OpenClaw is a personal AI assistant that runs on your own server and talks to you through Telegram, WhatsApp, or other messaging apps. Unlike ChatGPT or Claude's web interface, it's always on, remembers everything, and can proactively reach out to you.

How long does it take to install OpenClaw?

The complete OpenClaw installation takes about 15-20 minutes, including setting up the VPS, installing OpenClaw, and configuring Telegram.

Do I need coding experience to setup OpenClaw?

No coding experience required. This guide walks you through every step to install OpenClaw, and you just need to copy and paste commands.

Why use a VPS to run OpenClaw instead of running it locally?

A VPS keeps your OpenClaw AI assistant running 24/7, even when your computer is off. It can proactively reach out to you and maintains persistent memory.

Can I use my Claude Pro subscription instead of API credits?

Yes! If you have Claude Pro or Max, you can use your subscription instead of paying for API credits by running 'claude setup-token' on your local machine.

How to Install OpenClaw | Complete Setup Guide (24/7)

Prefer video? Watch the full walkthrough above.

Part 1

Get Your VPS Server

I recommend Hostinger — great price-to-performance ratio and easy to set up. We're focused on making this as simple as possible for you.

Get a VPS

Click below to get my recommended VPS from Hostinger. It's what I use and it works great for OpenClaw.

Get My Recommended VPS

Complete checkout

Create an account if you don't have one, then complete the purchase. Choose a billing cycle (monthly is fine to start).

Access VPS panel

After purchase, go to hPanel (Hostinger's control panel) and click on VPS in the sidebar.

Set up your VPS

Click Set Up on your VPS, then configure:

Location: France
Operating System: Ubuntu 24.04
Server Hostname: openclaw (or your preference)
Root Password: Create a strong password (save it!)

Add your SSH key (recommended)

If you don't have an SSH key, open Terminal on your Mac and run:

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your@email.com"

Press Enter to accept the default location. Then display your public key:

cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

In hPanel, click SSH Keys under your VPS settings, then Add New Key. Paste your public key and save.

Start your server

Click Complete Setup. The server will start provisioning. Once ready (about 2-3 minutes), you'll see the server status as Running. Copy your server's IP address from the VPS overview.

Part 2

Connect & Install OpenClaw

SSH into your server

ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP

Replace YOUR_SERVER_IP with the IP you copied. If you didn't add an SSH key, you'll be asked for the root password you created.

Saved your key to a custom location? Use the -i flag to specify it:

ssh -i ~/path/to/keyfile root@YOUR_SERVER_IP

Update the system

apt update && apt upgrade -y

Install Node.js 22

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_22.x | bash -

apt install -y nodejs

Verify with node -v — should show v22.x.x

Install OpenClaw

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

Run the onboarding wizard

openclaw onboard --install-daemon

This wizard walks you through everything: model auth, workspace setup, and channel configuration.

Part 3

Set Up Telegram

Create a Telegram bot

Open Telegram and search for @BotFather
Send /newbot
Give it a name (e.g., "My Assistant")
Give it a username (e.g., myname_openclaw)
Copy the bot token BotFather gives you

Get your Telegram user ID

Search for @userinfobot on Telegram, send it any message, and it will reply with your numeric user ID. Copy this number.

Enter credentials in wizard

When the OpenClaw wizard asks:

Paste your bot token from BotFather
Enter your user ID for the allowFrom setting (this restricts who can talk to your bot)

Part 4

Add Your Anthropic Key

Get your API key

Go to console.anthropic.com and create an API key. It starts with sk-ant-...

Have Claude Pro/Max? You can use your subscription instead of paying for API credits. Run claude setup-token on your local machine (requires Claude Code CLI) and paste the token when prompted.

Enter in wizard

When the wizard asks for Anthropic auth, choose API Key and paste it.

Part 5

Finish & Test

Complete the wizard

Follow the remaining prompts, accepting defaults for most options. The wizard will install a background daemon so OpenClaw stays running 24/7.

Verify it's running

openclaw status

Should show the gateway as running.

Test it!

Open Telegram, find your bot, and send it a message. You should get a response.

Congratulations! Your AI assistant is now running 24/7.

Useful Commands

Server Management

openclaw statusCheck if everything is working

openclaw logs --followView live logs

openclaw gateway restartRestart the bot

openclaw healthRun health checks

Chat Commands (send in Telegram)

/newStart a fresh conversation

/modelSwitch AI models

/compactCompress long conversations

stopCancel a running task

Troubleshooting & FAQ

What's Next

Customize personality

Edit ~/clawd/SOUL.md

Add your info

Edit ~/clawd/USER.md

Browse skills

clawdhub.com

Join the community

Discord community

Ready to Install OpenClaw?

Follow the guide above and you'll have your personal AI assistant running 24/7 in about 20 minutes.

Start the Guide