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OpenClaw Setup Instructions

This guide helps Claude Code/Codex set up OpenClaw on a Hetzner server automatically.

Official docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/start/getting-started

What You Need (Get These First)

  1. Hetzner API Token

  2. LLM API Key (pick one)

  3. SSH Key (if you don't have one)

    ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "openclaw"
cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

Setup Flow

Step 1: Install hcloud CLI (Local Machine)

# macOS
brew install hcloud

# Linux
curl -sSLO https://github.com/hetznercloud/cli/releases/latest/download/hcloud-linux-amd64.tar.gz
sudo tar -C /usr/local/bin --no-same-owner -xzf hcloud-linux-amd64.tar.gz
rm hcloud-linux-amd64.tar.gz

Step 2: Configure hcloud

# Create context (paste your API token when prompted)
hcloud context create openclaw

Step 3: Upload SSH Key

# Check if key already exists
hcloud ssh-key list

# If not, create it:
hcloud ssh-key create --name openclaw-key --public-key-from-file ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

Step 4: Create Server

# Check if server already exists
hcloud server list

# If not, create it:
hcloud server create \
  --name openclaw \
  --type cpx22 \
  --image ubuntu-24.04 \
  --location nbg1 \
  --ssh-key openclaw-key

Save the IP address from the output.

Step 5: SSH Into Server

# Wait 30s for boot, then:
ssh root@<SERVER_IP>

Step 6: Install OpenClaw (On Server)

apt update && apt upgrade -y
curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash
source ~/.bashrc
openclaw --version

Step 7: Run Onboarding (Non-Interactive)

With Gemini:

openclaw onboard \
  --non-interactive \
  --accept-risk \
  --install-daemon \
  --auth-choice gemini-api-key \
  --gemini-api-key YOUR_KEY_HERE

With Anthropic:

openclaw onboard \
  --non-interactive \
  --accept-risk \
  --install-daemon \
  --auth-choice anthropic-api-key \
  --anthropic-api-key YOUR_KEY_HERE

Step 8: Verify

openclaw gateway status
openclaw doctor

Step 9: Connect WhatsApp (Only Manual Step)

openclaw channels add --channel whatsapp
openclaw channels login --channel whatsapp
  1. QR code appears in terminal
  2. WhatsApp > Settings > Linked Devices > Link a Device
  3. Scan QR code
  4. Done

Step 10: Test

# Send yourself a WhatsApp message, or:
openclaw agent --message "Hello, what can you do?"

Troubleshooting

"SSH key already exists"

hcloud ssh-key list  # Find existing key name
# Use that name in server create, or delete and recreate

"Server name already exists"

hcloud server list
hcloud server delete openclaw  # If you want to start fresh

"Connection refused" on SSH

  • Wait 60 seconds for server to fully boot
  • Check: hcloud server describe openclaw

"openclaw: command not found"

source ~/.bashrc
# Or add to PATH manually:
export PATH="$HOME/.openclaw/bin:$PATH"

Gateway not starting

journalctl -u openclaw -f  # Check logs
openclaw doctor            # Run diagnostics

Cleanup (Delete Everything)

# Delete server (stops billing)
hcloud server delete openclaw

# Optional: remove SSH key from Hetzner
hcloud ssh-key delete openclaw-key

# Optional: remove hcloud context
hcloud context delete openclaw

Useful Commands

openclaw doctor              # Health check
openclaw gateway status      # Gateway status
openclaw update              # Update to latest
openclaw channels list       # List connected channels
journalctl -u openclaw -f    # View logs
systemctl restart openclaw   # Restart daemon

Notes for Claude Code

Ask user for:

  1. Hetzner API token
  2. LLM API key (Gemini or Anthropic)

Automation flow:

# 1. Setup hcloud (user pastes token when prompted)
hcloud context create openclaw

# 2. Upload SSH key (check first)
hcloud ssh-key list || hcloud ssh-key create --name openclaw-key --public-key-from-file ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

# 3. Create server (check first)
hcloud server list | grep openclaw || hcloud server create --name openclaw --type cpx22 --image ubuntu-24.04 --location nbg1 --ssh-key openclaw-key

# 4. Get IP
SERVER_IP=$(hcloud server ip openclaw)

# 5. Wait and SSH
sleep 30
ssh root@$SERVER_IP

# 6. On server: install + onboard
apt update && apt upgrade -y
curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash
source ~/.bashrc
openclaw onboard --non-interactive --accept-risk --install-daemon --auth-choice gemini-api-key --gemini-api-key <KEY>

# 7. Verify
openclaw gateway status
openclaw doctor

# 8. WhatsApp (user scans QR)
openclaw channels add --channel whatsapp
openclaw channels login --channel whatsapp

Only manual step: WhatsApp QR scan