Setup Checklist

Your complete guide to going from zero to fully-powered OpenClaw setup.

1 Basic Setup (Required)

Install OpenClaw

Get the CLI tool installed globally

npm install -g openclaw

💡 Or use the one-liner from the official docs

Run the Setup Wizard

Configure your workspace, AI model, and gateway

openclaw

💡 Choose 'local' gateway mode to start — easiest for beginners

Start the Gateway

Launch the OpenClaw service

openclaw gateway start

💡 Gateway runs in the background, handling all requests

2 Power-Ups (Recommended)

Brave Search

Enable web search for your AI

Free tier: 2,000 queries/month

Why: Let your AI search the web, check facts, find current information

Get key: https://brave.com/search/api/

openclaw config set tools.web.search.provider brave
openclaw config set tools.web.search.apiKey 'YOUR_BRAVE_API_KEY'
openclaw gateway restart

Test: Search for OpenClaw documentation

Mem0 + Structured Memory

Hybrid memory that stays fast: Mem0 for recall + lean context files

Requires: Mem0 API key

Why: Lower token usage, cleaner context, and better long-term recall

# 1) Install Mem0 plugin
openclaw plugins install @mem0/openclaw-mem0

# 2) Configure Mem0 (platform mode)
openclaw config set plugins.slots.memory openclaw-mem0
openclaw config set plugins.entries.openclaw-mem0.enabled true
openclaw config set plugins.entries.openclaw-mem0.config.mode 'platform'
openclaw config set plugins.entries.openclaw-mem0.config.apiKey 'YOUR_MEM0_API_KEY'
openclaw config set plugins.entries.openclaw-mem0.config.userId 'default'
openclaw config set plugins.entries.openclaw-mem0.config.autoRecall true
openclaw config set plugins.entries.openclaw-mem0.config.autoCapture true

# 3) Create compaction-safe folders
mkdir -p ~/.openclaw/workspace/memory
mkdir -p ~/.openclaw/workspace/context/&#123;projects,preferences,knowledge-base&#125;

openclaw gateway restart
openclaw mem0 stats

Test: Ask: 'What do you know about my projects?' and verify memory recall works

3 Messaging Integrations (Optional)

Easy

Chat with your AI on your phone

Create bot with @BotFather, add token to config, allow your user ID

Medium

Connect your WhatsApp account

Use WhatsApp Web pairing or official Business API

Discord

Easy

Add your AI to Discord servers

Create bot application, add bot token, configure permissions

Browser Control

Medium

Control Chrome remotely for automation

Install browser extension or use built-in Playwright integration

Quick Reference

Useful Commands

openclaw status — Check everything's running
openclaw gateway restart — Restart after config changes
openclaw config get — View current config
openclaw logs --follow — Watch live logs

Config Locations

~/.openclaw/openclaw.json — Main config
~/.openclaw/workspace/ — AI workspace, context, and project files
~/.openclaw/extensions/ — Plugins

Common Issues

"access not configured" in Telegram

Get your Telegram user ID from the error message, then run:
openclaw config set channels.telegram.allowFrom '["YOUR_USER_ID"]'

Gateway won't start

Check config validity: openclaw doctor --fix
Or reset to defaults: openclaw config reset

Mem0 plugin not loading

Check plugin status: openclaw plugins info openclaw-mem0 --json
Ensure key/mode are set in config and restart: openclaw gateway restart

Ready to build?

Check out the examples to see what you can do with your new setup.