The OpenClaw Quick-Start Guide
OpenClaw is an AI agent platform that runs on your own machine, giving you a personal AI that works 24/7, integrates with your tools, and actually remembers who you are. This quick-start guide gets you from installation to your first working agent in under 30 minutes — no code required.
What You'll Need
- ✅A Mac, PC, or Linux machine
- ✅Node.js version 18 or higher
- ✅An OpenAI or Anthropic API key
- ✅About 30 minutes
Step-by-Step Guide
Install OpenClaw
Open your terminal and run: npm install -g openclaw. Once installed, run openclaw init to create your workspace. This sets up the directory structure — your workspace will live at ~/.openclaw/workspace. Run openclaw gateway start to start the background service that keeps your agent running continuously.
Configure your identity files
Navigate to your workspace and open SOUL.md — this is your agent's personality file. Edit it to define how you want your agent to behave: its tone, priorities, and values. Then open USER.md and fill in information about yourself: your name, timezone, what you're working on, and your communication preferences. These two files are the foundation everything else builds on.
Connect your first integration
Run openclaw integrations to see available integrations. Start with one: Gmail is the easiest for most people. Follow the connection flow, grant the permissions requested, and verify the connection shows green. Your agent can now read your inbox and act on it. Add more integrations (Slack, Calendar, Notion) once the first one is working smoothly.
Install your first skill
Skills are pre-built agent behaviours you can install in minutes. Run openclaw skills list to see what's available. For most beginners, the Email Triage skill is the best first choice — it's immediately useful and demonstrates the platform's capabilities well. Run openclaw skills install email-triage and follow the configuration prompts.
Set up your heartbeat schedule
The heartbeat is what makes OpenClaw proactive — it checks in with you on a schedule rather than only responding when you ask. Open HEARTBEAT.md in your workspace and define what you want checked each time the heartbeat fires. Start simple: 'Check for urgent emails and report anything time-sensitive'. Set the heartbeat interval to every 2 hours to start.
The #1 mistake new OpenClaw users make is trying to configure everything at once. Pick one workflow to automate, get it working well, and live with it for a week before adding more. Depth beats breadth in the early days.
Get Full Access
Get the Full Guide
$9
One-time purchase. Instant access. Includes all steps, templates, and setup files.
🔒 Secure checkout via Stripe
Ready to skip the setup?
Browse ready-made agents in our marketplace — pre-built, pre-configured, and ready to deploy in minutes.
Browse the Marketplace →