OpenClaw Quick Installation Guide

Get started in 5 minutes — let AI become your on-chain assistant.

With OpenClaw, you can use natural language to perform data queries, market analysis, and automated monitoring. This guide will walk you through installation and basic setup so you can start using it right away.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure your environment meets the following requirements:

     * Supported systems: macOS / Linux / Windows
     * Python 3.10 or higher
     * Node.js (18+ recommended)
     * Git (for project management)

In short, if you have a basic development environment, you’re ready to go.

Installation (Script Method)

This is the fastest way to install OpenClaw.
The script will detect your OS, install Node.js if needed, install OpenClaw, and launch the onboarding process.

macOS / Linux / WSL2

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

If you prefer to skip onboarding during installation:

curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash -s -- --no-onboard

Windows (PowerShell)

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

To skip onboarding:

& ([scriptblock]::Create((iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1))) -NoOnboard

For all available flags and CI/automation options, please refer to the installer documentation.

Verify Installation

After installation, run the following command to confirm success:

openclaw --version

Configure AI Capability

OpenClaw relies on AI models for analysis and execution, so you need to configure an API key.

Option 1: Environment Variable

export OPENAI_API_KEY="your_api_key"

Option 2: .env File

OPENAI_API_KEY=your_api_key

Note:
You can obtain API keys from providers such as Baidu Qianfan, Alibaba Cloud DashScope, or ChatGPT. Registration is typically free.

Add Skills (Extensions)

OpenClaw uses a modular architecture, where capabilities are extended via Skills.

Explore more Skills at the official marketplace:? https://clawhub.ai/

Start OpenClaw

Run the following command to launch:

openclaw start

Once started, you will enter the AI interaction interface.

Getting Started

After installing the required Skills, you can interact with OpenClaw using natural language commands:

     * Get market insights → “Fetch crypto news from the past hour”

     * Track trends → “Monitor market activity for a specific token”

     * On-chain analysis → “Check large ETH transactions”

     * Automated alerts → “Notify me when major market events occur”