Running on a VPS?

You'll enjoy 24/7 uptime and better security isolation. A VPS provides the ideal environment for running OpenClaw reliably.

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Haven't installed OpenClaw yet?

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Telegram Bot Setup

Connect OpenClaw to Telegram

1
Open Telegram and search for @BotFather
This is Telegram's official bot for creating bots
2
Send /newbot
Follow the prompts to name your bot
3
Copy your bot token
BotFather will give you a token like 123456789:ABC-DEF...
4
Get your user ID from @userinfobot
Send any message to get your numeric ID for the allowFrom setting

Anthropic API Key

Power your assistant with Claude

Option 1: API Key

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

Option 2: Claude Pro/Max Subscription

If you have Claude Pro or Max, you can use your subscription instead of paying for API credits. Run claude setup-token on your local machine (requires Claude Code CLI).

Personalization

Make your assistant uniquely yours

SOUL.md

Edit ~/clawd/SOUL.md to customize your assistant's personality, tone, and behavior

USER.md

Edit ~/clawd/USER.md to add information about yourself for context

Useful Commands

openclaw statusCheck if running

openclaw configureEdit settings

openclaw gateway restartRestart bot

openclaw resetRedo setup

openclaw doctorDiagnose issues

Need the Full Installation Guide?

Our VPS guide walks you through everything from server setup to your first message. A VPS is the recommended way to run OpenClaw for 24/7 availability.

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