What is the fastest OpenClaw setup path?

Install OpenClaw, run openclaw onboard --install-daemon, verify gateway status, then open openclaw dashboard for your first chat.

Do I need Telegram or Slack before setup?

No. The fastest first chat is via Control UI with openclaw dashboard. Messaging channels can be added during onboarding or later.

How do I fix dashboard unauthorized (1008)?

Check gateway reachability, retrieve gateway.auth.token with openclaw config get gateway.auth.token (or generate one with openclaw doctor --generate-gateway-token), then paste it in dashboard settings.

Setup Guide

OpenClaw Setup Guide: how to setup OpenClaw correctly

This page covers the full OpenClaw setup flow: from install to your first working assistant with secure defaults. Choose managed hosting (zero infra work) or self-managed CLI path.

If you want managed hosting instead, start here. For just the install commands, go to install OpenClaw.

Quick answer

For most people: install OpenClaw, run openclaw onboard --install-daemon, verify with openclaw gateway status, then open openclaw dashboard and send your first message.

Prerequisites

Node 22+ on your machine.
Windows users: use WSL2 for the cleanest path.
LLM provider credentials (OpenAI/Anthropic/Gemini/etc.) for onboarding.
Optional: Telegram/Slack tokens if you want channel messaging immediately.

Path A: managed setup

If you want minimal infrastructure work and secure defaults, use OpenClaw Setup managed hosting. You still keep control of your model credentials and bot config, but infra and operations are handled for you.

Start managed setup Compare vs self-hosted Go to app login

Path B: self-managed CLI setup

1) Install OpenClaw

macOS/Linux/WSL2:

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

Windows PowerShell:

iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1 | iex

2) Run onboarding wizard

openclaw onboard --install-daemon

This configures model auth, workspace defaults, gateway settings, and optional channels. You can reconfigure later with openclaw configure.

3) Verify gateway health

openclaw gateway status

Expected outcome: running status with no fatal errors.

4) Open Control UI and send first chat

openclaw dashboard

This opens Control UI (typically http://127.0.0.1:18789/). Send a quick message to verify your runtime.

5) Run baseline diagnostics

openclaw doctor
openclaw status
openclaw dashboard

Security defaults checklist

Keep dashboard on localhost unless you intentionally expose via trusted tunnel/mesh.
Treat Control UI as an admin surface (chat + approvals + config).
Use allowlist access for messaging channels.
Rotate and protect provider/bot credentials.
Review security hardening guidance before broad rollout.

Common pitfalls to avoid

Skipping doctor checks: run openclaw doctor after setup and upgrades.
Publicly exposing dashboard: use localhost/Tailscale/SSH tunnel. Never expose your instance to the public internet.
Mixing install methods carelessly: document whether you used script, npm, or source build.
Ignoring gateway status: check openclaw gateway status before debugging channels.

If you hit errors, go to OpenClaw setup troubleshooting.