Setup
Run OpenClaw Locally (Without Getting Stuck)
A practical first-run guide for users who want local OpenClaw on their own machine instead of a hosted container.
This tutorial exists because community members keep asking the same question: "Can I run OpenClaw locally?" Yes, you can — but most setup pain comes from missing prerequisites or skipping verification steps.
Fast reality check: if you just want your agent working quickly, Heyron hosted containers are easier. Local OpenClaw is best when you specifically want machine-level control and don't mind light ops work.
Before you begin
- A Mac, Linux, or Windows machine you control
- Terminal access
- Docker installed and running
- An API key for your preferred model provider
- 20–30 minutes for first setup
Security note: local mode can give your agent stronger access to your machine/files. Start with conservative permissions and increase only when needed.
Step 1: Confirm your machine is ready
Run these checks
docker --version
openclaw --version
If either command fails, install that dependency first using the official docs: docs.openclaw.ai.
Step 2: Start OpenClaw services
Bring up the gateway/service layer
openclaw gateway start
openclaw gateway status
You should see a healthy/online status. If not, use logs before continuing:
openclaw gateway status
Step 3: Configure model credentials safely
Set keys in the approved config path (not random files)
Use the OpenClaw docs for your current version's exact credential flow. Then test with one tiny prompt (not a long workflow) to verify model connectivity.
Ask your local agent: "Reply with exactly: LOCAL_OK"
Step 4: Run a known-good smoke test
- Ask for a 1-line response (verifies model connectivity)
- Ask it to read a harmless local file (verifies workspace access)
- Ask it to create a tiny test file (verifies write path)
Create file test-openclaw.txt with contents "hello from local" in the current workspace, then confirm full path.
Common confusion: "Why are my markdown files different in GitHub vs Gateway?"
Short answer: they are often not identical, and that can be normal.
- GitHub repo files are your source/history layer (commits, branches, pull requests).
- Gateway workspace files are your agent's live working copy for the current runtime/session.
- Local edits can exist in Gateway before you commit/push to GitHub.
- GitHub can be ahead of local if you pulled changes in one place but not the other.
If they look "vastly different," verify before panic:
git status --short
git branch --show-current
git log --oneline -5
Then ask your agent to confirm absolute file path + last modified time for the file it's using.
Loop-break rule: don't keep retrying big tasks until file identity is proven. First confirm exact path, branch, and whether changes are committed.
Common failure patterns (and fixes)
"Connected but no response"
- Usually model key/config mismatch
- Run a tiny canary prompt first
- Re-check provider/model ID spelling
Gateway token/auth mismatch
- Credentials in one place, old token in another
- Re-apply credentials once, restart gateway, re-test
Agent asks for unnecessary installs
- Force a no-install path first
- Prompt: Do not require new local installs. Use existing tools and provide fallback options.
Copy/paste recovery prompt
We're running OpenClaw locally.
Before doing anything else:
1) List your assumptions about this environment (OS, Docker, gateway status, model key status).
2) Mark each assumption confirmed/unconfirmed.
3) Give me the smallest possible validation step to confirm each one.
4) Do not suggest extra installs unless a command fails and you show proof.
5) End with a single next command only.
Success criteria: your local agent can answer a canary prompt, read one local file, and write one local file. Once those three pass, you're ready for real workflows.