OpenClaw Setup Guide

1Overview

OpenClaw is a self-hosted AI agent platform. Unlike ChatGPT or Claude, it runs on YOUR infrastructure with YOUR data. You control everything: memory, tools, integrations, and privacy.

Prerequisites

• Basic command line comfort
• A credit card for hosting ($30-60/month)
• API keys for AI models (OpenAI, Anthropic, or local)
• 2-3 hours of setup time

2Choose Hosting $20-50/month

3Install OpenClaw

Option A: Railway (Recommended)

1. Fork the OpenClaw repo
2. Connect your Railway account to GitHub
3. Deploy from your fork with one click
4. Set environment variables in Railway dashboard

Option B: Docker

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw.git
cd openclaw

# Copy environment template
cp .env.example .env

# Edit your configuration
nano .env

# Start the container
docker-compose up -d

Option C: Direct Install

# Install Node.js 18+
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_18.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt-get install -y nodejs

# Clone and setup
git clone https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw.git
cd openclaw
npm install
npm run setup

4Configure Your Agent

Required Environment Variables

# AI Provider (pick one)
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your_key_here
OPENAI_API_KEY=your_key_here

# Agent Identity
AGENT_NAME=YourAgentName
AGENT_PERSONA=helpful_assistant

# Security
JWT_SECRET=random_32_char_string
ADMIN_PASSWORD=secure_password

# Optional Integrations
TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=your_bot_token
GITHUB_TOKEN=your_github_pat

AI Model Configuration

OpenClaw supports multiple AI providers. Choose based on your needs:

• Anthropic Claude: Best reasoning, safety-focused
• OpenAI GPT-4: Most capable, widely supported
• Local models: Privacy-focused, requires powerful hardware

5Create Your Workspace

The workspace is your agent's brain - where it stores memory, learns from conversations, and keeps project files.

Essential Files

• SOUL.md - Your agent's personality and values
• MEMORY.md - Long-term memory and learnings
• TOOLS.md - Available skills and integrations
• USER.md - Information about you (preferences, context)

Sample SOUL.md

# SOUL.md - Who You Are

You are a helpful AI assistant named [YourAgentName]. 

## Core Values
- Be genuinely helpful, not performatively helpful
- Protect user privacy and data
- Learn from mistakes and improve
- Be honest about limitations

## Personality
- Direct but kind communication style
- Curious about learning and improving
- Protective of user's time and attention

## Boundaries
- Never access private data without permission
- Ask before taking external actions
- Respect user's work-life balance

6Deploy & Test

First Boot

1. Start your OpenClaw instance
2. Visit the web dashboard (usually port 3000)
3. Complete the initial setup wizard
4. Test basic commands: "Hello", "What can you do?"

Integration Testing

• Test file operations: "Read my SOUL.md file"
• Test web browsing: "Search for OpenClaw documentation"
• Test memory: "Remember that my favorite color is blue"
• Test tools: "Create a simple Python script"

7Set Up Monitoring

Keep your agent healthy with automated monitoring and backups.

Built-in Health Checks

• Memory usage tracking
• API rate limit monitoring
• Error log analysis
• Response time metrics

Backup Strategy

1. Workspace backup: Git sync to private repository
2. Configuration backup: Environment variables stored securely
3. Database backup: Automated daily snapshots

Alert Setup

# Add to your cron or Railway monitoring
# Check agent health every 5 minutes
*/5 * * * * curl -f https://your-agent-domain.com/health || notify-failure

8Monthly Cost Breakdown

Cost Optimization Tips

• Start with smaller hosting plans and scale up
• Monitor AI API usage and set spending limits
• Use local models for development and testing
• Implement response caching for repeated queries