How to Set Up OpenClaw — Your AI Agent Gateway (Beginner Guide)

Every HiveDeck agent package runs on OpenClaw — an open-source, self-hosted AI gateway. This guide gets you from zero to a working setup in about 10 minutes.

What is OpenClaw?

OpenClaw is a self-hosted gateway that connects AI agents to your favorite chat apps — Telegram, WhatsApp, Discord, Signal, iMessage, and more. Think of it as the engine that powers your AI agents. HiveDeck packages are the specialized agents you plug into that engine — each one built on a constitutional architecture that defines its authority, its scope, and its operating limits before you ever deploy it.

What You Need

  • Computer: Mac, Linux, or Windows (WSL2)
  • AI Provider API Key: Anthropic (recommended) or OpenAI
  • 10 minutes

Step 1 — Install OpenClaw

Open your terminal and run:

curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash

On Windows PowerShell:

iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1 | iex

The installer handles everything — including Node.js if you don't have it.

Step 2 — Run the Setup Wizard

openclaw onboard --install-daemon

The wizard walks you through:

  • API Key: Paste your Anthropic or OpenAI key
  • Model: Claude Sonnet or GPT-4o-mini are great starting points
  • Workspace: Accept the default (~/.openclaw/workspace)
  • Gateway: Accept defaults (port 18789, localhost)
  • Daemon: Say yes — this makes OpenClaw start automatically on boot

Step 3 — Verify It Works

openclaw gateway status

You should see "Gateway is running." Then open the dashboard:

openclaw dashboard

This opens the Control UI at http://localhost:18789. Type a message — if you get a response, you're ready to install HiveDeck packages.

Step 4 — Connect Telegram (Optional)

The fastest way to chat with your agent from your phone:

  1. Open Telegram, search for @BotFather, send /newbot
  2. Follow the prompts and save the token
  3. Run: openclaw configure --section channels
  4. Select Telegram, paste your bot token
  5. Restart: openclaw gateway restart
  6. Message your bot on Telegram — approve the pairing code when prompted

Step 5 — Install Your First HiveDeck Package

Every HiveDeck package comes with a README containing specific installation steps. The general flow:

  1. Download your package from hivedeck.ai
  2. Unzip to a temporary location
  3. Read the SOUL.md — this is the agent's constitutional mandate, defining its authority scope and operating limits. Worth 5 minutes.
  4. Follow the README instructions
  5. Run the verification script

Golden Rule: Never replace existing files. Always merge new config into what you already have.

Useful Commands

Command What It Does
openclaw gateway status Check if the gateway is running
openclaw gateway start Start the gateway
openclaw gateway restart Restart after config changes
openclaw dashboard Open the web Control UI
openclaw doctor Diagnose common problems
openclaw update Update to the latest version

Troubleshooting

"command not found: openclaw" — Reload your shell: source ~/.bashrc (Linux) or source ~/.zshrc (Mac).

Gateway won't start — Run openclaw doctor. Common causes: port already in use, missing API key, or Node version too old (need 22+).

Agent doesn't respond — Check openclaw gateway status, verify your API key is valid, and try the Control UI to test without a chat channel.

Ready to add AI agents to your setup? HiveDeck agents are organized in three tiers — Tier 1 Governance, Tier 2 Execution, and Tier 3 Operations — each with a defined constitutional mandate baked in. Browse HiveDeck agent packages →

Ready to build structured AI agent systems?

Browse pre-built agent packs — governance + execution, ready to deploy.

Browse Agents →