Install

System requirements

Node 24 (recommended) or Node 22.19+ - the installer script handles this automatically
macOS, Linux, or Windows - both native Windows and WSL2 are supported; WSL2 is more stable. See Windows.
pnpm is only needed if you build from source

Recommended: installer script

The fastest way to install. It detects your OS, installs Node if needed, installs OpenClaw, and launches onboarding.

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

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

To install without running onboarding:

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

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

For all flags and CI/automation options, see Installer internals.

Alternative install methods

Local prefix installer (`install-cli.sh`)

Use this when you want OpenClaw and Node kept under a local prefix such as ~/.openclaw, without depending on a system-wide Node install:

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

It supports npm installs by default, plus git-checkout installs under the same prefix flow. Full reference: Installer internals.

Already installed? Switch between package and git installs with openclaw update --channel dev and openclaw update --channel stable. See Updating.

npm, pnpm, or bun

If you already manage Node yourself:

npm install -g openclaw@latest
openclaw onboard --install-daemon

pnpm add -g openclaw@latest
pnpm approve-builds -g
openclaw onboard --install-daemon

bun add -g openclaw@latest
openclaw onboard --install-daemon

Troubleshooting: sharp build errors (npm)

If sharp fails due to a globally installed libvips:

SHARP_IGNORE_GLOBAL_LIBVIPS=1 npm install -g openclaw@latest

From source

For contributors or anyone who wants to run from a local checkout:

git clone https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw.git
cd openclaw
pnpm install && pnpm build && pnpm ui:build
pnpm link --global
openclaw onboard --install-daemon

Or skip the link and use pnpm openclaw ... from inside the repo. See Setup for full development workflows.

Install from the GitHub main checkout

curl -fsSL --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash -s -- --install-method git --version main

Containers and package managers

Docker

Containerized or headless deployments.

Podman

Rootless container alternative to Docker.

Nix

Declarative install via Nix flake.

Ansible

Automated fleet provisioning.

Bun

CLI-only usage via the Bun runtime.

Verify the install

openclaw --version      # confirm the CLI is available
openclaw doctor         # check for config issues
openclaw gateway status # verify the Gateway is running

If you want managed startup after install:

macOS: LaunchAgent via openclaw onboard --install-daemon or openclaw gateway install
Linux/WSL2: systemd user service via the same commands
Native Windows: Scheduled Task first, with a per-user Startup-folder login item fallback if task creation is denied

Hosting and deployment

Deploy OpenClaw on a cloud server or VPS:

Any Linux VPS

Shared Docker steps

K8s

Google Cloud

Update, migrate, or uninstall

Updating

Keep OpenClaw up to date.

Migrating

Move to a new machine.

Uninstall

Remove OpenClaw completely.

Troubleshooting: `openclaw` not found

If the install succeeded but openclaw is not found in your terminal:

node -v           # Node installed?
npm prefix -g     # Where are global packages?
echo "$PATH"      # Is the global bin dir in PATH?

If $(npm prefix -g)/bin is not in your $PATH, add it to your shell startup file (~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc):

export PATH="$(npm prefix -g)/bin:$PATH"

Then open a new terminal. See Node setup for more details.