How to Set Up OpenClaw – Step by Step Guide

Introduction

Have you ever wished you could have a personal assistant that works on your phone, computer, and all your favorite messaging apps at the same time? OpenClaw is a personal AI assistant you run on your own devices that makes this possible.

Unlike regular chatbots where you need to open a website or app, OpenClaw comes to you wherever you are. It works inside the messaging apps you already use every day.

What is OpenClaw?

OpenClaw answers you on the channels you already use (WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, Google Chat, Signal, iMessage, Microsoft Teams, WebChat). Think of it as having a smart helper that never forgets what you told it and can actually do things for you.

What Makes OpenClaw Special?

Here are the main features that make OpenClaw different from other AI assistants:

1. Works Everywhere You Chat: You don’t need to learn a new app. OpenClaw operates on macOS, Windows, Linux, or a virtual private server.
2. Never Forgets Your Conversations: Unlike many chatbots that forget everything after each chat, OpenClaw remembers your past conversations.
3. Can Take Action: OpenClaw can do real computer tasks like browsing the web, running commands, and managing files.
4. You Control Your Data: Because you run OpenClaw on your own computer or server, you have complete control over your information.
5. Works 24/7: Once you set it up, OpenClaw stays running in the background.

How to Set Up OpenClaw: Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Install OpenClaw

The easiest way to install OpenClaw is using the quick install command. For Mac and Linux users, open your terminal and type:

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

For Windows users: First, install WSL2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux), then run the command above inside WSL2. You can also install it using npm:

npm install -g openclaw@latest

Step 2: Run the Setup Wizard

The CLI onboarding wizard (openclaw onboard) sets up model/auth, gateway settings, channels, pairing defaults, workspace bootstrap and skills.

openclaw onboard --install-daemon

The wizard will ask you several questions:

1. Choose Your AI Model: You can pick between Claude (Anthropic) or ChatGPT (OpenAI).
2. Select Your Messaging Apps: Choose which apps you want to connect.
3. Set Up Security: The wizard will create a secure token.
4. Install Background Service: This makes OpenClaw start automatically.

Step 3: Start the Gateway

If you installed the service during onboarding, the Gateway should already be running. Check if it’s running:

openclaw gateway status

If it’s not running, start it manually:

openclaw gateway --port 18791 --verbose

You can now open your web browser and go to http://127.0.0.1:18791/ to see the control panel.

Step 4: Connect Your First Messaging App

For Discord:

1. Go to Discord Developer Portal
2. Create a new bot application and copy the token
3. Type: openclaw channels add discord
4. Paste the token when prompted

Step 5: Approve Your First Message

For security, OpenClaw won’t respond to unknown contacts right away. When you send your first message, you’ll get a pairing code. Approve it by typing:

openclaw pairing list discord
openclaw pairing approve discord [code]

Step 6: Test It Out

Send a message to your OpenClaw from Discord. Try asking it something simple like “What’s the weather today?” or “Help me write an email.” If everything is working, OpenClaw will respond to you!