OpenClawUP logoOpenClawUP.com
openclawopen-sourceinstallerlocal

OpenClawUP Local: Install OpenClaw With a Single Command

Qing··6 min read

The Problem

OpenClaw is powerful. It's also not easy to set up.

The official installation requires Node.js 22+, a global npm install, an interactive onboarding wizard, JSON5 configuration, API keys from at least one AI provider, and channel-specific setup for Telegram or Discord. For experienced developers, it's doable. For everyone else, it's a wall.

I've spent weeks in the OpenClaw Discord helping people debug installation issues. The same problems come up over and over:

  • Wrong Node.js version (needs ≥22.12.0, most systems ship with 18 or 20)
  • Config file syntax errors (JSON5 is forgiving but not that forgiving)
  • API key confusion (which provider, which format, which env var?)
  • Telegram bot token setup (BotFather flow is straightforward but easy to mess up)

So I built a fix.

One Command

macOS / Linux — open Terminal and paste:

curl -fsSL https://openclawup.com/get | bash

Windows — open PowerShell and paste:

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command "irm https://openclawup.com/get.ps1 | iex"

Alternatively, download and double-click install.bat (requires Windows 10/11 with PowerShell 5.1+).

That's it. The installer:

  1. Checks your system and installs Node.js 22 if needed
  2. Installs OpenClaw globally
  3. Generates a working configuration file
  4. Starts the OpenClaw gateway on your machine

About 60 seconds from paste to a working OpenClaw instance.

Two Ways to Use It

After installation, you choose how to connect AI models:

Option A: Bring Your Own Keys (BYOK)

Already have API keys from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, or any other provider? Just add them to your config:

// ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
{
  models: {
    providers: {
      "openai": {
        apiKey: "${OPENAI_API_KEY}",
        models: [{ id: "gpt-5.4", name: "GPT-5.4" }]
      },
      "anthropic": {
        apiKey: "${ANTHROPIC_API_KEY}",
        models: [{ id: "claude-sonnet-4.6", name: "Claude Sonnet 4.6" }]
      }
    }
  }
}

Full control. Your keys, your billing, your choice of models. The installer sets up the OpenClaw runtime — what you plug into it is entirely up to you.

Option B: OpenClawUP Gateway (Quick Start)

Don't have API keys yet, or don't want to manage multiple providers? The installer can optionally pair with your OpenClawUP account to give you instant access to 9 models through a single gateway:

Model Best For
Claude Sonnet 4.6 Complex reasoning, coding
Claude Opus 4.5 Premium analysis
GPT-5.4 General purpose
Gemini 3 Flash Fast responses, multimodal
DeepSeek V3.2 Coding, technical tasks
Qwen 3.5 Chinese + English bilingual
GLM-5 Chinese language
MiniMax M2.5 Creative content
Kimi K2.5 Research and long documents

No need to sign up with 6 different AI providers. One account, one credit system. Convenient if you want to get up and running fast.

You can switch between BYOK and the gateway at any time — it's just a config change.

How the Pairing Works (Option B)

If you choose to use the OpenClawUP gateway, the installer runs a secure pairing flow:

Terminal                          Browser
───────                          ───────
Run install script
  → Generate pairing token
  → Open browser ──────────────→ /local/setup?token=xxx
                                   ↓
                                 Sign in with Google
                                   ↓
                                 Pairing confirmed
  ← Receive API key ←──────────
  → Write config
  → Start OpenClaw
  → Ready!
  • Pairing tokens expire after 30 minutes
  • API keys are encrypted at rest
  • No passwords are stored locally

If you skip the pairing step, the installer still sets up OpenClaw — you just need to add your own API keys manually.

It's Open Source

The entire installer is open source:

github.com/OpenClawUP/local

  • install.sh — macOS/Linux installer
  • install.command — macOS double-click installer
  • install.ps1 — Windows PowerShell installer
  • install.bat — Windows double-click installer
  • uninstall.sh — macOS/Linux removal
  • uninstall.ps1 — Windows removal

Read it, audit it, fork it, improve it. PRs welcome.

Uninstall

macOS / Linux:

curl -fsSL https://openclawup.com/unget | bash

Windows (PowerShell):

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command "irm https://openclawup.com/uninstall.ps1 | iex"

What This Is (And Isn't)

This is: A free, open-source tool that makes installing OpenClaw on your local machine painless. Use it with your own API keys or with OpenClawUP's gateway — your call.

This is not: A cloud deployment. Your OpenClaw runs on your computer — when your laptop sleeps, the bot sleeps. For a 24/7 Telegram or Discord bot, you need a server.

If you decide you want always-on uptime later, OpenClawUP Cloud can deploy to a dedicated VM with one click. But plenty of people run OpenClaw locally and are perfectly happy with it.

FAQ

Q: Is the installer free? A: Yes, completely free and open source. If you BYOK, there's no cost from us at all. If you use the OpenClawUP gateway, AI usage consumes credits from your account.

Q: Does it work on Windows? A: Yes. Windows 10/11 with PowerShell 5.1+ is supported. You can run the PowerShell command or download the install.bat file. Windows support is still in preview — if you hit any issues, please open an issue on GitHub.

Q: Can I switch from the gateway to my own keys later? A: Yes. Edit ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json and replace the OpenClawUP provider with your own. No reinstall needed — OpenClaw hot-reloads config changes.

Q: Can I switch from my own keys to the gateway later? A: Also yes. Run the pairing flow from your OpenClawUP dashboard and update your config. Works both ways.

Q: What data does this send to OpenClawUP? A: If you use the gateway, your AI conversations are routed through it to reach the AI models. If you BYOK, nothing is sent to OpenClawUP. Your local files, system data, and config are never uploaded in either case.

Q: I'm a developer. Can I just use openclaw onboard directly? A: Absolutely. This installer is a convenience wrapper — if you're comfortable with Node.js and the CLI, the official openclaw onboard --install-daemon works great. This tool is mainly for people who want to skip the manual setup.

Built by Qing. Source: github.com/OpenClawUP/local. Questions? Reach me on Twitter/X or email: hi@openclawup.com

← Back to Blog