying complexities, it empowers developers to focus on what truly matters: writing code. Moltbot serves as the intuitive interface, translating intricate operations into straightforward commands, thereby embodying OpenClaw's commitment to "boringly simple" deployment.

This guide has walked you through the essential steps to get started, from initial installation via the CLI onboarding wizard to configuring gateways and channels like WhatsApp. With quick verification steps and options for both immediate chat experiences and in-depth development, you're now equipped to leverage OpenClaw's power. By following these instructions, you can swiftly deploy and manage your applications, experiencing firsthand the efficiency and flexibility that OpenClaw and Moltbot bring to modern development workflows.