Install OpenClaw
You need an AI agent before the rest of this makes sense. This course walks you through getting one running on your own machine. No cloud. No subscription. Just files on your computer.
What You Need
- A Mac, Windows PC, or Linux machine. Anything made in the last 5 years works.
- 15 minutes. Maybe 30 if you've never opened a terminal before.
- An internet connection.
- An API key from a model provider. We'll explain that.
Step 1 — Install Node.js
OpenClaw runs on Node.js. It's free. It's everywhere.
Mac: Open Terminal (Applications → Utilities → Terminal). Type:
brew install node
If you don't have Homebrew, install it first: paste the command from brew.sh.
Windows: Download the installer from nodejs.org. Get the LTS version. Run it. Click Next until it's done.
Linux: Your package manager has it. On Ubuntu/Debian: sudo apt install nodejs npm.
Verify it worked:
node --version
You should see a version number. Anything 18 or higher is fine.
Step 2 — Install OpenClaw
Back in your terminal:
npm install -g openclaw
This installs OpenClaw globally. The -g means "global" — available from any folder. On Mac/Linux you might need sudo in front. Windows PowerShell may need to be run as Administrator.
Verify:
openclaw --version
Step 3 — Get an API Key
Your agent needs a brain. The brain is an AI model. You access it through an API key — a long string of characters that lets you talk to the model.
Option A — OpenRouter (recommended for beginners) 1. Go to openrouter.ai and create an account 2. Go to Keys: openrouter.ai/keys 3. Click "Create Key", name it "my-agent", copy the key 4. Put $5-10 on your account
OpenRouter gives you access to dozens of models through one key. You can start with a free model and upgrade later. No contracts. Pay as you go.
Option B — Direct API (if you know what you want) - Anthropic Console — Claude models - OpenAI Platform — GPT models - DeepSeek Platform — DeepSeek models
Step 4 — Configure OpenClaw
Run:
openclaw setup
This creates your config files. It'll ask you for your API key and which model to use. Paste your OpenRouter key. Pick a model — "Anthropic: Claude Sonnet 4" is a safe starting choice. You can change it later.
Step 5 — Start the Gateway
openclaw gateway start
This starts the OpenClaw service in the background. You'll see some output, then it'll go quiet. That means it's running.
Step 6 — Talk to Your Agent
OpenClaw connects through messaging apps — Telegram, Discord, WhatsApp, Signal. Or you can use the web chat.
The easiest first connection is the web chat. Open your browser to:
http://localhost:18789
You should see a chat interface. Type something. Your agent should respond.
If that works: your agent is alive. You've installed the thing.
What Just Happened
You installed a local AI agent runtime. It runs on your machine. The model runs in the cloud (through your API key) but the agent — its files, its memory system, its tool access — lives on your computer.
This is different from ChatGPT or Claude.ai. Those are chat interfaces. This is infrastructure. Your agent has access to your files. It can read them, create them, organize them. It's a tool that lives where your work lives.
If Something Went Wrong
"command not found: openclaw" — The install didn't complete. Try again with sudo npm install -g openclaw. Or close and reopen your terminal.
"Gateway failed to start" — Check your API key. Run openclaw setup again and make sure it's correct.
"Connection refused" — The gateway isn't running. Try openclaw gateway start.
Still stuck? That's expected. This is real infrastructure, not a smartphone app. Course 0B teaches you what to do when things don't work. For now, move on. You'll circle back.
What's Next
Course 0B — you'll have your first real conversation with your agent. You'll learn what a workspace is, what files do, and why your agent forgets everything when you restart it. Course 0C — you'll learn the filing system that keeps everything organized.
This course has no agent PDF. It's human-only. Your agent can't install itself on your machine — yet. Courses 0B and 0C have agent actions.