Install

System requirements

Node 24 (recommended) or Node 22.19+ - the installer script handles this automatically
macOS, Linux, or Windows - Windows users can start with the native Windows Hub app, the PowerShell CLI installer, or a WSL2 Gateway. 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

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 deployment.

Deploy on Fly.io.

Hetzner deployment.

Google Cloud deployment.

Azure deployment.

Railway deployment.

Render deployment.

Northflank deployment.

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.