Openclaw Beginners Setup Guide Running Doc

Don't want to figure this out alone? I walk members through every step inside the community. Join the Skool → skool.com/raycfu

OpenClaw Setup Guide

A beginner-friendly guide to getting started

Which Option Should You Choose?

There are two ways to run OpenClaw. Here's how to decide:

Option 1: VPS (Recommended for most people)

• Cost: Around $6-8 per month
• Best for: Personal use, side projects, learning
• Pros: Always online, no hardware to buy, scales easily
• Cons: Uses external server

Option 2: Mac Mini

• Cost: $600+ upfront
• Best for: Business use, sensitive company data, iMessage
• Pros: You own the hardware, data stays local, works with iMessage
• Cons: If power or internet goes out, bot goes offline

My recommendation: Start with a VPS. You can always switch to Mac Mini later if you need it.

VPS Setup (Step by Step)

Step 1: Get a VPS

1. Go to hostinger.com or digitalocean.com
2. Sign up for an account
3. Choose the cheapest plan (around $6-8/month is plenty)
4. Select Ubuntu as your operating system
5. Pick a server location close to you
6. Click create/deploy
7. Save your login details somewhere safe

Step 2: Connect to Your VPS

On Mac:

1. Open Terminal (search "Terminal" in Spotlight)
2. Type: ssh root@[your-server-ip]
3. Enter your password when asked

On Windows:

1. Download PuTTY (free program)
2. Enter your server IP address
3. Click connect
4. Enter your password when asked

Step 3: Install OpenClaw

Copy and paste this command, then press Enter:

curl -fsSL https://get.openclaw.ai | bash

When it asks for your Anthropic API key:

1. Go to console.anthropic.com
2. Sign up or log in
3. Go to API Keys and create a new key
4. Copy it and paste it into the terminal

Step 4: Connect Discord or Telegram

For Discord:

1. Go to discord.com/developers/applications
2. Click "New Application" and give it a name
3. Go to "Bot" in the left menu, click "Add Bot"
4. Copy the token
5. Paste it when OpenClaw asks

For Telegram:

1. Open Telegram and search for @BotFather
2. Send: /newbot
3. Follow the prompts to name your bot
4. Copy the token and paste it when OpenClaw asks

Step 5: Deploy

Once setup is done, your bot is live. Go to Discord or Telegram, find your bot, and send it a message. It should respond.

Mac Mini Setup (Step by Step)

Step 1: Set Up Your Mac Mini

1. Unbox and plug in your Mac Mini
2. Connect to power and internet (ethernet is more reliable than wifi)
3. Go through the normal Mac setup
4. Change sleep settings so it never sleeps

Step 2: Open Terminal

1. Press Command + Space
2. Type "Terminal"
3. Press Enter

Step 3: Install OpenClaw

Same as VPS - copy and paste:

curl -fsSL https://get.openclaw.ai | bash

Step 4: Connect Your Platform

• For Discord/Telegram: Same steps as VPS above
• For iMessage: Select iMessage during setup, sign into your Apple ID on the Mac Mini. Now you can text your bot from your iPhone.

Step 5: Keep It Running

Your Mac Mini needs to stay on 24/7:

1. Go to System Settings > Energy
2. Turn off "Put hard disks to sleep"
3. Make sure "Prevent automatic sleeping" is on

Critical First Step: Add Memory

Your bot works now, but it has no memory

BEFORE YOU DOWNLOAD SKILLS ON CLAWDHUB, make sure it is safe! There are a lot of attackers and hackers.

Choose a memory skill and install it immediately:

Option 1: QMD (Recommended for most people)

Best for: Simple setup, works locally, no API keys needed

1. Go to ClawHub (clawhub.com or through your dashboard)
2. Search for "QMD"
3. Click Install

Option 2: memory-tools

Best for: More control over what gets saved

1. Search for "memory-tools" on ClawHub
2. Click Install
3. Run the build commands (see ClawHub page for details)

This gives you 6 memory tools: store, update, forget, search, summarize, and list. You can set confidence scores, importance levels, and expiration dates on memories. Works great with QMD installed alongside it.

Option 3: Supermemory

Best for: Heavy users who need unlimited memory

1. Search for "supermemory" on ClawHub
2. Click Install

Designed for users who want their bot to remember everything without limits.

Option 4: Mem0

Best for: Advanced users comfortable with Docker

1. Search for "mem0" on ClawHub
2. Follow the self-hosted setup guide

More powerful but requires Docker, a vector database, and more configuration. Has a paid cloud option if you don't want to self-host.

Test your memory skill:

1. Tell your bot "My favorite color is blue"
2. Wait a minute
3. Ask "What's my favorite color?"
4. It should remember

Troubleshooting

Bot not responding?

• Check if your VPS/Mac Mini is online
• Make sure you completed the setup fully
• Try restarting: openclaw restart

Bot seems dumb or forgetful? You probably didn't install QMD (memory). Go back to the Critical First Step section.

Need help?

• Join the OpenClaw Discord community
• Check openclaw.ai/docs

Quick Reference

Useful Links

• OpenClaw: openclaw.ai
• ClawHub (skills): clawhub.com
• Anthropic API: console.anthropic.com
• Hostinger: hostinger.com
• DigitalOcean: digitalocean.com

Useful Commands

• openclaw start - Start your bot
• openclaw stop - Stop your bot
• openclaw restart - Restart your bot
• openclaw status - Check if it's running

You just read the full playbook. Most people will close this tab and never implement it. The ones who do usually hit a wall around the technical setup and quit.

Inside the Skool, I walk you through the exact build step-by-step, troubleshoot your setup live in the community, and share the scripts and templates I use to actually land paying clients.

If you want the shortcut instead of the long way around:

Join the Skool →