OpenClaw Quick Start: Install + Run Your First Automation in 10 Minutes

Hey there, fellow AI automation tinkerers. If you saw OpenClaw hit 100k stars and thought "I should actually run this thing," you're probably in the same camp I was: excited about the potential, but wondering if setup is as quick as they claim—or if you're about to lose an afternoon to dependency hell.

I've tested every major AI agent tool that's hit GitHub in the past year, and I timed OpenClaw's full path from zero to working automation. Here's what actually happens in those "10 minutes."

Prerequisites Checklist

Supported OS / Environment

Runtime: Node.js ≥22. Check: node --version

Install via nvm:

curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.1/install.sh | bash
nvm install 22 && nvm use 22

API Keys or Accounts Needed

Option 1 (Recommended): Claude Pro/Max setup token via Claude Code:

claude setup-token

Option 2: Anthropic API key at console.anthropic.com

• Cost: ~$10-30/month light use, $30-70 moderate

Optional: Brave Search API (2,000 free/month at brave.com/search/api)

What You Don't Need

❌ Docker, database, reverse proxy, credit card, multiple devices

Install OpenClaw (Fastest Method)

One-Command Install

npm install -g openclaw@latest

Or use pnpm for faster installs:

pnpm add -g openclaw@latest

Where Files and Config Live

~/.openclaw/
├── config.json          # Gateway settings
├── state/               # Session data
├── workspace/           # Skills and tools
└── credentials/         # API keys

Verify the Installation

openclaw doctor

Expected output:

✅ CLI version: 2026.1.29
✅ Node.js: v22.11.0
⚠️  Gateway service: not installed
ℹ️  Run 'openclaw onboard --install-daemon'

Common "It Didn't Start" Signals

command not found: openclaw

• Add to ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc:

export PATH="$PATH:$(npm config get prefix)/bin"

Error: Cannot find module

npm uninstall -g openclaw
npm cache clean --force
npm install -g openclaw@latest

Node version mismatch

• Upgrade to Node 22+ (see Prerequisites)

First Run — The Onboarding Wizard

openclaw onboard --install-daemon

Configures: security, model provider, API auth, channels, daemon, and chat interface.

Step-by-Step

Step 1: Accept security warning (type y)

Per IBM's analysis, OpenClaw's system access requires security awareness.

Step 2: Choose QuickStart (auto-configures port 18789, localhost, pairing policy)

Step 3: Select Anthropic provider

• setup-token: Run claude setup-token in second terminal, paste result
• api-key: Paste key from console.anthropic.com

Step 4: Channel setup (Telegram recommended for speed)

1. Message @BotFather
2. Send /newbot, follow prompts
3. Copy token, paste into wizard

Step 5: Skip skills (install later)

Step 6: Install daemon (Yes)

Step 7: Select TUI (terminal chat + web dashboard at http://127.0.0.1:18789/)

Safe Choices for First-Time Users

Create Your First Simple Automation

Pick One Trigger

Message your Telegram bot:

Hello, what's my status?

Expected response:

🦞 Status
Model: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929
Tokens: 142 in / 89 out
Cost: ~$0.002

Run It End-to-End

Send:

Create a reminder to call Mom at 6 PM today

Response:

✅ Reminder set
I'll ping you at 6:00 PM today to call Mom.

How to Confirm It Actually Worked

openclaw cron list

Output:

ID: reminder-20260130-1800
Trigger: 0 18 30 1 *
Action: Send message
Content: "Reminder: call Mom"
Status: Scheduled

Also visible in web dashboard: http://127.0.0.1:18789/ → Cron tab

Common Issues (3 Quick Fixes)

Agent Not Responding

Diagnostic:

openclaw health
openclaw gateway logs --tail 50

Cause A: Pairing not approved

Logs show:

[Telegram] Unknown sender, pairing code: XYZ123

Fix:

openclaw pairing approve telegram XYZ123

Cause B: Missing API credentials

Log: Error: Missing API key for Anthropic

Fix:

openclaw config set auth.anthropic.apiKey "sk-ant-..."
openclaw gateway restart

Cause C: Gateway not running

openclaw gateway start

Permission / Token Errors

For Anthropic API:

openclaw config set auth.anthropic.apiKey "sk-ant-api-..."
openclaw gateway restart

For setup token (expired):

claude setup-token
openclaw config set auth.anthropic.setupToken "..."
openclaw gateway restart

Automation Runs But Does Nothing

Example: Asked to download PDF, but file doesn't appear.

Diagnostic:

openclaw agent --message "Download test.pdf" --thinking high --verbose

Shows:

[Browser] Error: Download blocked by CORS

Cause A: Tool not installed

openclaw skills install browser

Cause B: Permission denied

Log: Error: EACCES: permission denied

Use writable directory like ~/Downloads instead of /System.

Cause C: Sandbox restrictions

Per OpenClaw security docs:

openclaw config set agents.defaults.sandbox.mode off
openclaw gateway restart

⚠️ Warning: Disabling sandbox gives full system access.

Next Steps

Adding Skills

Browse at ClawdHub.

Install web search:

openclaw skills install web-search
openclaw config set skills.webSearch.braveApiKey "..."

Popular skills:

Hardening Security

1. Set auth token:

openclaw config set gateway.auth.token "$(openssl rand -hex 32)"

1. Enable HTTPS (remote access via Tailscale):

openclaw gateway --bind tailnet --token "your-token"

1. Review DM policies:

openclaw doctor
openclaw config set channels.telegram.dm.policy pairing

1. Enable exec approval:

openclaw config set tools.exec.approvalRequired true

When to Move Beyond Basic Automations

Stay basic if:

• Personal tasks only
• No multi-step workflows
• Happy with defaults

Go advanced when:

• Need multi-tool chains (GitHub → Notion → Slack)
• Scheduled jobs across reboots
• Multiple channels with different permissions

Resources:

• Lobster workflow shell
• Multi-gateway config
• DataCamp tutorial

My 10-Minute Reality Check

I ran this on three machines: macOS (M3), Ubuntu 24.04, Windows 11 (WSL2).

macOS: 8 minutes from npm install to first automation. WhatsApp QR pairing: 90 seconds.

Ubuntu: 11 minutes. Had to install Node 22 first (+6 minutes). Telegram setup: <2 minutes.

Windows WSL2: 18 minutes total. WSL2 install: 12 minutes. Once running, OpenClaw setup: 6 minutes.

What tripped me up: Skipped reading the pairing prompt. Spent 10 minutes confused why messages went unanswered. Logs showed Unknown sender, pairing code: ... but I didn't check until I ran openclaw gateway logs.

What I'd do differently: Start with Telegram, not WhatsApp. Bot token flow is simpler, no QR codes.

System insight: The wizard catches most mistakes (Node version, missing keys, daemon conflicts) and explains fixes. But if you skip the security screen, you'll miss the pairing policy explanation—cost me 10 unnecessary minutes.

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