OpenClaw Setup on VPS

This guide walks you through installing OpenClaw on a VPS (Virtual Private Server) like Hetzner, DigitalOcean, or similar providers.

Prerequisites

VPS with Ubuntu 22.04+ or Debian 12+
Root or sudo access
Domain name (optional, for remote access)
At least 2GB RAM (4GB recommended for model inference)

Step 1: Install Node.js 22

OpenClaw requires Node.js 22 or newer.

# Using nvm (recommended)
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.7/install.sh | bash
source ~/.bashrc
nvm install 22
nvm use 22
nvm alias default 22

# Verify installation
node --version  # Should show v22.x.x
npm --version

Step 2: Install OpenClaw

# Install OpenClaw globally
npm install -g openclaw

# Verify installation
openclaw --version

Step 3: Run the Onboarding Wizard

openclaw onboard --install-daemon

The wizard will guide you through:

Gateway configuration (port, bind address, auth)
Model provider setup (OpenAI, Qwen, Anthropic, etc.)
Channel configuration (Telegram, Discord, WhatsApp, etc.)
Daemon installation (systemd service)

Step 4: Configure Gateway for Remote Access

Edit ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json:

{
  "gateway": {
    "port": 18789,
    "mode": "local",
    "bind": "0.0.0.0",
    "auth": {
      "mode": "token",
      "token": "your-secure-token-here"
    },
    "tailscale": {
      "mode": "off"
    }
  }
}

Step 5: Configure Firewall

# Allow OpenClaw gateway port
sudo ufw allow 18789/tcp
sudo ufw allow 22/tcp
sudo ufw enable

Step 6: Install and Configure Nginx (Optional, for HTTPS)

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y nginx certbot python3-certbot-nginx

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/openclaw

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name your-domain.com;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:18789;
        proxy_http_version 1.1;
        proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header Connection 'upgrade';
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_cache_bypass $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
    }
}

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/openclaw /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl restart nginx

# Get SSL certificate
sudo certbot --nginx -d your-domain.com

Step 7: Verify Gateway Status

openclaw gateway status
openclaw logs --follow
curl http://127.0.0.1:18789/health

Step 8: Connect Channels

After gateway is running, configure your channels:

# Telegram Bot
openclaw configure --section telegram

# Discord Bot
openclaw configure --section discord

Security Considerations

Use strong auth tokens – Generate with openssl rand -hex 32
Enable firewall – Only allow necessary ports
Use HTTPS – Always use reverse proxy with SSL for production
Regular updates – Run npm update -g openclaw periodically
Monitor logs – Check openclaw logs for suspicious activity

Troubleshooting

# Gateway won't start – check if port is in use
sudo lsof -i :18789

# Check logs
openclaw logs --tail 100

# Restart daemon
openclaw gateway restart