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Open Claw Setup: Installation & Configuration Guide

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Open Claw Setup: Installation & Configuration Guide

OpenClaw is a locally running AI Agent that can directly operate your computer, manage files, and interact with your system remotely via WhatsApp or Telegram.

πŸ—οΈ Architecture Overview

Your Chat App (WhatsApp / Telegram) β†’ Local Gateway β†’ AI Models & Tools Execution

1️⃣ Install OpenClaw CLI

Before starting, please ensure your system meets the following requirements.

Prerequisites

  • Node.js: Version β‰₯ 22
  • Windows Users: Must enable WSL2 (Ubuntu recommended)
  • Optional:
    • (For web search capabilities)

One-Click Installation

macOS / Linux

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

Windows (PowerShell)

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

πŸ’‘ Tip The installation process will automatically detect your system environment and download necessary components. Once finished, the terminal will display Installation Complete.

OpenClaw Installation

2️⃣ Initialization (Onboarding)

Run the following command to start the interactive setup wizard:

bash
openclaw onboard --install-daemon

πŸ”‘ Key Configuration Options

OptionRecommendationDescription
Local vs RemoteLocalRun locally, data stays on device
Auth ProviderOpenAI / AnthropicRecommended to use OAuth or API Key
ChannelsWhatsApp / TelegramChoose your platform to interact with Agent
DaemonYesRun in background, no need to keep terminal open
OpenClaw Onboarding

3️⃣ Start & Verify Gateway

If you installed the daemon during onboarding, the service will start automatically.

Manual Start / Debug Mode

bash
openclaw gateway --port 18789 --verbose

Verify Status

  • Web Console Visit:

  • Command Line Check

bash
openclaw statusopenclaw healthopenclaw security audit --deep

4️⃣ Pair Chat Account

πŸ“± WhatsApp (Scan to Login)

bash
openclaw channels login

The terminal will display a QR code:

  1. Open WhatsApp on your phone
  2. Settings β†’ Linked Devices
  3. Scan the QR code to finish login
OpenClaw Pairing

✈️ Telegram (Bot Token)

  1. Chat with @BotFather on Telegram to get a Bot Token
  2. Run the configuration command:
bash
openclaw configure \  --section channels \  --key telegram.token \  --value <YOUR_TOKEN>

πŸ›‘οΈ First Connection Approval (Pairing)

For security reasons, unknown private messages will not trigger any actions by default.

Procedure

  1. Send any message to your bot (e.g., Hello)
  2. View pending approvals:
bash
openclaw pairing list whatsapp
  1. Approve the connection:
bash
openclaw pairing approve whatsapp <code>

⚠️ Security Guidelines (Must Read)

🚨 Important Warning OpenClaw has file read/write and command execution permissions. Please use with caution.

  • Minimize Privileges: Do not run as root or administrator.
  • Strict Review: Never approve Pairing requests from unknown sources.
  • Human Confirmation: By default, dangerous operations (like deleting files) require secondary confirmation.
  • Isolation (Advanced): Recommended to run in Docker or a Virtual Machine.

❓ FAQ

Q1: Encountering EACCES: permission denied?

Reason: Previously ran with sudo, causing directory permission issues.

Solution:

bash
sudo chown -R $USER:$(id -gn) ~/.openclaw

Q2: Modified API Key but it's not working?

Check Steps:

  1. Open config file:
bash
~/.openclaw/gateway.json
  1. Must restart service after modification:
bash
Ctrl + Copenclaw gateway

πŸŽ‰ Success!

Now, just send a message in your chat app:

"Check what files are on my desktop"

Start your AI Local Automation Journey πŸš€