Deploy OpenClaw on a VPS: Complete Step-by-Step Guide (2026)

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Deploy OpenClaw on a VPS: Complete Step-by-Step Guide

So you want your own AI agent that’s always online, connected to Telegram, and can handle everything from email to home automation? This guide walks you through deploying OpenClaw on a fresh VPS — from zero to a fully functional AI assistant.

What you’ll have at the end: A 24/7 AI agent on Telegram that can search the web, manage your calendar, read emails, control smart home devices, and run scheduled tasks — all for about $6/month in hosting.

Prerequisites

Step 1: Server Setup (10 minutes)

SSH into your fresh VPS and run initial setup:

# Update system
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

# Install essential packages
sudo apt install -y curl git build-essential

# Install Node.js 22 (LTS)
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_22.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs

# Verify
node --version  # Should show v22.x
npm --version

Don’t run OpenClaw as root:

sudo adduser openclaw --disabled-password
sudo usermod -aG sudo openclaw
su - openclaw

Step 2: Install OpenClaw (5 minutes)

# Install OpenClaw globally
npm install -g openclaw

# Verify installation
openclaw --version

# Interactive onboarding (API keys, channels, models)
openclaw onboard

This walks you through API key setup, channel configuration, and model selection, creating ~/.openclaw/ with your workspace and config.

Step 3: Create a Telegram Bot (5 minutes)

  1. Open Telegram and search for @BotFather
  2. Send /newbot
  3. Choose a name (e.g., “My AI Assistant”)
  4. Choose a username (must end in bot, e.g., my_ai_assistant_bot)
  5. Copy the bot token — you’ll need it next

Important: Also send /setprivacy to BotFather, select your bot, and choose Disable. This lets the bot read messages in group chats if you want that later.

Step 4: Configure OpenClaw (10 minutes)

Edit the config file:

nano ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json

Here’s a solid starting configuration:

{
  "gateway": {
    "mode": "local",
    "bind": "127.0.0.1",
    "port": 18789
  },
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "model": {
        "primary": "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-5",
        "fallbacks": ["google/gemini-3-flash"]
      }
    }
  },
  "channels": {
    "telegram": {
      "enabled": true,
      "botToken": "your-telegram-bot-token",
      "dmPolicy": "allowlist",
      "allowFrom": ["your-numeric-telegram-id"]
    }
  }
}

Note: allowFrom requires your numeric Telegram user ID, not @username. Get it by messaging @userinfobot, or check openclaw logs --follow for from.id after sending your bot a message.

Put API keys in a separate env file (don’t embed them in config):

cat >> ~/.openclaw/.env <<'EOF'
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-your-key-here
GOOGLE_GENERATIVE_AI_API_KEY=your-google-ai-key
EOF

Multi-model setup (save money)

The smart move is to use a capable model as primary and cheaper ones as fallbacks:

{
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "model": {
        "primary": "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-5",
        "fallbacks": [
          "google/gemini-3-flash",
          "google/gemini-3-pro"
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}

This way, if your Anthropic quota hits rate limits, OpenClaw automatically falls back to Gemini — and you stay online.

Step 5: Start OpenClaw (2 minutes)

# Start the gateway daemon
openclaw gateway start

# Check status
openclaw gateway status

Now open Telegram, find your bot, and send it a message. You should get a response! 🎉

Step 6: Production Hardening

Run as a systemd service

Create a service file so OpenClaw starts on boot and restarts on crashes:

sudo tee /etc/systemd/system/openclaw.service << 'EOF'
[Unit]
Description=OpenClaw AI Gateway
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=openclaw
WorkingDirectory=/home/openclaw
ExecStart=/usr/bin/openclaw gateway start --foreground
Restart=always
RestartSec=10
Environment=NODE_ENV=production

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
EOF

sudo systemctl enable openclaw
sudo systemctl start openclaw

Pre-exposure Gateway security checklist

If you’re using Docker and exposing Gateway outside the container, from v2026.2.22 you need to configure allowedOrigins:

See: Pre-exposure Gateway security checklist

Basic firewall

sudo ufw allow ssh
sudo ufw allow 443/tcp  # If using webhooks
sudo ufw enable

Set up log rotation

sudo tee /etc/logrotate.d/openclaw << 'EOF'
/home/openclaw/.openclaw/logs/*.log {
    daily
    rotate 7
    compress
    missingok
    notifempty
}
EOF

Step 7: Customize Your Agent

The real power is in the workspace files. Edit these in ~/.openclaw/workspace/:

SOUL.md — Your agent’s personality:

You're a direct, no-nonsense assistant. Skip pleasantries.
When I ask for something, just do it.
Use Chinese for casual chat, English for technical topics.

USER.md — Context about you:

- Timezone: GMT+8
- I prefer Telegram for everything
- Don't send emails without asking

HEARTBEAT.md — Periodic tasks:

## Check every heartbeat
- Any urgent unread emails?
- Calendar events in next 2 hours?

Cost Breakdown

ComponentMonthly Cost
VPS (Vultr/DO $6 plan)$6
Anthropic API (moderate use)$5-20
Google Gemini (fallback)$0 (free tier)
Domain (optional)~$1
Total$12-27/month

Compare that to $20/month for ChatGPT Pro — and this gives you a customizable, always-on agent that connects to your real tools.

Common Issues

”Bot not responding”

”Rate limited by Anthropic”

”High memory usage”

What’s Next?

Once your agent is running:

  1. Add skills — Browse ClawHub for ready-made skills (weather, smart home, email, etc.)
  2. Set up cron jobs — Schedule daily briefings, reminders, and automated checks
  3. Connect more channels — Add WhatsApp, Discord, or WeChat alongside Telegram
  4. Build custom skills — Create your own tools for specific workflows

Running into issues? Check the OpenClaw docs or join the Discord community.

Further Reading (OpenClaw)

Core Guides (Recommended)

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