Welcome to the most comprehensive OpenClaw tutorial for 2026. Whether you're a developer, power user, or complete beginner, this guide will take you from zero to running your own private AI agent in 30 minutes.

What You'll Learn

How to install OpenClaw on any platform (macOS, Windows, Linux, Docker)
Connecting your first AI model (Claude, GPT, DeepSeek, or local Ollama)
Setting up chat platform integrations (Slack, Discord, Telegram, WeChat)
Creating your first automation workflow
Building custom skills for your specific needs
Advanced tips for production deployment

Prerequisites

You need Node.js 18+ installed on your system. That's it.

Step 1: Install OpenClaw

Open your terminal and run one command:

npx clawdbot@latest

This installs and launches OpenClaw at http://localhost:3000.

Alternative methods:

macOS: brew install openclaw — Full macOS guide
Docker: docker run -d -p 3000:3000 openclaw/openclaw — Docker guide
Cloud VPS: One-click deploy on DigitalOcean or Tencent Cloud — Deployment guide

Step 2: Configure Your AI Model

OpenClaw supports every major AI model:

Provider	Models	Best For
Anthropic	Claude 4.5 Sonnet, Claude 4.6 Opus	Complex reasoning, coding
OpenAI	GPT-4o, GPT-5	General-purpose tasks
Google	Gemini 2.5 Pro	Multimodal, long context
DeepSeek	DeepSeek V3, R1	Cost-effective, Chinese language
xAI	Grok-3	Real-time web access
Ollama (Local)	Llama 3, Qwen, Mistral	100% offline, zero cost

In the dashboard, go to Settings → Models and add your API key. For fully private operation, install Ollama and select a local model.

Step 3: Connect Chat Platforms

OpenClaw integrates with 50+ messaging platforms.

Telegram Bot

Message @BotFather on Telegram → /newbot
Copy the bot token
In OpenClaw: Settings → Platforms → Telegram → paste token
Done! Chat with your AI agent directly in Telegram

Discord Bot

Create a Discord application at discord.com/developers
Copy the bot token
In OpenClaw: Settings → Platforms → Discord → paste token
Invite the bot to your server

WeChat Integration

OpenClaw supports WeChat through the built-in bridge. See our detailed WeChat tutorial.

Step 4: Your First Automation

Send this message to your OpenClaw agent:

"Every morning at 9am, check Hacker News top stories,
summarize the top 5, and send me a digest via Telegram."

OpenClaw will parse your request, plan the steps, configure the task, and execute it daily. No code needed.

Step 5: Install Skills from the Marketplace

Browser Control — Automate any website: fill forms, scrape data, take screenshots
GitHub Agent — Review PRs, manage issues, automate releases
Email Assistant — Draft, send, and organize emails across accounts
Calendar Sync — Manage Google/Outlook calendars with natural language
Home Assistant — Control smart home devices via conversation

Install any skill with one click. See Skills Marketplace.

Step 6: Build a Custom Skill

import { defineSkill } from '@openclaw/sdk'

return defineSkill({
  name: 'stock-checker',
  description: 'Check real-time stock prices',
  triggers: ['check stock', 'stock price'],
  async execute(context) {
    const { ticker } = context.params
    const price = await fetchStockPrice(ticker)
    return ticker + ' is currently $' + price
  }
})

Deploy with openclaw skill publish. Full SDK docs at Documentation.

Advanced Configuration

Memory & Context

OpenClaw stores conversations and preferences in local SQLite. Your agent gets smarter over time — all stored locally.

Multi-Agent Workflows

"When I receive an email from a client,
summarize it, create a Notion task,
and reply with an acknowledgment."

Security Best Practices

Always use HTTPS in production (Security Guide)
Enable 2FA for the admin dashboard
Use environment variables for API keys
Regularly update: npx clawdbot@latest

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
Port 3000 in use	`OPENCLAW_PORT=3001 npx clawdbot@latest`
Model API errors	Check API key in Settings → Models
Telegram bot not responding	Verify token and restart the platform bridge
High memory usage	Reduce context window size in Settings → Performance

What's Next?

Best AI Agents 2026 — Compare 20 alternatives
OpenClaw Examples — 15 real-world automations
Skills Guide — 50+ plugins
Python Integration
Best Cloud Servers — Deploy to production

OpenClaw Tutorial: Complete Beginner's Guide to AI Agents (2026)