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OpenClaw can act as an AI app-building workspace, but it is not a hosted no-code service. You run its self-hosted Gateway, connect a coding-capable model through Claude Code, Codex CLI, or a supported provider API key, then direct the agent through a controlled build process. The reliable setup is: install a supported Node.js runtime, install OpenClaw, complete onboarding, verify the Gateway, and only then ask it to plan and build a small prototype.
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This guide covers the complete path from a blank machine to a working website or mobile-app prototype, including where to run the Gateway, how to structure prompts, how to verify failures, and how to keep a remotely reachable installation secure.
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OpenClaw is an open-source, self-hosted Gateway that connects chat applications to AI coding agents. The Gateway is the central authority for sessions, routing, and channel connections. A browser-based Control UI, command-line interface, optional desktop or mobile nodes, and channel plugins sit around that Gateway.
That architecture changes the setup compared with a typical browser app builder. You are responsible for the machine that runs the Gateway, the model credentials, the project files, and the security of any connected chat channel. OpenClaw can ask an agent to design screens, create files, run a local app, inspect errors, and implement features, but it does not remove the need to make product and technical decisions.
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Configuration is stored in ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json. On a local installation, the Control UI normally opens at http://127.0.0.1:18789/. Treat that address as a local administration surface unless you have deliberately configured secure remote access.
Prerequisites to check before installing
Complete these checks first. They prevent most onboarding failures.
| Requirement | What you need | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Node.js | Node.js 24.16 or newer, or Node.js 26.1 or newer; Node.js 26 is recommended. | The Gateway and CLI depend on a supported runtime. |
| Model access | An existing Claude Code or Codex CLI login, or an API key from a supported model provider. | Onboarding must authenticate a model route and complete a real response. |
| Host machine | A main computer, companion desktop app, Raspberry Pi, or VPS/cloud server. | The Gateway must run somewhere that can reach the files and channels you plan to use. |
| Project scope | A small website or mobile-app prototype is the best starting point. | A bounded first project makes it easier to test generated code and recover from mistakes. |
Check the Node.js version
Open a terminal and run:
node -vIf the result is below the supported ranges, update Node.js before installing OpenClaw. Do not assume that a system package manager’s current version is suitable; compare the version it reports with the requirements above.
Choose your model authentication
Have one of these ready before starting the wizard:
- A working Claude Code login.
- A working Codex CLI login.
- An API key for a model provider supported by OpenClaw.
Keep the credential available, but do not paste secrets into project source files or chat messages that other channel users can see. Use environment variables for application secrets once you begin building.
Choose where the Gateway should run
The right host depends on whether you value ease of learning, continuous availability, or remote access. Compare the options before installation because moving a Gateway later means planning for configuration, workspace files, credentials, and backups.
| Host | Best fit | Advantages | Trade-offs and checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local computer | First-time setup, experimentation, and projects whose files are already on your workstation. | Lowest initial complexity and direct access to the project directory. | The Gateway is unavailable when the computer is off. Keep channel access restricted while learning. |
| Raspberry Pi or similar always-on computer | A small, dedicated Gateway that should remain available without keeping a primary laptop running. | Runs continuously and separates the service from your daily machine. | Confirm current Node.js and architecture requirements for the exact board before buying or installing. |
| VPS or cloud server | Remote access, multiple devices, or an always-on Gateway. | Designed for continuous operation and remote connectivity. | Requires hardening, updates, backups, and a plan for limiting network exposure. Ongoing hosting cost varies by provider and server size. |
Official deployment guidance lists Raspberry Pi and cloud/VPS paths including DigitalOcean, Hetzner, Fly.io, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, Railway, Northflank, and Oracle Cloud. Availability, pricing, images, and supported architectures change, so check the current instructions for the platform you select.
Use four decision criteria
- Setup effort: How comfortable are you with Node.js, services, firewalls, and SSH?
- Uptime: Must the Gateway answer messages while your main computer is asleep?
- Data and network control: Where should project files and model requests reside, and which networks may reach the Gateway?
- Operations: Can you back up the configuration and workspace, apply updates, and recover the host?
Install OpenClaw
Use the official installer for your operating system, or invoke the package directly with:
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npx openclaw@latestThe official installation documentation provides separate shell and PowerShell installer commands. Use the command intended for your operating system rather than copying a shell command into PowerShell or the reverse.
What a fresh installation should do
After installation, OpenClaw detects whether usable Claude Code or Codex access, or an API key, is available. At that point you can choose the short path or the fully guided path:
- Quick start: Choose this when OpenClaw detects credentials you are ready to reuse. It is the fastest route to a working Gateway.
- Custom setup: Choose this when you need to select providers or adjust more options manually.
- Explicit wizard: Run
openclaw onboardwhen you want to start the guided onboarding flow directly.
Do not begin app generation until onboarding has authenticated a provider and received a real completion. A successful install without a successful model response is not a usable app-building setup.
Complete onboarding and open the Control UI
The onboarding flow establishes model-provider authentication, then walks through workspace, Gateway, channel, agent, and plugin configuration. The sequence is intentionally staged: model access must work before the rest of the system can be validated.
- Start the installer’s Quick start or Custom setup, or run
openclaw onboard. - Select the detected Claude Code or Codex access, or configure the supported provider and API key you prepared.
- Allow the wizard to perform its real completion check. If it cannot produce a response, fix authentication or runtime problems before continuing.
- Choose the workspace that should contain your app project. Keep unrelated projects in separate workspaces when they have different access requirements.
- Configure only the channels, agents, and plugins you need for the first project. Extra integrations increase the number of permissions and failure points.
- Open
http://127.0.0.1:18789/in a browser on the Gateway machine. - Send a simple message in the Control UI and confirm that the agent replies.
A successful reply in the Control UI is the basic end-to-end confirmation: the Gateway is running, the session route exists, and the model can answer through OpenClaw.
Verify the command line and Gateway before building
Run these checks from the machine hosting OpenClaw:
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openclaw --version |
Whether the CLI is installed and callable. | Records the installed release when diagnosing a problem or planning an update. |
openclaw doctor |
Configuration and environment health. | Run after installation and whenever onboarding or channel behavior is unexpected. |
openclaw gateway status |
Gateway service state. | Confirms whether the background Gateway is running. |
If the shell reports that openclaw is not found, the documented first suspect is the global npm path. Check all three values:
node -v
npm prefix -g
echo $PATHOn shells where echo $PATH is not the appropriate syntax, inspect the shell’s PATH using its normal environment command. The directory reported by npm prefix -g must be reachable through your executable PATH. After correcting it, open a new terminal and run openclaw --version again.
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Turn OpenClaw into a disciplined app-building workflow
The quality of the result depends more on the sequence of requests than on a single giant prompt. Give the agent a bounded deliverable, require it to expose assumptions, and keep each change reviewable.
Phase 1: Write the product brief
Begin by asking for a one-paragraph product brief and an assumptions list. Include the target user, the single problem the prototype solves, the platform (web or mobile), and what is explicitly out of scope.
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List your assumptions, risks, and out-of-scope features. Do not create files yet.Review this response yourself. Correcting the goal before code exists is cheaper than removing a misinterpreted feature later.
Phase 2: Define screens, data, and boundaries
Ask OpenClaw to propose the screen list, data entities, API boundaries, and a file structure. Require names and responsibilities rather than vague descriptions.
Using the approved brief, propose:
1. The screens and the purpose of each screen.
2. The data entities and required fields.
3. API boundaries and the request/response responsibility of each endpoint.
4. A file and folder structure.
5. A short acceptance checklist for the first usable flow.
Do not implement yet.This stage exposes missing decisions such as whether a prototype needs persistence, which data is private, and where validation belongs.
Phase 3: Build the smallest vertical slice
Ask for one complete path through the product instead of every feature. For a website, that might be a landing page plus one interactive form. For a mobile prototype, it might be navigation between a few screens with sample data and an API plan.
Implement only the first vertical slice from the approved plan.
Create the minimum files needed for a runnable prototype.
Keep secrets in environment variables. Explain each file you add and stop before unrelated features.After the agent writes files, inspect the structure and run the app using the project’s documented local command. OpenClaw can run the app locally and inspect errors when you explicitly ask it to do so, but you should still read the output and decide whether a change is safe.
Phase 4: Run, test, and explain
Use a separate request for execution and diagnosis:
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Run the prototype locally. If it fails, capture the exact error, identify the likely cause,
make the smallest safe fix, and explain the change. Do not rewrite working components.
Then list the manual checks I should perform.Ask for the acceptance checklist to be marked item by item. A passing build command alone does not prove that navigation, validation, loading states, or error handling work.
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Phase 5: Add one feature at a time
Once the vertical slice works, add features individually. Each request should name the user-visible outcome, affected files or boundaries, acceptance criteria, and any migration or compatibility risk.
Add exactly one feature: [feature description].
Before editing, list the files and interfaces you expect to change.
After editing, run the relevant checks and report which acceptance criteria pass or fail.
Do not remove existing behavior without asking first.Phase 6: Prepare a handoff
Ask the agent to document how to install dependencies, configure environment variables, run the app, test the main flow, and recover from common errors. Keep this documentation in the workspace so another person can reproduce the prototype without relying on chat history.
Use OpenClaw’s automation features deliberately
OpenClaw supports skills, browser automation, cron jobs, webhooks, and multi-agent routing. These capabilities are useful after the basic Gateway is stable, not as substitutes for it.
Skills and browser automation
Use a skill or browser task for a repeatable operation with a clear input and output, such as checking a page or collecting information for a design decision. Give the agent a stop condition and require it to report what it changed. Browser access can expose accounts and private data, so keep it out of the first prototype unless the feature truly depends on it.
Cron jobs and webhooks
Add a scheduled job only after you know the command is safe to run repeatedly. For webhooks, define which events are accepted, where payloads are validated, and what happens when the downstream service is unavailable. Keep credentials outside source files.
Multi-agent routing
You can separate research, implementation, testing, and documentation into distinct phases or agents. Give each one a narrow workspace or role where possible. A research agent should not silently modify production code, and a documentation agent should not alter application behavior.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Security controls for a self-hosted Gateway
OpenClaw follows a local-first security model, but “local-first” does not mean automatically safe once you connect chat channels or expose a remote host.
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- Bind the Gateway to a controlled interface. Keep the default local address local while experimenting. If remote access is required, use a deliberate secure-access design rather than exposing the administration port broadly.
- Restrict channel allowlists. Permit only the people and channels that should be able to invoke the agent.
- Control group behavior. Use mention rules so a group message does not trigger an agent unexpectedly. The configuration model supports channel-specific allowlists and group mention rules.
- Separate workspaces or agents. Isolate projects and users that should not share files, credentials, or conversation context.
- Protect secrets. Store application keys in environment variables and avoid pasting them into prompts, logs, or shared channels.
- Require confirmation for destructive actions. Tell the agent to ask before deleting files, changing infrastructure, rotating credentials, or making irreversible data changes.
Before connecting a channel, decide who can issue commands, what files the agent can reach, and how you will revoke access. Those decisions matter more than adding another model or plugin.
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A terminal process is suitable for initial testing, but an always-on Gateway needs the platform’s documented service integration.
| Platform | Documented service mechanism | Operational implication |
|---|---|---|
| macOS | LaunchAgent | Runs as a user-level background service and can start with the user session. |
| Linux or WSL2 | systemd user service | Provides a standard status and restart mechanism for a user-owned service. |
| Native Windows | Scheduled Task, with a startup-item fallback | Starts the Gateway through Windows task scheduling or the documented fallback. |
Use the service command documented for your platform rather than adapting a command from another operating system. After installation, run openclaw gateway status, open the Control UI, and send a test message. If you change the workspace, provider, or channel configuration, repeat those checks.
Troubleshoot the common failure points
The installer starts but onboarding cannot authenticate
- Confirm that
node -vreports a supported version. - Check that the Claude Code or Codex CLI login is valid, or that the provider API key is present and has permission to make a completion.
- Run
openclaw doctorand address the configuration error it reports. - Restart onboarding with
openclaw onboardafter correcting the credential rather than continuing with an unverified route.
The CLI command is missing
Check npm prefix -g and your shell PATH. If the global npm binary directory is not on PATH, the operating system cannot find openclaw even if installation completed. Correct the PATH, start a new shell, and rerun openclaw --version.
The Gateway is installed but not responding
- Run
openclaw gateway status. - Run
openclaw doctorto identify configuration problems. - Confirm that you are opening
http://127.0.0.1:18789/on the Gateway machine, not on a different computer. - Check that the background service matches your operating system’s documented mechanism.
- Send a simple Control UI message before testing a more complex app-building prompt.
The agent changes too much code
Stop and narrow the request. Ask for a proposed file list before editing, require one feature per turn, and tell the agent to ask before destructive changes. If the workspace has unrelated projects, move them into separate workspaces or use separate agents.
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A prototype works once but fails later
Ask for a reproducible run command, an acceptance checklist, and a written explanation of environment variables. Then repeat the setup on a clean workspace. This distinguishes a code defect from an unrecorded local dependency or credential.
Maintain and back up the installation
OpenClaw’s configuration and your app workspace are separate operational assets. Back up ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json and the project files using a method appropriate for the sensitivity of the contents. Do not place raw API keys in an unencrypted backup.
Record the output of openclaw --version when you create a known-good setup. Before updating Node.js, OpenClaw, a plugin, or a model integration, make a backup and test the Gateway status and a simple Control UI reply afterward. For a VPS or Raspberry Pi, also plan how you will restore the host if its storage fails.
Quick Recap
A practical first-project checklist
- Node.js meets the supported version requirement.
- Claude Code, Codex CLI, or a supported provider API key is ready.
- The host choice reflects the required uptime and network exposure.
- OpenClaw installs through the official installer or
npx openclaw@latest. - Quick start, Custom setup, or
openclaw onboardcompletes a real model response. - The Control UI answers a simple message.
openclaw --version,openclaw doctor, andopenclaw gateway statusrun successfully.- The first app request is a small, testable website or mobile prototype.
- Secrets are in environment variables, not source files or shared prompts.
- Channel allowlists, group mention rules, and workspace boundaries are set before inviting other users.
- Each feature has an acceptance checklist and is added separately.
- The configuration and workspace have a recoverable backup.
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