Introduction: By 2026, if you haven’t heard of OpenClaw, it might indicate that you have fallen behind in the AI society. This year, OpenClaw (formerly known as ClawdBot), which gained 68,000 stars on GitHub this year, has surpassed Linux and React to top the charts. Today’s article will guide you through the native installation and some interesting uses.
I. Differences Between OpenClaw and Ordinary AI
You may have heard about concepts like MCP and Skills, but in practice, these concepts remain abstract. Today, I’ll skip the theory and directly show you how to install a few interesting Skills to experience their differences.
OpenClaw’s biggest difference lies in its ability to have full control over your server and directly call system permissions to execute commands, fulfilling your needs. For example, organizing files, checking websites.
OpenClaw’s core advantage is its true action capability:
- True Local Execution: Your private data, such as API keys, Skills, prompts, all stay on your own hard drive. No need to worry about cloud leaks.
- Seamless Multi-Device Access: Now, with Tencent’s direct involvement, it can connect to WeChat, QQ, Telegram, Discord, Feishu, etc., all managed through a single interface (I still recommend using QQ and Feishu for domestic users).
- Long-term Memory System: It autonomously saves your habits, gradually understanding your routines, speaking style, and workflows, making it more convenient with each use.
- Absolute Open Source Freedom: The framework is completely free, you just need to pay for API fees (this is the most expensive part, servers aren’t the main concern, the tokens consumed are the main issue because the context grows with usage).
VPS Selection
Many ask me about the minimum configuration needed to run OpenClaw. My recommendation is that for simple operations, 2GB memory is sufficient. However, if you enjoy tinkering, I suggest going with at least 8GB or more to handle more tasks.
Because some people install many Skills or browsers, the more memory you have, the more flexibility you have.
Recommended VPS options:
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II. Basic Installation of OpenClaw
OpenClaw’s current installation barrier is quite low, but I still provide two methods. Whether you’re on Mac, Linux, or Windows (with WSL), just follow along.
1. First Step: Environment Preparation
It depends on Node.js. Open your terminal and type:
node --version
If the version is below v22.0.0, upgrade it immediately (for experts, use nvm use 22).
If you don’t know how to use nvm, refer to the tutorial: nvm Installation Tutorial
2. Minimalist Installation and Initialization
I strongly recommend installing globally via npm for simplicity:
npm install -g openclaw
openclaw --version # Check installation success
If you have code OCD or are a Docker expert, pulling the image and running the container is the most stable method:
docker run -d --name openclaw -v ~/.openclaw:/root/.openclaw openclaw/openclaw:latest
If you want a simpler panel operation, refer to: Deploy OpenClaw on 1Panel with DeepSeek
After installation, run the initialization wizard:
openclaw onboard
At this point, you’ll see several options. Mainly, bind the large model API key (recommend Claude Pro or GPT, if you want to save money, use third-party aggregation services). Note: Beginners should start with Sandbox mode when setting system permissions to avoid accidentally deleting system files.
3. Connect to Chat Software
OpenClaw itself doesn’t have a fancy UI (though you can input openclaw dashboard to view the web interface), but I still recommend binding it to your usual chat software. Here, I’ll directly use Telegram.
For Telegram, find @BotFather and get a new bot token, then bind it in the terminal:
openclaw config set channels.telegram.botToken "Your_BOT_TOKEN"
openclaw config set channels.telegram.enabled true
Now, open Telegram and say “Hello” to it. If it replies instantly, congratulations, your personal assistant is online.
III. Advanced Installation: Installing Skills
OpenClaw’s strength lies in its Skills. You can think of them as WeChat mini-programs. Install whatever functionality you lack, but remember to be cautious with Skill security, especially when installing recommended Skills.
My suggestion is to let the AI review the Skills’ codes and information to ensure they are safe. Skill poisoning is already a security risk, so maintain some awareness during use.
1. Mastering the Skill Market
Here are a few Skills I frequently use; install according to your needs:
# Email, Calendar, File Management, Internet Search
openclaw skills install @openclaw/email-manager
openclaw skills install @openclaw/calendar
openclaw skills install @openclaw/file-organizer
openclaw skills install @openclaw/tavily-search
On the page menu, you can also use built-in OpenClaw Skills, but they are usually deeply integrated with Mac, so non-Mac users may have fewer options, which is why Mac Minis are popular recently.
2. Integrating Google Suite (Productivity Boost)
If you want to play with Google Workspace or other Google ecosystems, you need to register Google Cloud, then create a service account and get the JSON credentials file. Run:
openclaw config set integrations.google.enabled true
openclaw config set integrations.google.credentialsPath "/your/path/credentials.json"
openclaw integrations google authorize
Tutorial reference: Google Official Documentation
Experience Feeling: After setting up, you can directly send voice messages on your Telegram: “Check my calendar for tomorrow, if there are no conflicts, schedule a project review meeting with Zhang San at 3 PM, and create a meeting record template using Docs.” It will instantly send the invitation, build the document, and send the link back to you, embedding you seamlessly into the Google ecosystem.
3. Scheduled Tasks
This is my favorite feature. You don’t need extra configuration; just tell it in conversation:
Example: “Starting today, send me a summary every morning at 8 AM with today’s weather.”
OpenClaw will automatically convert this into a Cron Job and run it silently in the background. You can check the running scheduled tasks using openclaw cron list, or view them in the UI under the Scheduled Tasks menu.
IV. Advanced Playbook
The above content is already beyond many people. If you’re unsatisfied, you can try some advanced methods.
1. Custom Skills (YAML Editing)
For example, you want a “Daily Tech News Summary”. Create a news.yaml file in ~/.openclaw/skills/:
name: "Daily News Summary"
triggers: ["Today's News", "Tech News"]
steps:
- action: web_search
query: "latest tech news today"
max_results: 5
- action: summarize
content: "{{search_results}}"
- action: respond
message: "📰 Today's Tech Summary:\n{{summary}}"
Run openclaw skills reload, and your custom Skill will be active. Next time you need news, wake it up to get the daily news summary, and it will find the relevant Skills, search, modify content, and output a report.
2. Multiple Agent Modes (Unsuccessful for Me Yet)
If you want multiple agents to handle different tasks, you can set up multiple agents via:
openclaw create-agent work # Work number, linked to company email, using smart Claude model
openclaw create-agent personal # Personal number, manages household bills, using a cheaper ordinary model
Switch between them using openclaw switch-agent without interference.
V. Tips to Avoid Pitfalls
Based on the cases I’ve seen in various tech groups, I strongly advise the following:
1. API Frequency Limits
If you’re using OpenRouter-like paid third-party APIs, don’t forget to set limits to prevent accidental long-running tasks or overly large tasks. OpenClaw accumulates context without limits, potentially leading to significant financial loss. Also, be aware of potential sky-high bills due to billing lags. Set limits if possible:
openclaw config set ai.dailyLimit 1000 # Limit daily requests
openclaw config set ai.monthlyBudget 50 # Set monthly budget to $50
(Note: Light usage costs around $5-10 per month, heavy use requires a starting budget of $50. If your local hardware is powerful enough, you can run Llama3.2 locally with Ollama, just configure ai.provider "ollama". The downside is that complex commands aren’t well understood, so choose based on your preferences.)
2. Core Data Security
OpenClaw’s permissions are a double-edged sword. While they allow you to do anything, the risk is high if misused. Especially if given to someone unfamiliar with networking and server management.
Recommendation: Run OpenClaw on your main computer or a dedicated machine rather than exposing it to the public network. Even the default Sandbox mode is good: Configure Docker Sandbox mode (openclaw config set sandbox.mode "docker"). If AI goes rogue and tries to format the disk, it won’t affect the host machine.
3. Regular Backups
Don’t forget to back up your memory and configuration files:
cd ~/.openclaw
git init && git add . && git commit -m "backup"
Push it to your private Git repository or cloud storage. Often, I like to give OpenClaw requirements and let it handle them, but if the model isn’t smart enough or the document content isn’t updated, it could cause problems.
So, always back up, and if you can’t, ensure it backs up its own configuration changes. This is a lesson learned the hard way.
Conclusion
Many technologies aren’t as complex as you imagine; you just need to spend some time to learn. With AI support now, learning becomes even easier. China is also actively developing OpenClaw’s ecosystem, with Shenzhen launching related welfare policies, making it a promising direction.
We shouldn’t fear; often, we can let AI solve issues on its own by providing links to documents. But ensure your model is smart enough.
Original Link: OpenClaw 初级到高级完整教程-传家宝VPS - 深度VPS测评 | 高性价比VPS推荐 | 2025海外云服务器排行榜
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