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OpenClaw (formerly known as Clawdbot, temporarily named Moltbot) is an open-source personal AI assistant project that suddenly gained massive popularity in January 2026, developed by Peter Steinberger (founder of PSPDFKit). OpenClaw is an agent capable of executing tasks. We give it instructions, and not only does it respond, but it also proactively operates systems, accesses web pages, handles emails, organizes files, sets reminders, and even automatically writes code. OpenClaw is a developer efficiency tool that maximizes **local computing power + large model Agent automation**. OpenClaw's goal is to make AI not just give advice, but directly complete entire engineering tasks. !(#) Because Anthropic sent a legal letter on January 27th stating that Clawd / Clawdbot was too similar to Claude, the project urgently changed its name to Moltbot on the same day (meaning "molting lobster," with the mascot being a small lobster named Molty 🦞), but the functionality remains exactly the same, and the old command clawdbot is still compatible. Moltbot was a temporary name the project team came up with to address infringement risks. OpenClaw is the current final official name. * OpenClaw Official Website: [https://openclaw.ai/](https://openclaw.ai/) * Chinese Documentation: [https://docs.openclaw.ai/zh-CN](https://docs.openclaw.ai/zh-CN) * Github Repository: [https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw](https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw) * OpenClaw Skills Collection: [https://github.com/VoltAgent/awesome-openclaw-skills](https://github.com/VoltAgent/awesome-openclaw-skills) Clawbot, Moltbot, and OpenClaw are actually the same open-source project, with the name evolution sequence being: Clawdbot → Moltbot → OpenClaw | Name | Timeline | Background/Reason | Essential Relationship | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | **Clawdbot / Clawbot** | Late 2025 to early January 2026 | Initial project name; inspired by _Claude_ and _claw_ (lobster claw) meme | Original name, the earliest identity appearing on GitHub | | **Moltbot** | January 27, 2026 | Required to rename due to Anthropic's trademark concerns | Intermediate temporary name; functionality and code are identical to Clawdbot | | **OpenClaw** | After January 30, 2026 | Abandoned copyright conflicts, emphasized open-source nature/long-term brand | Current official name, also the unified identifier for future documentation and repositories | * * * ## Installation Guide OpenClaw's installation is designed to be extremely user-friendly, allowing even non-developers to get started quickly. System Requirements (not necessarily Mac mini): * Hardware: Very low, 2GB RAM is sufficient to run. * Environment: Supports Mac, Windows, Linux, requires Node.js (pnpm) installation or use Docker. ### 1、Recommended Installation Method (One-click Script): Directly execute the following command through the terminal. macOS/Linux System: curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash Windows System: #PowerShell iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1 | iex#CMD curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.cmd -o install.cmd && install.cmd && del install.cmd This will automatically install Node.js (≥22) and complete basic configuration. ### 2、Manual Installation Requires **Node.js ≥22** and complete basic configuration: **Using npm:** npm i -g openclaw # If slow, you can specify domestic mirror npm i -g openclaw --registry=https://registry.npmmirror.com **Or using pnpm:** pnpm add -g openclaw After installation, initialize and install the background service (launchd / systemd user service): openclaw onboard ### 3、Installation from Source (Development Mode) git clone https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw.git cd openclaw pnpm install pnpm ui:build # First run will automatically install UI-related dependencies and build the frontend interface pnpm build # Build the entire project (including backend and related modules)# Initialize OpenClaw and install as system background service (auto-start on boot) pnpm openclaw onboard --install-daemon # Development mode: listen for TypeScript code changes and automatically reload gateway service pnpm gateway:watch * * * ## Configuration Guide We recommend using the one-click script for installation. macOS/Linux System: curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash Windows System: #PowerShell iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1 | iex#CMD curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.cmd -o install.cmd && install.cmd && del install.cmd It will complete environment detection, install necessary dependencies, and also start the onboarding (setup wizard) process. To re-enter the setup wizard later, execute the following command: openclaw onboard --install-daemon !(#) Then, it will remind you that this lobster is quite capable, though of course there are risks. Just select yes (no means it won't install): !(#) Next, we select the QuickStart option: !(#) Next, we need to configure a large model. Select Model/Auth Provider for AI providers, basically all domestic and foreign providers are supported. !(#) If you don't have an overseas account, you can also configure API keys for domestic providers like Qwen, MiniMax, and Zhipu. The authentication configuration file (OAuth + API key) is located at ~/.openclaw/agents//agent/auth-profiles.json, which can also be modified later in this file. Then, an option to select chat tools will appear. Overseas ones generally don't have options, so you can select the last one: !(#) Other configurations, such as the port setting **Gateway Port**, can use the default 18789. For Skills and package installation managers like npm or others, you can just go with Yes all the way. !(#) Select some skills you like, or skip directly. Use the spacebar to select: !(#) For these API keys, just select no if you don't have them: !(#) Finally, these three hooks can be enabled. Use the spacebar to select. They mainly handle content guidance logs and session recording: !(#) Select Open the Web UI to open with browser: !(#) After installation, it will automatically access **http://127.0.0.1:18789/chat**, and you can open the chat interface to let it start working. For example, search for the latest tech news: !(#) After starting, we can use the openclaw status command to check the status: openclaw status If you installed the service during the onboarding wizard, the Gateway should already be running: openclaw gateway status Manual run (foreground): openclaw gateway --port 18789 --verbose Commands that can be executed after installation: * Run onboarding wizard: `openclaw onboard --install-daemon` * Quick check: `openclaw doctor` * Check Gateway health status: `openclaw status` + `openclaw health` * Open dashboard: `openclaw dashboard` ### Uninstallation Use the built-in uninstaller: openclaw uninstall Non-interactive (automation / npx): openclaw uninstall --all --yes --non-interactive npx -y openclaw uninstall --all --yes --non-interactive ### Using Skills Skills are independent folders containing SKILL.md files. To extend new functionality for OpenClaw agents, ClawHub is the best choice for finding and installing skills. ClawHub Skill Repository Address: [https://clawhub.ai/](https://clawhub.ai/) ClawHub Domestic Mirror: [https://skillhub.tencent.com/](https://skillhub.tencent.com/) Install ClawHub tool: # Recommended method (npx without global installation) npx clawhub@latest --version # Or global installation (convenient for direct clawhub command later) npm install -g clawhub # Or use pnpm pnpm add -g clawhub Login: clawhub login Search for skills: clawhub search "postgres backups" Download and install new skills: clawhub install my-skill-pack Batch update installed skills: clawhub update --all ### Plugin Management Plugins are lightweight code modules that can extend OpenClaw's functionality by adding commands, tools, and Gateway RPC capabilities. View loaded plugins: openclaw plugins list Install official plugins (example: voice call plugin): openclaw plugins install @openclaw/voice-call After plugin installation, restart the gateway to take effect: openclaw gateway restart ### Common Commands **OpenClaw Common Commands Overview:** | Category | Command | Description | | --- | --- | --- | | Initialization & Installation | `openclaw onboard` | Interactive wizard (configure model, channel, gateway, workspace) | | Initialization & Installation | `openclaw setup` | Initialize configuration + workspace (non-interactive version) | | Initialization & Installation | `openclaw configure` | Interactive configuration wizard (model, channel, skills) | | Gateway Management | `openclaw gateway status` | Check gateway service status + RPC health check | | Gateway Management | `openclaw gateway start` | Start gateway service | | Gateway Management | `openclaw gateway stop` | Stop gateway service | | Gateway Management | `openclaw gateway restart` | Restart gateway service | | Gateway Management | `openclaw gateway run` | Run gateway directly in foreground (for debugging) | | Gateway Management | `openclaw gateway health` | Get gateway health information | | Configuration Management | `openclaw config file` | Show full path of current configuration file | | Configuration Management | `openclaw config get ` | Read configuration item | | Configuration Management | `openclaw config set ` | Modify configuration item | | Configuration Management | `openclaw config validate` | Validate configuration file legality | | Diagnosis & Status | `openclaw doctor` | One-click health check + auto-repair | | Diagnosis & Status | `openclaw status` | Display session health status and recent contacts | | Diagnosis & Status | `openclaw health` | Pull health data from running gateway | | Diagnosis & Status | `openclaw logs` | View gateway logs in real-time | | Other High-frequency Operations | `openclaw dashboard` | Open web control panel | | Other High-frequency Operations | `openclaw channels status` | View connected chat channels | | Other High-frequency Operations | `openclaw agent run` | Manually trigger an agent run | After modifying the configuration, remember to run `openclaw gateway restart` to apply the changes～ 🦞 ### Channel Management * **WhatsApp**: `openclaw channels login` (or scan QR) * **Telegram**: `openclaw channels add --channel telegram` (requires Bot Token) * **Discord**: `openclaw channels add --channel discord` (requires Bot Token) * **iMessage**: macOS native bridge * **Slack**: `openclaw channels add --channel slack` (requires Bot Token) ### Workspace Anatomy * `AGENTS.md`: Instruction description * `USER.md`: Preference settings * `MEMORY.md`: Long-term memory * `HEARTBEAT.md`: Checklist * `SOUL.md`: Personality/Tone * `IDENTITY.md`: Name/Theme * `BOOT.md`: Startup configuration * Root directory: `~/.openclaw/workspace` ### In-chat Slash Commands * `/status`: Health + context * `/context list`: Context contributors * `/model `: Switch model * `/compact`: Release window space * `/new`: Fresh session * `/stop`: Abort current run * `/tts on|off`: Toggle voice * `/think`: Toggle reasoning mode ### Essential Path Map * Main configuration: `~/.openclaw/openclaw.json` * Default workspace: `~/.openclaw/workspace/` * Agent status directory: `~/.openclaw/agents//` * OAuth & API keys: ~/.openclaw/agents//agent/auth-profiles.json, for older versions it's at `~/.openclaw/credentials/` * Vector index storage: `~/.openclaw/memory/.sqlite` * Globally shared skills: `~/.openclaw/skills/` * Gateway file logs: `/tmp/openclaw/*.log` ### Voice & TTS * Paid: OpenAI / ElevenLabs * Free: Edge TTS (no API Key required) * Automatic TTS: `