Installing OpenClaw on Your VPS — Complete Guide

OpenClaw is an open-source AI assistant that runs on your own server. You maintain full control over your data and privacy. This guide walks you through the complete installation process.

What is OpenClaw?

OpenClaw is a self-hosted AI assistant that you can connect to popular messaging platforms like Telegram, WhatsApp, Discord, and Slack. It offers:

• AI conversations with GPT-4, Claude, or local models
• Web browsing — the assistant can visit websites and retrieve information
• File management — read, write, and analyze documents
• Command execution — controlled shell access on your server
• Skills system — modular capabilities you can enable/disable
• Privacy-first — all data stays on your server

System Requirements

Tip: Choose at least the Browser Automation package (4 GB RAM) if you want to use the web browsing feature. Headless Chrome requires additional memory.

Step 1: Order Your VPS

1. Go to maenda.media/configurator/vps
2. Choose a VPS package that meets the system requirements
3. Select "OpenClaw" as the Template
4. Complete your order

After payment, your VPS is automatically created and configured. This takes approximately 3-5 minutes.

Step 2: What Gets Automatically Installed?

When choosing the OpenClaw template, the following is automatically installed and configured:

Security Configuration

The following security measures are automatically applied:

✅ UFW Firewall — Only SSH (port 22) allowed
✅ fail2ban — Blocks IPs after 5 failed login attempts
✅ Automatic updates — Security updates installed automatically
✅ SSH hardening — Root login disabled, key-based auth only
✅ Logrotate — Prevents logs from filling the disk

Step 3: Connect via SSH

After installation, you'll receive an email with your SSH credentials.

ssh user@your-server-ip

Note: On the first connection, you'll be asked to accept the server fingerprint. Type yes to continue.

Step 4: Initial Configuration (Onboarding)

Upon first SSH login, the OpenClaw onboarding wizard starts automatically:

OpenClaw onboarding wizard — step-by-step configuration

The wizard guides you through:

4.1 Setting Up AI Provider

Choose your AI provider and enter your API key:

4.2 Connecting a Messaging Platform

Connect at least one messaging platform:

Telegram (recommended for beginners):

1. Open Telegram and search for @BotFather
2. Send /newbot and follow the instructions
3. Copy the bot token
4. Paste the token in the wizard

4.3 Configuring Skills

Choose which capabilities your assistant has:

• Web Browsing — Visit websites and retrieve information
• File Management — Read and write files
• Command Execution — Execute shell commands (with restrictions)
• Image Generation — Generate images with DALL-E
• Code Execution — Run Python/JavaScript code in sandbox

Step 5: The Terminal UI (TUI)

OpenClaw has a built-in terminal interface for direct interaction:

OpenClaw Terminal UI — interactive console interface

Starting the TUI

openclaw tui

TUI Commands

Step 6: Connecting a Domain (Optional)

To access OpenClaw via a web browser (for the Control UI), connect a domain:

DNS Configuration

Type: A
Name: openclaw (or @ for main domain)
Value: your-server-ip
TTL: 3600

Caddy Reverse Proxy

sudo nano /etc/caddy/Caddyfile

openclaw.yourdomain.com {
    reverse_proxy localhost:3000
}

sudo systemctl restart caddy

Caddy automatically handles SSL certificates via Let's Encrypt.

Updates & Maintenance

Updating OpenClaw

openclaw update

Viewing Logs

journalctl -u openclaw -f

Backup

tar -czf openclaw-backup-$(date +%Y%m%d).tar.gz /opt/openclaw/data

Directory Structure

/opt/openclaw/
├── data/               # Conversation history, files
│   ├── conversations/  # Saved conversations
│   ├── files/          # Uploaded/generated files
│   └── db/             # SQLite database
├── config/             # Configuration files
│   ├── config.yml      # Main configuration
│   ├── skills.yml      # Skills configuration
│   └── platforms.yml   # Messaging platform configuration
├── skills/             # Installed capabilities
├── logs/               # Log files
└── node_modules/       # Node.js dependencies

FAQ

Which messaging platforms are supported?

OpenClaw supports: Telegram, WhatsApp, Discord, Slack, Signal, and Matrix. You can connect multiple platforms simultaneously.

Is my data safe?

Yes. All data is stored locally on your server. No data is sent to external servers (except to the AI provider for generating responses). You can also use a local AI model (via Ollama) for complete privacy.

How much memory do I need?

• 2 GB RAM — Basic: text conversations and simple tasks
• 4 GB RAM — Recommended: web browsing and file management
• 8 GB RAM — Full: all features including local AI models

More Information

• OpenClaw Documentation: open-claw.org/docs
• GitHub Repository: github.com/openclaw/openclaw
• Community Discord: discord.gg/openclaw

Ready to get started? Order your OpenClaw VPS →