OpenClaw Setup Guide
This OpenClaw setup guide walks you through every step, from creating your ClawBlitz account to a live bot. No Docker, no servers, no DevOps knowledge required. Follow along and deploy OpenClaw in under 5 minutes with ClawBlitz managed hosting.
Table of Contents
Prerequisites
Before you start, make sure you have the following ready:
An LLM API Key
You need an API key from at least one LLM provider. The most common choices are OpenAI (for GPT-4) or Anthropic (for Claude). Check the official OpenClaw documentation for the full list of supported providers.
An Email Address
For creating your ClawBlitz account. You will receive a confirmation email.
Create Your ClawBlitz Account
Head to clawblitz.com/register and create your account. You can sign up with your email address. After registering, verify your email through the confirmation link we send you.
Once verified, you will be taken to your dashboard. This is your control center for managing all of your OpenClaw deployments.
Choose a Plan
ClawBlitz is $58/month with one plan that includes everything. You will need to subscribe before deploying to production. Visit our pricing page for full details on what is included.
Create a New Deployment
From your dashboard, click "New Deployment". You will be asked to:
- Name your deployment (an internal label such as "Support Bot" or "Community Assistant")
- Choose your platform (the messaging platform you want to connect to, like Discord, Telegram, or WhatsApp)
- Select the OpenClaw version (we recommend using the latest stable version from the OpenClaw GitHub repository)
Configure Your LLM Provider
OpenClaw supports a wide range of LLM providers. In the deployment configuration, you will select:
- Provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, Mistral, Groq, Together AI, or self-hosted models)
- Model (the specific model to use, such as gpt-4o, claude-3.5-sonnet, or llama-3.1-70b)
- Parameters (temperature, max tokens, and other generation settings)
Do not worry about getting these perfect on the first try. You can change all of these settings later without redeploying from scratch.
Write Your System Prompt
The system prompt defines your bot's personality, knowledge, and behavior. This is the most important configuration step because it shapes every interaction your bot has with users.
A good system prompt includes:
- Identity (who the bot is and what it does)
- Tone (professional, casual, friendly, technical, etc.)
- Boundaries (what the bot should and should not discuss)
- Knowledge (key facts, FAQ answers, or domain-specific information)
- Instructions (how to handle specific types of requests)
Example system prompt:
You are a helpful customer support assistant for Acme Corp. You are friendly, professional, and concise.
You can help with: order tracking, product questions, return/refund requests, and account issues.
If you don't know the answer, politely say so and suggest the customer contact [email protected] for further assistance.
Never discuss competitor products. Never share internal company information.
Set Up Your Messaging Platform
Depending on which platform you chose, follow these quick setup steps. Each platform has a dedicated guide with detailed instructions:
Discord
Go to the Discord Developer Portal. Create a new application, add a bot, and copy the bot token. Enable the necessary intents (Message Content, Server Members) under the Bot settings. Read our full OpenClaw Discord bot guide for detailed steps.
Telegram
Message @BotFather on Telegram. Use /newbot to create a bot and receive your token. See our full OpenClaw Telegram bot guide for step-by-step instructions.
Set up a Meta Business account and apply for WhatsApp Business API access. Once approved, note your Phone Number ID, Business Account ID, and API token from the Meta Developer Console. Follow our full OpenClaw WhatsApp bot guide for complete setup.
Add Your Secrets
In the Secrets section of your deployment configuration, add the credentials your bot needs to operate. At minimum, you will add:
- LLM API Key (your OpenAI, Anthropic, or other provider API key)
- Platform Bot Token (your Discord token, Telegram token, or WhatsApp API token)
All secrets are encrypted with AES-256 before being stored. They are provided to your deployment at runtime and never appear in logs, configuration files, or the dashboard after saving. Learn more about how ClawBlitz protects your credentials in our OpenClaw security overview.
Important: After saving a secret, you will not be able to view its value again. Make sure you have your API keys backed up in a secure location before adding them to ClawBlitz.
Deploy
With everything configured, click the "Deploy" button. ClawBlitz will:
- Create an isolated environment for your deployment
- Set up the specified OpenClaw version
- Inject your encrypted secrets as environment variables
- Configure network policies and resource limits
- Set up webhook endpoints for your messaging platform
- Start your instance and run health checks
This entire process takes about 60 seconds. You can watch the progress in real time on the deployment status page. Wondering how this compares to self-hosting? See what it takes to deploy on AWS, DigitalOcean, or Hetzner yourself.
Verify Your Deployment
Once the deployment status shows "Running", your bot is live. Here is how to verify it works:
- Discord: Go to your server where the bot was invited and send a message mentioning the bot or use a slash command
- Telegram: Open a chat with your bot on Telegram and send a message
- WhatsApp: Send a message to your bot's WhatsApp number
Check the deployment logs in your ClawBlitz dashboard to see the bot receiving and processing messages. If something is not working, the logs will show exactly what went wrong.
Next Steps
Your bot is live. Here are some things to do next:
Refine Your System Prompt
Test your bot with different types of questions and refine the system prompt based on the responses. Iteration is key to getting the best behavior.
Set Up Monitoring Alerts
Configure alerts in your dashboard to be notified of crashes, high error rates, or resource usage spikes.
Explore Plugins and Tools
OpenClaw supports custom tools and plugins. Add web search, code execution, image generation, or custom API integrations to expand your bot's capabilities. Browse the OpenClaw GitHub repository for available plugins.
Review Security Best Practices
Read our OpenClaw security overview to understand how ClawBlitz protects your deployment, secrets, and data.
Contact Support
Have questions or need help with advanced configuration? Reach out to our team at [email protected] and we will get you sorted.
Troubleshooting
Bot is not responding to messages
Check the deployment logs for errors. Common causes: incorrect bot token, missing API key, or platform permissions not configured correctly (e.g., Discord intents not enabled). See our Discord bot guide or Telegram bot guide for platform-specific troubleshooting.
Deployment stuck in "Starting" state
This usually indicates a configuration error that prevents your deployment from starting. Check your secrets and ensure all required environment variables are set.
Bot responds with errors
If the bot connects but returns error messages, check your LLM API key. The most common issue is an expired or rate-limited API key.
Still stuck?
Contact our support team at [email protected]. We typically respond within 24 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need Docker or DevOps experience to set up OpenClaw?
No. ClawBlitz managed hosting handles all the infrastructure for you. You do not need Docker, Linux servers, or any DevOps knowledge. The entire setup process is done through a visual dashboard. If you want to understand the difference, read our managed vs self-hosting comparison.
How long does it take to deploy OpenClaw with ClawBlitz?
The full setup process takes about 5 minutes. Once you click Deploy, your instance is live in roughly 60 seconds. Most of the time is spent configuring your system prompt and obtaining your platform bot token.
Which messaging platforms does OpenClaw support?
OpenClaw supports Discord, Telegram, and WhatsApp. ClawBlitz provides a dedicated setup guide for each platform to help you get your bot token and configure the connection.
Can I change my LLM provider or model after deploying?
Yes. You can change your LLM provider, model, system prompt, and other settings at any time from your ClawBlitz dashboard without redeploying from scratch.
Is my API key safe on ClawBlitz?
Yes. All secrets are encrypted with AES-256 before storage. They are injected into your deployment at runtime and never appear in logs, config files, or the dashboard after saving. Read more about how ClawBlitz protects your credentials in our security overview.
What happens if my OpenClaw bot crashes?
ClawBlitz automatically restarts your bot within seconds. The monitoring system detects failures in real time and triggers recovery without any manual steps on your part. Learn more about our infrastructure on the OpenClaw hosting page.
Ready to Deploy OpenClaw?
Follow this guide and have your OpenClaw bot live in under 5 minutes. No Docker, no servers, no DevOps.