Setting Up Your First OpenClaw Agent: Step-by-Step Installation Guide

Ready to build your first OpenClaw agent? This guide walks you through installation, configuration, and deployment of your first AI automation system.

Quick Start with Docker

Step 1: Install Docker

Ubuntu/Debian:
bash
sudo apt update
sudo apt install docker.io docker-compose
sudo systemctl start docker
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER


macOS: Download Docker Desktop from docker.com

Windows: Download Docker Desktop for Windows

Step 2: Create Project Directory

mkdir my-openclaw-agent
cd my-openclaw-agent

Step 3: Create Docker Compose File

Create docker-compose.yml:
yaml
version: '3.8'
services:
openclaw:
image: openclaw/openclaw:latest
ports:
- "8080:8080"
volumes:
- ./config:/app/config
- ./logs:/app/logs
environment:
- OPENCLAW_ENV=development


Step 4: Start OpenClaw

docker-compose up -d

Step 5: Access Dashboard

Navigate to: http://localhost:8080

Manual Installation

Step 1: Install Node.js

Ubuntu/Debian:
bash
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_18.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt-get install -y nodejs


macOS: brew install node

Windows: Download from nodejs.org

Step 2: Clone Repository

git clone https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw.git
cd openclaw

Step 3: Install Dependencies

npm install

Step 4: Configure and Start

cp config/example.config.json config/config.json
npm start

Create Your First Agent

Step 1: Access Dashboard

Navigate to http://localhost:8080

Step 2: Create New Agent

Click "Create New Agent" and enter:
- Name: MyFirstAgent
- Type: Basic
- Status: Active

Step 3: Configure Agent

{
  "greeting": "Hello! I'm your first OpenClaw agent.",
  "unknown_response": "I didn't understand that. Please rephrase."
}

Add Telegram Channel

Step 1: Create Telegram Bot

1. Find "@BotFather" on Telegram
2. Send "/newbot"
3. Choose name and username
4. Save the bot token

Step 2: Configure Telegram

In OpenClaw dashboard:
- Go to "Channels" → "Add Channel"
- Select "Telegram"
- Enter your bot token
- Set webhook URL

Step 3: Test Integration

1. Find your bot on Telegram
2. Send a message
3. Your agent should respond automatically

Troubleshooting

OpenClaw won't start: Check Node.js version and Redis status
Telegram not responding: Verify bot token and webhook configuration
Agent not processing: Check agent status and configuration

Next Steps

• Add more channels (WhatsApp, Discord, Slack)
• Enhance agent capabilities
• Integrate with business systems
• Scale for production use

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