Installation & First Boot

Installation takes about 15 minutes. You need Node.js (v20 or later), a Telegram bot token, and at least one AI model API key. OpenClaw is installed via npm and configured through a single settings file that tells it which channels to listen on and which models to use.

1. 1. Install Node.js Download and install Node.js v20+ from nodejs.org. Verify with "node --version" in your terminal. This is the runtime that powers OpenClaw.
2. 2. Create a Telegram Bot Open Telegram, find @BotFather, and send "/newbot." Follow the prompts to name your bot and get your bot token. Save this token — it is how OpenClaw connects to Telegram.
3. 3. Get an AI Model API Key Sign up at anthropic.com, openai.com, or ai.google.dev and generate an API key. You need at least one. Anthropic Claude is recommended as a starting model.
4. 4. Install and Configure OpenClaw Run "npm install openclaw" in your project directory. Create a config file with your Telegram bot token and AI API key. Run "npx openclaw start" to boot the agent.
5. 5. Verify Connection Open Telegram and send a message to your bot. If OpenClaw is running correctly, it responds. If it does not, check the terminal output for error messages — the most common issue is an incorrect bot token.