10 KiB
summary, read_when, title
| summary | read_when | title | |
|---|---|---|---|
| OpenClaw is an open-source AI assistant that runs on your own hardware and meets you in every chat app you already use. |
|
OpenClaw |
OpenClaw 🦞
"EXFOLIATE! EXFOLIATE!" — A space lobster, probably
Your AI assistant, on your own hardware, in every chat app you already use.
One Gateway. Any model. Any device. No hosted service in the middle.
Developed in the open by the OpenClaw Foundation, an independent 501(c)(3). No paid tier, no telemetry by default beyond a version check you can turn off, no lab owns it.
Browse docs
Mobile browsers may show the section menu without the full desktop tab bar. Use these hub links to reach the same top-level docs areas from the page body.
Overview, first steps, and setup guides. Install paths, updates, containers, hosting, and advanced setup. Messaging channels, pairing, routing, access groups, and channel QA. Architecture, sessions, context, memory, and multi-agent routing. Tools, skills, cron, webhooks, and automation capabilities. Plugin marketplace, publishing, curation, and trust guidance. Providers, model configuration, failover, and local model services. macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, nodes, and web surfaces. Gateway configuration, security, diagnostics, and operations. CLI reference, schemas, RPC, and templates. Release notes for each version, with highlights and source links. Troubleshooting, FAQs, testing, diagnostics, and environment checks.What is OpenClaw?
OpenClaw is a self-hosted gateway that connects your favorite chat apps — Discord, Google Chat, iMessage, Matrix, Microsoft Teams, Signal, Slack, Telegram, WhatsApp, Zalo, and more via channel plugins — to AI coding agents. You run a single Gateway process on your own machine (or a server), and it becomes the bridge between your messaging apps and an always-available AI assistant.
Who is it for? Developers, power users, and teams who want an AI assistant they can message from anywhere — without giving up control of their data or relying on a hosted service. The same gateway runs as a personal assistant on one laptop or as a shared team deployment; configuration is the only difference.
What makes it different?
- Self-hosted: runs on your hardware, your rules
- Multi-channel: one Gateway serves every configured channel plugin simultaneously
- Agent-native: built for coding agents with tool use, sessions, memory, and multi-agent routing
- Open source: MIT licensed, community-driven
The full architecture case — a trusted gateway, untrusted execution, deterministic policy, and how one product spans personal and team use — is in Why OpenClaw.
What do you need? Node 26 (recommended), or another supported release: Node 24.16+ or Node 26.1+. You also need an API key from your chosen provider and 5 minutes. For best quality and security, use the strongest latest-generation model available.
How it works
flowchart LR
A["Chat apps + plugins"] --> B["Gateway"]
B --> C["OpenClaw agent"]
B --> D["CLI"]
B --> E["Web Control UI"]
B --> F["macOS app"]
B --> G["iOS and Android nodes"]
The Gateway is the single source of truth for sessions, routing, and channel connections.
Key capabilities
Discord, iMessage, Signal, Slack, Telegram, WhatsApp, WebChat, and more with a single Gateway process. Channel plugins add Matrix, Nostr, Twitch, Zalo, and more; official plugins install on demand. Isolated sessions per agent, workspace, or sender. Send and receive images, audio, and documents. Browser dashboard for chat, config, sessions, and nodes. Pair iOS and Android nodes for camera, screen, and voice-enabled workflows. Teach the agent repeatable procedures it loads on demand. Run work on a schedule with cron jobs, hooks, and webhooks. Write your own channel, provider, and tool plugins against the plugin SDK.Quick start
```bash curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash ``` ```powershell iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1 | iex ```The installer detects your OS, installs Node if needed, installs OpenClaw,
and then starts onboarding. Other install methods (npm, pnpm, bun, Docker,
Nix, from source) are on the [Install](/install) page.
```bash
openclaw gateway install
```
```bash
openclaw dashboard
```
Or connect a channel ([Telegram](/channels/telegram) is fastest) and chat from your phone.
Need the full install and dev setup? See Getting Started.
Dashboard
Open the browser Control UI after the Gateway starts.
- Local default: http://127.0.0.1:18789/
- Remote access: Web surfaces and Tailscale
Configuration (optional)
Config lives at ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json.
- If you do nothing, OpenClaw uses the bundled OpenClaw agent runtime; DMs share the agent's main session, and each group chat gets its own session.
- If you want to lock it down, start with
channels.whatsapp.allowFromand (for groups) mention rules.
Example:
{
channels: {
whatsapp: {
allowFrom: ["+15555550123"],
groups: { "*": { requireMention: true } },
},
},
messages: { groupChat: { mentionPatterns: ["@openclaw"] } },
}