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Install overview

Install

Already followed Getting Started? You’re all set — this page is for alternative install methods, platform-specific instructions, and maintenance.

System requirements​

  • Node 22+ (the installer script will install it if missing)
  • macOS, Linux, or Windows
  • pnpm only if you build from source

ℹ️ On Windows, we strongly recommend running OpenClaw under WSL2.

Install methods​

💡 The installer script is the recommended way to install OpenClaw. It handles Node detection, installation, and onboarding in one step.

⚠️ For VPS/cloud hosts, avoid third-party “1-click” marketplace images when possible. Prefer a clean base OS image (for example Ubuntu LTS), then install OpenClaw yourself with the installer script.

Downloads the CLI, installs it globally via npm, and launches the onboarding wizard.

That’s it — the script handles Node detection, installation, and onboarding.To skip onboarding and just install the binary:

For all flags, env vars, and CI/automation options, see Installer internals.

If you already have Node 22+ and prefer to manage the install yourself:

For contributors or anyone who wants to run from a local checkout.

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Clone and build

Clone the OpenClaw repo and build:

git clone https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw.git
cd openclaw
pnpm install
pnpm ui:build
pnpm build

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Link the CLI

Make the openclaw command available globally:

pnpm link --global

Alternatively, skip the link and run commands via pnpm openclaw ... from inside the repo.

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Run onboarding

openclaw onboard --install-daemon

For deeper development workflows, see Setup.

Other install methods​

After install​

Verify everything is working:

openclaw doctor         # check for config issues
openclaw status         # gateway status
openclaw dashboard      # open the browser UI

If you need custom runtime paths, use:

  • OPENCLAW_HOME for home-directory based internal paths
  • OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR for mutable state location
  • OPENCLAW_CONFIG_PATH for config file location

See Environment vars for precedence and full details.

Troubleshooting: openclaw not found​

Quick diagnosis:

node -v
npm -v
npm prefix -g
echo "$PATH"

If $(npm prefix -g)/bin (macOS/Linux) or $(npm prefix -g) (Windows) is not in your $PATH, your shell can’t find global npm binaries (including openclaw).Fix — add it to your shell startup file (~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc):

export PATH="$(npm prefix -g)/bin:$PATH"

On Windows, add the output of npm prefix -g to your PATH.Then open a new terminal (or rehash in zsh / hash -r in bash).

Update / uninstall​

Installer Internals