Hosting and deployment

Fly.io

Goal: OpenClaw Gateway running on a Fly.io machine with persistent storage, automatic HTTPS, and Discord/channel access.

What you need

flyctl CLI installed
Fly.io account (free tier works)
Model auth: API key for your chosen model provider
Channel credentials: Discord bot token, Telegram token, etc.

Beginner quick path

Clone repo → customize fly.toml
Create app + volume → set secrets
Deploy with fly deploy
SSH in to create config or use Control UI

1) Create the Fly app

# Clone the repo
git clone https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw.git
cd openclaw

# Create a new Fly app (pick your own name)
fly apps create my-openclaw

# Create a persistent volume (1GB is usually enough)
fly volumes create openclaw_data --size 1 --region iad

Tip: Choose a region close to you. Common options: lhr (London), iad (Virginia), sjc (San Jose).

2) Configure fly.toml

Edit fly.toml to match your app name and requirements. Security note: The default config exposes a public URL. For a hardened deployment with no public IP, see Private Deployment or use fly.private.toml.

app = "my-openclaw"  # Your app name
primary_region = "iad"

[build]
  dockerfile = "Dockerfile"

[env]
  NODE_ENV = "production"
  OPENCLAW_PREFER_PNPM = "1"
  OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR = "/data"
  NODE_OPTIONS = "--max-old-space-size=1536"

[processes]
  app = "node dist/index.js gateway --allow-unconfigured --port 3000 --bind lan"

[http_service]
  internal_port = 3000
  force_https = true
  auto_stop_machines = false
  auto_start_machines = true
  min_machines_running = 1
  processes = ["app"]

[[vm]]
  size = "shared-cpu-2x"
  memory = "2048mb"

[mounts]
  source = "openclaw_data"
  destination = "/data"

Key settings:

Setting	Why
`--bind lan`	Binds to `0.0.0.0` so Fly’s proxy can reach the gateway
`--allow-unconfigured`	Starts without a config file (you’ll create one after)
`internal_port = 3000`	Must match `--port 3000` (or `OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_PORT`) for Fly health checks
`memory = "2048mb"`	512MB is too small; 2GB recommended
`OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR = "/data"`	Persists state on the volume

3) Set secrets

# Required: Gateway token (for non-loopback binding)
fly secrets set OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN=$(openssl rand -hex 32)

# Model provider API keys
fly secrets set ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...

# Optional: Other providers
fly secrets set OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...
fly secrets set GOOGLE_API_KEY=...

# Channel tokens
fly secrets set DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN=MTQ...

Notes:

Non-loopback binds (--bind lan) require OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN for security.
Treat these tokens like passwords.
Prefer env vars over config file for all API keys and tokens. This keeps secrets out of openclaw.json where they could be accidentally exposed or logged.

4) Deploy

fly deploy

First deploy builds the Docker image (~2-3 minutes). Subsequent deploys are faster. After deployment, verify:

fly status
fly logs

You should see:

[gateway] listening on ws://0.0.0.0:3000 (PID xxx)
[discord] logged in to discord as xxx

5) Create config file

SSH into the machine to create a proper config:

fly ssh console

Create the config directory and file:

mkdir -p /data
cat > /data/openclaw.json << 'EOF'
{
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "model": {
        "primary": "anthropic/claude-opus-4-6",
        "fallbacks": ["anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-5", "openai/gpt-4o"]
      },
      "maxConcurrent": 4
    },
    "list": [
      {
        "id": "main",
        "default": true
      }
    ]
  },
  "auth": {
    "profiles": {
      "anthropic:default": { "mode": "token", "provider": "anthropic" },
      "openai:default": { "mode": "token", "provider": "openai" }
    }
  },
  "bindings": [
    {
      "agentId": "main",
      "match": { "channel": "discord" }
    }
  ],
  "channels": {
    "discord": {
      "enabled": true,
      "groupPolicy": "allowlist",
      "guilds": {
        "YOUR_GUILD_ID": {
          "channels": { "general": { "allow": true } },
          "requireMention": false
        }
      }
    }
  },
  "gateway": {
    "mode": "local",
    "bind": "auto"
  },
  "meta": {
    "lastTouchedVersion": "2026.1.29"
  }
}
EOF

Note: With OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR=/data, the config path is /data/openclaw.json. Note: The Discord token can come from either:

Environment variable: DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN (recommended for secrets)
Config file: channels.discord.token

If using env var, no need to add token to config. The gateway reads DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN automatically. Restart to apply:

exit
fly machine restart <machine-id>

6) Access the Gateway

Control UI

Open in browser:

fly open

Or visit https://my-openclaw.fly.dev/ Paste your gateway token (the one from OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN) to authenticate.

Logs

fly logs              # Live logs
fly logs --no-tail    # Recent logs

SSH Console

fly ssh console

Troubleshooting

”App is not listening on expected address”

The gateway is binding to 127.0.0.1 instead of 0.0.0.0. Fix: Add --bind lan to your process command in fly.toml.

Health checks failing / connection refused

Fly can’t reach the gateway on the configured port. Fix: Ensure internal_port matches the gateway port (set --port 3000 or OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_PORT=3000).

OOM / Memory Issues

Container keeps restarting or getting killed. Signs: SIGABRT, v8::internal::Runtime_AllocateInYoungGeneration, or silent restarts. Fix: Increase memory in fly.toml:

[[vm]]
  memory = "2048mb"

Or update an existing machine:

fly machine update <machine-id> --vm-memory 2048 -y

Note: 512MB is too small. 1GB may work but can OOM under load or with verbose logging. 2GB is recommended.

Gateway Lock Issues

Gateway refuses to start with “already running” errors. This happens when the container restarts but the PID lock file persists on the volume. Fix: Delete the lock file:

fly ssh console --command "rm -f /data/gateway.*.lock"
fly machine restart <machine-id>

The lock file is at /data/gateway.*.lock (not in a subdirectory).

Config Not Being Read

If using --allow-unconfigured, the gateway creates a minimal config. Your custom config at /data/openclaw.json should be read on restart. Verify the config exists:

fly ssh console --command "cat /data/openclaw.json"

Writing Config via SSH

The fly ssh console -C command doesn’t support shell redirection. To write a config file:

# Use echo + tee (pipe from local to remote)
echo '{"your":"config"}' | fly ssh console -C "tee /data/openclaw.json"

# Or use sftp
fly sftp shell
> put /local/path/config.json /data/openclaw.json

Note: fly sftp may fail if the file already exists. Delete first:

fly ssh console --command "rm /data/openclaw.json"

State Not Persisting

If you lose credentials or sessions after a restart, the state dir is writing to the container filesystem. Fix: Ensure OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR=/data is set in fly.toml and redeploy.

Updates

# Pull latest changes
git pull

# Redeploy
fly deploy

# Check health
fly status
fly logs

Updating Machine Command

If you need to change the startup command without a full redeploy:

# Get machine ID
fly machines list

# Update command
fly machine update <machine-id> --command "node dist/index.js gateway --port 3000 --bind lan" -y

# Or with memory increase
fly machine update <machine-id> --vm-memory 2048 --command "node dist/index.js gateway --port 3000 --bind lan" -y

Note: After fly deploy, the machine command may reset to what’s in fly.toml. If you made manual changes, re-apply them after deploy.

Private Deployment (Hardened)

By default, Fly allocates public IPs, making your gateway accessible at https://your-app.fly.dev. This is convenient but means your deployment is discoverable by internet scanners (Shodan, Censys, etc.). For a hardened deployment with no public exposure, use the private template.

When to use private deployment

You only make outbound calls/messages (no inbound webhooks)
You use ngrok or Tailscale tunnels for any webhook callbacks
You access the gateway via SSH, proxy, or WireGuard instead of browser
You want the deployment hidden from internet scanners

Setup

Use fly.private.toml instead of the standard config:

# Deploy with private config
fly deploy -c fly.private.toml

Or convert an existing deployment:

# List current IPs
fly ips list -a my-openclaw

# Release public IPs
fly ips release <public-ipv4> -a my-openclaw
fly ips release <public-ipv6> -a my-openclaw

# Switch to private config so future deploys don't re-allocate public IPs
# (remove [http_service] or deploy with the private template)
fly deploy -c fly.private.toml

# Allocate private-only IPv6
fly ips allocate-v6 --private -a my-openclaw

After this, fly ips list should show only a private type IP:

VERSION  IP                   TYPE             REGION
v6       fdaa:x:x:x:x::x      private          global

Accessing a private deployment

Since there’s no public URL, use one of these methods: Option 1: Local proxy (simplest)

# Forward local port 3000 to the app
fly proxy 3000:3000 -a my-openclaw

# Then open http://localhost:3000 in browser

Option 2: WireGuard VPN

# Create WireGuard config (one-time)
fly wireguard create

# Import to WireGuard client, then access via internal IPv6
# Example: http://[fdaa:x:x:x:x::x]:3000

Option 3: SSH only

fly ssh console -a my-openclaw

Webhooks with private deployment

If you need webhook callbacks (Twilio, Telnyx, etc.) without public exposure:

ngrok tunnel - Run ngrok inside the container or as a sidecar
Tailscale Funnel - Expose specific paths via Tailscale
Outbound-only - Some providers (Twilio) work fine for outbound calls without webhooks

Example voice-call config with ngrok:

{
  "plugins": {
    "entries": {
      "voice-call": {
        "enabled": true,
        "config": {
          "provider": "twilio",
          "tunnel": { "provider": "ngrok" },
          "webhookSecurity": {
            "allowedHosts": ["example.ngrok.app"]
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

The ngrok tunnel runs inside the container and provides a public webhook URL without exposing the Fly app itself. Set webhookSecurity.allowedHosts to the public tunnel hostname so forwarded host headers are accepted.

Security benefits

Aspect	Public	Private
Internet scanners	Discoverable	Hidden
Direct attacks	Possible	Blocked
Control UI access	Browser	Proxy/VPN
Webhook delivery	Direct	Via tunnel

Notes

Fly.io uses x86 architecture (not ARM)
The Dockerfile is compatible with both architectures
For WhatsApp/Telegram onboarding, use fly ssh console
Persistent data lives on the volume at /data
Signal requires Java + signal-cli; use a custom image and keep memory at 2GB+.

Cost

With the recommended config (shared-cpu-2x, 2GB RAM):

~$10-15/month depending on usage
Free tier includes some allowance

See Fly.io pricing for details.

VPS Hosting Hetzner

What you need​

Beginner quick path​

1) Create the Fly app​

2) Configure fly.toml​

3) Set secrets​

4) Deploy​

5) Create config file​

6) Access the Gateway​

Control UI​

Logs​

SSH Console​

Troubleshooting​

”App is not listening on expected address”​

Health checks failing / connection refused​

OOM / Memory Issues​

Gateway Lock Issues​

Config Not Being Read​

Writing Config via SSH​

State Not Persisting​

Updates​

Updating Machine Command​

Private Deployment (Hardened)​

When to use private deployment​

Setup​

Accessing a private deployment​

Webhooks with private deployment​

Security benefits​

Notes​

Cost​