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First steps

Onboarding Overview

OpenClaw supports multiple onboarding paths depending on where the Gateway runs and how you prefer to configure providers.

Choose your onboarding path​

  • CLI wizard for macOS, Linux, and Windows (via WSL2).
  • macOS app for a guided first run on Apple silicon or Intel Macs.

CLI onboarding wizard​

Run the wizard in a terminal:

openclaw onboard

Use the CLI wizard when you want full control of the Gateway, workspace, channels, and skills. Docs:

macOS app onboarding​

Use the OpenClaw app when you want a fully guided setup on macOS. Docs:

Custom Provider​

If you need an endpoint that is not listed, including hosted providers that expose standard OpenAI or Anthropic APIs, choose Custom Provider in the CLI wizard. You will be asked to:

  • Pick OpenAI-compatible, Anthropic-compatible, or Unknown (auto-detect).
  • Enter a base URL and API key (if required by the provider).
  • Provide a model ID and optional alias.
  • Choose an Endpoint ID so multiple custom endpoints can coexist.

For detailed steps, follow the CLI onboarding docs above.

Getting StartedOnboarding: CLI