How to Install OpenClaw in 15 Minutes

Complete step-by-step tutorial for Mac, Windows, and Linux

⏱️ 15 minutes to complete

What you'll learn: By the end of this tutorial, you'll have OpenClaw installed, configured with your API key, and ready to run your first AI automation. No coding experience required.

Prerequisites

Before you start, make sure you have:

💡 Tip: New to Python? Download it from python.org/downloads. The installer includes pip automatically.

Step 1: Check Your System

Open Terminal (Cmd+Space, type "Terminal") and run:

python3 --version
pip3 --version

You should see Python 3.10+ and pip version numbers. If not, install Python from python.org.

Open Command Prompt (Win+R, type "cmd") and run:

python --version
pip --version

You should see Python 3.10+ and pip version numbers. If not, install Python from python.org and check "Add Python to PATH" during installation.

⚠️ Windows users: OpenClaw works best on Windows via WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux). See Module 2 of the course for detailed Windows setup instructions.

Open your terminal and run:

python3 --version
pip3 --version

Most Linux distributions come with Python pre-installed. If not, install via your package manager:

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt update && sudo apt install python3 python3-pip

# Fedora/RHEL
sudo dnf install python3 python3-pip

# Arch
sudo pacman -S python python-pip

Step 2: Install OpenClaw

Run the Installation Command

In your terminal, run:

pip install openclaw

This downloads and installs OpenClaw and all its dependencies. Takes 1-2 minutes.

✅ Installation complete! Verify by running openclaw --version. You should see the version number.

Step 3: Initialize Your Workspace

Create Your .openclaw Folder

OpenClaw stores everything in a .openclaw folder in your home directory. Create it:

openclaw init

This creates:

  • ~/.openclaw/config.yaml - Main configuration file
  • ~/.openclaw/SOUL.md - Your AI agent's personality and goals
  • ~/.openclaw/AGENTS.md - Agent definitions
  • ~/.openclaw/MEMORY.md - Agent memory storage
  • ~/.openclaw/skills/ - Custom skills folder
💡 What's in SOUL.md? This file defines your agent's behavior, tone, and priorities. Think of it as your agent's DNA. You can edit it anytime to change how your agent acts.

Step 4: Configure Your API Key

Add Anthropic API Key

Open ~/.openclaw/config.yaml in any text editor and add your API key:

anthropic:
  api_key: "sk-ant-api03-your-key-here"
  model: "claude-sonnet-4.5"  # Cost-optimized model

Where to get your API key:

  1. Go to console.anthropic.com
  2. Sign up (free £5 credit included)
  3. Navigate to API Keys section
  4. Create a new key and copy it
🔒 Security First: Never share your API key or commit it to git. Keep it in config.yaml only. See the free Security First chapter for full security guide.

Step 5: Test Your Installation

Run Your First Command

Test that everything works:

openclaw doctor

This runs a health check and shows:

  • ✅ Python version OK
  • ✅ Dependencies installed
  • ✅ API key configured
  • ✅ .openclaw folder structure correct
🎉 Installation verified! All systems green. You're ready to create your first agent.

Step 6: Create Your First Agent

Quick Start: Email Triage Agent

Let's create a simple agent that summarizes your emails. Run:

openclaw agent create email-triage

This creates a new agent definition in AGENTS.md. Edit it to customize the agent's task:

# Email Triage Agent
**Purpose:** Read my inbox and summarize important emails

**Schedule:** Daily at 8am

**Actions:**
- Read unread emails from the last 24 hours
- Categorize by urgency (high/medium/low)
- Generate summary with action items
- Send summary via Telegram
💡 Pro Tip: Start simple. Get one agent working perfectly before creating multiple agents. Module 3 of the course covers your First 3 Projects in detail.

Step 7: Run Your Agent Manually

Test Your Email Triage Agent

Before scheduling, run manually to test:

openclaw run email-triage

The agent will execute and show you the results. Check the output to verify it's doing what you want.

Step 8: Schedule with Cron (Optional)

Automate Daily Runs

To run your agent automatically every day at 8am, add to crontab:

crontab -e

Add this line:

0 8 * * * /usr/local/bin/openclaw run email-triage

Save and exit. Your agent now runs daily without any manual work.

💡 New to cron? Module 4 of the course covers cron jobs in detail, including common pitfalls, error handling, and best practices. Join the waitlist to get notified when the course launches.

What's Next?

You now have OpenClaw installed and running! Here's what to do next:

  1. Read the free Security First chapter - Learn how to lock down your API keys, prevent prompt injection, and keep your automations secure.
  2. Build your First 3 Projects - Meeting notes, email triage, weekly reports (covered in Module 3)
  3. Set up Gateway control - Control OpenClaw from Telegram/Slack on your phone (Module 5)
  4. Add Heartbeat Monitoring - Get alerted if your agents fail (Module 8)

Master OpenClaw in 10 Modules

This tutorial covers basic installation. The complete course teaches you security, token optimization, multi-agent orchestration, and scaling to £500k+ in revenue.

10 modules • 95,000 words • £97

Read Free Chapter Join Waitlist

Troubleshooting

Python version too old

Problem: openclaw requires Python 3.10+ but you have 3.8 or 3.9.

Solution: Install Python 3.11 from python.org. Use python3.11 and pip3.11 commands instead of python3.

pip: command not found

Problem: pip is not installed or not in PATH.

Solution: Install pip: python3 -m ensurepip --upgrade. If that fails, reinstall Python from python.org and check "Add to PATH".

API key not working

Problem: "Invalid API key" error when running openclaw doctor.

Solution: Double-check your API key in ~/.openclaw/config.yaml. Make sure there are no extra spaces or quotes. Key should start with sk-ant-api03-.

Permission denied on macOS

Problem: "Permission denied" when running pip install openclaw.

Solution: Use pip install --user openclaw to install for your user only (no sudo needed).

Still stuck?

Join the OpenClaw Discord community at discord.gg/openclaw for help. Or book a £1,500 private setup session via Dan's LinkedIn.

Skip the Setup Hassle

Want OpenClaw installed and configured perfectly in 1 hour? Book a private setup session with Dan.

£1,500 • 1 hour • Full setup + customization

Contact Dan on LinkedIn