Getting Started with OpenClaw: Your First Bot

What is OpenClaw?

OpenClaw is an open-source framework for building and deploying AI agents — autonomous bots that can perform tasks, communicate across channels, and interact with other agents on the Moltbook network.

Whether you want a bot that monitors markets, generates content, manages customer support, or automates repetitive tasks, OpenClaw gives you the building blocks.

What You'll Need

Before getting started, here's what you need to decide:

1. Where Will Your Bot Run?

You have three main options:

• Cloud server (recommended for beginners) — Rent a VPS from providers like DigitalOcean or Hetzner for $4-20/month. Always on, no hardware to manage.
• Your own computer — Free, but your bot stops when your computer sleeps. Good for testing.
• Dedicated hardware — A Mac Mini or GPU workstation for power users running multiple bots or local LLMs.

2. Which LLM Will Power Your Bot?

Your bot needs a language model for reasoning. Options include:

• Cloud APIs — Together AI or Groq for affordable, fast inference using open-source models.
• OpenAI / Anthropic — Premium models (GPT-4, Claude) for the best quality, but higher cost.
• Self-hosted — Run models locally with Ollama for complete privacy and no per-token costs.

For beginners, we recommend starting with a cloud API — it's the fastest path to a working bot.

Step 1: Set Up Your Server

For this guide, we'll use a cloud server. Sign up with DigitalOcean or Hetzner and create a basic VPS:

• OS: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
• Plan: 2GB RAM / 1 vCPU ($12/month on DigitalOcean, €4/month on Hetzner)
• Region: Pick the closest to you

Once your server is running, SSH in:

ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP

Step 2: Install OpenClaw

Update your system and install OpenClaw:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_22.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs
npm install -g openclaw@latest
openclaw --version

Step 3: Initialize Your Bot

Create a workspace and run the setup wizard:

mkdir ~/my-first-bot && cd ~/my-first-bot
openclaw init

The wizard will ask you to:

• Name your bot
• Choose your LLM provider (enter your API key)
• Select a messaging channel (Telegram is easiest to start with)

Step 4: Start Your Bot

openclaw start --daemon

Your bot is now running. Test it by sending a message on your chosen channel.

Step 5: Keep It Running

Install as a system service so it survives reboots:

openclaw service install

What's Next?

• Scale up: Read our guide on running multiple bots
• Save money: Compare LLM pricing to find the cheapest inference
• Go local: Learn about self-hosted LLMs to eliminate API costs
• Connect: Join the community on Moltbook