How to Install OpenClaw — Complete Installation Guide for Windows, Mac & Linux

OpenClaw is an open-source AI assistant that runs on your computer or server and connects to messaging platforms like Telegram, WhatsApp, and Slack. This guide walks you through installing OpenClaw on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Prerequisites

Before installing OpenClaw, make sure you have:

• Node.js 22+ — OpenClaw runs on Node.js. Download it from nodejs.org or install via nvm.
• An Anthropic API key — sign up at console.anthropic.com and create an API key.
• A Telegram Bot Token — create a bot via @BotFather on Telegram.

Installation on macOS

The fastest way to get OpenClaw running on macOS:

# Install Node.js via Homebrew
brew install node

# Install OpenClaw globally
npm install -g openclaw

# Create a configuration directory
mkdir ~/.openclaw && cd ~/.openclaw

# Initialize configuration
openclaw init

The init command creates a config.json file where you'll paste your API keys and Telegram bot token.

Installation on Windows

On Windows, we recommend using WSL2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux) for the best experience:

# Install WSL2 (run in PowerShell as admin)
wsl --install

# Inside WSL, install Node.js
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.0/install.sh | bash
nvm install 22

# Install OpenClaw
npm install -g openclaw
openclaw init

Alternatively, you can install Node.js natively on Windows and run OpenClaw directly, though some features work better under WSL2.

Installation on Linux

On Ubuntu/Debian:

# Install Node.js 22 via nvm
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.0/install.sh | bash
source ~/.bashrc
nvm install 22

# Install OpenClaw
npm install -g openclaw
openclaw init

Configuration

After running openclaw init, edit the generated config.json:

{
  "anthropic_api_key": "sk-ant-your-key-here",
  "telegram_bot_token": "123456789:ABCdefGHIjklMNO",
  "model": "claude-sonnet-4-20250514",
  "system_prompt": "You are a helpful personal assistant."
}

Running OpenClaw

openclaw start

That's it! Open Telegram and message your bot. OpenClaw will respond using Claude.

Troubleshooting

• "Permission denied" — try sudo npm install -g openclaw or fix your npm permissions.
• "ECONNREFUSED" — check your API key is valid and you have internet access.
• Bot not responding — verify the Telegram bot token is correct. Try messaging /start to the bot.

The Easier Way: Use Clawby

If all of this feels like too much work, Clawby handles everything for you. One click, and you get a fully managed OpenClaw instance on a dedicated server — no terminal, no configuration, no maintenance. Just paste your API keys and go.