How to Set Up OpenClaw in 2026: The Complete Beginner Guide

You have heard about OpenClaw. It is the open-source AI agent platform everyone is talking about in 2026. But installing and configuring it for the first time can feel overwhelming if you do not know where to start.

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This guide walks you through the entire process — from a fresh terminal to a working AI assistant that you can message from your phone. No prior experience required.

What Is OpenClaw?

OpenClaw is an open-source AI gateway and agent platform. It connects language models (Claude, GPT, Gemini, DeepSeek) to your messaging apps, tools, and devices. Unlike ChatGPT which is a closed product, OpenClaw runs entirely on your hardware and gives you full control over your data and workflows.

Key capabilities:

• Connect to Telegram, Discord, Signal, WhatsApp, and 15+ channels
• Run agents that execute multi-step workflows autonomously
• Install skills for web search, browser, image generation, and more
• Use any LLM provider — Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, OpenRouter, local models
• Self-hosted — your data never leaves your machine

What Do You Need to Start?

Before installing, make sure you have:

• Node.js 22+ — Node 24 recommended. Check with node --version
• An API key from a model provider (Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, or OpenRouter)
• A terminal — macOS Terminal, Linux shell, or Windows PowerShell / WSL2

Windows users: WSL2 is more stable and recommended for the full experience.

How to Install OpenClaw

The fastest method is the official install script. Open your terminal and run:

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

Windows (PowerShell):

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

Alternative methods include npm, Docker, and Nix. npm users can install the package globally with npm install -g @openclaw/openclaw and verify it with openclaw --version. Docker users can pull the official image and run the Gateway in a container, which isolates the runtime from your host system and makes upgrades predictable. Whichever method you choose, the configuration steps below are identical — only the installation differs.

How to Configure OpenClaw

Once installed, run the onboarding wizard:

openclaw onboard --install-daemon

The wizard walks you through: choosing a model provider, entering your API key, setting up the Gateway as a background service, and configuring basic security. Takes about 2 minutes.

How to Verify the Gateway Is Running

openclaw gateway status

You should see the Gateway listening on port 18789. Then open the dashboard:

openclaw dashboard

If the Control UI loads in your browser, everything is working.

How to Connect Telegram

To chat from your phone:

1. Create a bot via @BotFather on Telegram
2. Copy the bot token
3. Run openclaw channel add telegram and paste the token
4. Message your bot — OpenClaw responds automatically

How to Install Skills

Install skills from ClawHub:

openclaw skill install web-search
openclaw skill install browser
openclaw skill install image-gen

Popular skills: web search, browser automation, file operations, image generation, weather, health checks, video generation.

What Is a SOUL.md?

Your SOUL.md defines your assistant personality. It is a markdown file that tells OpenClaw who you are and what boundaries to follow. You can edit it at ~/.openclaw/agents/<your-agent>/SOUL.md.

Is OpenClaw Secure?

OpenClaw runs entirely on your hardware. Remote node connections require WSS encryption. Run a security audit regularly:

openclaw security audit --deep --fix

The audit checks file permissions, reviews installed skills for unsafe operations, and confirms your API keys are stored with restricted access. Beyond automated checks, a few habits keep your setup locked down: never paste your daemon token into shared chats, revoke API keys you are no longer using, and review the skills you install from ClawHub before granting them broad permissions.

How to Update OpenClaw

OpenClaw ships frequent releases with new channels, skills, and security fixes. Updating is a two-step routine:

openclaw update
openclaw gateway restart

The first command pulls the latest version and the second restarts the Gateway so the changes take effect. If you installed via the install script, openclaw update upgrades the installation in place; npm users can also run npm update -g @openclaw/openclaw. Checking for updates monthly is a good habit, and you can see the current version any time with openclaw --version.

Troubleshooting

• Gateway won't start — Check port 18789. Run lsof -i :18789
• No AI response — Verify API key with openclaw config show
• Channel not connecting — Check the bot token is valid
• Skills not appearing — Restart the Gateway after installing a skill and confirm it shows up in openclaw skill list
• Slow replies — Switch to a faster model in your provider settings or check your network connection

Next Steps

Once running: write a custom SOUL.md, build multi-agent workflows, automate tasks, and connect remote nodes. OpenClaw is free, open-source, and actively developed. Start small — automate one repetitive task like a daily web research briefing, then expand to more complex multi-step workflows as you get comfortable. The official docs and community Discord are the best places to find advanced configuration examples and get help when you are stuck.

Dig deeper: OpenClaw review · IronClaw review.