Getting Started with OpenClaw: A Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up OpenClaw on a VPS

DISCLAIMER!!: DO NOT INSTALL OPENCLAW ON YOUR PERSONAL MACHINE. IT IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED THAT YOU USE A VIRTUAL MACHINE OR A VIRTUAL PRIVATE SERVER INSTEAD. Prerequisites Before you begin, ensure you have the following: A Virtual Private Server (VPS) or Virtual Machine with: Node.js version 22.16 or later installed Git installed A Telegram account (or another supported messaging platform) An API key for the AI model of your choice Introduction What is OpenClaw? OpenClaw is a self-hosted gateway that connects your favorite messaging applications such as WhatsApp, Telegram and Discord, to your AI coding agents like Chat GPT. OpenClaw allows you to chat directly with your AI model using your messaging app and have it do tasks for you. How does it do tasks for you? With OpenClaw, you can create Agents(action models) that use your AI model to perform task for you. Step 1: Set up a VPS(Virtual Private Server) Using a cloud platform of you choice, set up a server/ virtual machine. In my cas