What's a VPS?
VPS stands for "Virtual Private Server." Think of it as renting a computer that runs 24/7 in the cloud. OpenClaw will live there and be always ready to respond.
1
Rent & Set Up a VPS
Your server home on the cloud
💡
1
Choose & Rent a VPS
Easy
▶
We recommend Hetzner (cheap and reliable). Minimum specs:
•
2 vCPU, 4GB RAM (about $6/month)
•
OS: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
•
Location: Choose the closest data center to you
✅
After purchase, you'll receive a server IP and root password via email. Save them.
2
Connect to Your Server via SSH
Important
▶
On your local computer (Mac/Windows), open Terminal or PowerShell and run:
Terminal (Your Computer) — Connect to Server
ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP
When prompted, enter the root password from your email. You're now inside the server!
💡
First time connecting? Type
yes when asked about fingerprint authenticity.2
Install Node.js & OpenClaw
Setting up the software foundation
3
Install NVM (Node Version Manager)
Easy
▶
On the server, run this command:
Terminal (Server) — Install NVM
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.0/install.sh | bash
After installation, reload your shell:
Terminal (Server) — Reload Shell
source ~/.bashrc
4
Install Node.js via NVM
Easy
▶
Terminal (Server) — Install Node.js
# Install Node.js (latest LTS)
nvm install --lts
# Verify installation
node -v
npm -v
✅
If version numbers appear (e.g.,
v20.x.x), Node.js is successfully installed!5
Install OpenClaw CLI
Important
▶
Terminal (Server) — Install OpenClaw
npm install -g @openai/codex
After installation, verify it works:
Terminal (Server) — Verify OpenClaw
openclaw --version
✅
If it shows a version number, OpenClaw is ready!
6
Authenticate OpenClaw CLI
Important
▶
Terminal (Server) — Authenticate
codex login --device-auth
1
A URL and code will appear. Copy the code.
2
Open the URL in your browser and paste the code.
3
Log in with your email (create account if needed).
4
Return to the terminal — authentication complete!
7
Install the OpenClaw Server
Important
▶
Terminal (Server) — Install Server
openclaw install
This downloads the latest OpenClaw server to
~/openclaw. It takes 1–2 minutes.
✅
When complete, you'll see "Installation successful" message.
3
Create a Telegram Bot
Your AI's chat interface
💡
Why Telegram?
OpenClaw supports multiple chat platforms, but Telegram is the easiest and most reliable for beginners. You'll create a bot and connect it to your AI.
OpenClaw supports multiple chat platforms, but Telegram is the easiest and most reliable for beginners. You'll create a bot and connect it to your AI.
8
Create a Telegram Bot via BotFather
Easy
▶
1
Open Telegram and search for @BotFather
2
Send /newbot
3
Enter a bot name (e.g., My AI Assistant). This is the display name.
4
Enter a username. Must end with "bot" (e.g., myname_openclaw_bot)
5
BotFather will give you a bot token (looks like
123456789:ABCdef...). Copy and save it!
⚠️
The bot token is like a password. Never share it with anyone. It grants full control of your bot.
9
Get Your Telegram User ID
Easy
▶
In Telegram, search for @userinfobot and send any message. It will return your numeric User ID. Copy it.
💡
This ID will be used to restrict bot access to you only. Important for security!
4
Get Anthropic API Key
The key to Claude AI
💡
What's an Anthropic API key?
OpenClaw itself isn't the AI — it's a connector. The actual AI brain is Claude, made by Anthropic. The API key is your "access pass" to use Claude through OpenClaw.
OpenClaw itself isn't the AI — it's a connector. The actual AI brain is Claude, made by Anthropic. The API key is your "access pass" to use Claude through OpenClaw.
10
Create an Anthropic API Key
💳 Billing
▶
1
Go to console.anthropic.com
2
Sign up and add a payment method (you'll be charged based on usage)
3
Go to API Keys section → click "Create API Key"
4
A key starting with
sk-ant-... will appear. Copy it!5
⚠️ Set a Usage Limit in settings. We recommend starting with $20–30/month.
⚠️
The API key is also like a password. Never share it. If someone gets it, they can use your account and you'll be charged.
5
Run OpenClaw Onboarding
Connect everything together
11
Run Onboarding Wizard
Important
▶
In the server terminal, run:
Terminal (Server) — Start Wizard
openclaw onboard --install-daemon
The wizard will ask questions. Answer in this order:
1
Gateway mode → Select Local
2
Model Provider → Select Anthropic
3
API Key → Paste your
sk-ant-... key4
Channel → Select Telegram
5
Bot Token → Paste the token from BotFather
6
allowFrom / User ID → Paste your ID from @userinfobot
7
For other settings, just press Enter to use defaults
✅
When the wizard completes, a background daemon is automatically installed. From now on, OpenClaw runs automatically when the server is on!
6
Testing & Completion
The "finally!" moment
12
Check Server Status
Easy
▶
Terminal (Server) — Check Status
openclaw status
✅
If you see Gateway: running, the server is working properly!
13
Send a Test Message in Telegram
🎉 Done
▶
1
In Telegram, search for your bot
2
Send a test message like "Hello"
3
If you get a pairing code first: In the server terminal, run
openclaw pairing list telegram → openclaw pairing approve telegram [code], then send message again
🎉
If you get an AI reply, you're done! You can now chat with your AI assistant via Telegram.
?
Troubleshooting
Common issues and solutions
🚫 Bot doesn't respond
Run
openclaw status and openclaw logs --follow in the server terminal. Check if Gateway is running. If not, try openclaw gateway restart.🚫 API key error
Your Anthropic API key might be incorrect or expired. Check console.anthropic.com to verify the key is active and billing is set up.
🚫 SSH connection fails
Try specifying the key path explicitly:
ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 root@YOUR_SERVER_IP🚫 Want to reset configuration
Run
openclaw reset, then run openclaw onboard --install-daemon again.📌
Useful Commands
Common commands for later
Terminal (Server) — Useful Commands
# Check status
openclaw status
# View real-time logs (helpful for debugging)
openclaw logs --follow
# Restart
openclaw gateway restart
# Health check
openclaw health