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Install

docs/install/index.md

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System requirements

  • Node 24 (recommended) or Node 22.14+ — 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

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

<Tabs> <Tab title="macOS / Linux / WSL2"> ```bash curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash ``` </Tab> <Tab title="Windows (PowerShell)"> ```powershell iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1 | iex ``` </Tab> </Tabs>

To install without running onboarding:

<Tabs> <Tab title="macOS / Linux / WSL2"> ```bash curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash -s -- --no-onboard ``` </Tab> <Tab title="Windows (PowerShell)"> ```powershell & ([scriptblock]::Create((iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1))) -NoOnboard ``` </Tab> </Tabs>

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:

bash
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:

<Tabs> <Tab title="npm"> ```bash npm install -g openclaw@latest openclaw onboard --install-daemon ``` </Tab> <Tab title="pnpm"> ```bash pnpm add -g openclaw@latest pnpm approve-builds -g openclaw onboard --install-daemon ``` 
<Note>
pnpm requires explicit approval for packages with build scripts. Run `pnpm approve-builds -g` after the first install.
</Note>
</Tab> <Tab title="bun"> ```bash bun add -g openclaw@latest openclaw onboard --install-daemon ``` 
<Note>
Bun is supported for the global CLI install path. For the Gateway runtime, Node remains the recommended daemon runtime.
</Note>
</Tab> </Tabs> <Accordion title="Troubleshooting: sharp build errors (npm)"> If `sharp` fails due to a globally installed libvips:
bash
SHARP_IGNORE_GLOBAL_LIBVIPS=1 npm install -g openclaw@latest
</Accordion>

From source

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

bash
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 GitHub main

bash
npm install -g github:openclaw/openclaw#main

Containers and package managers

<CardGroup cols={2}> <Card title="Docker" href="/install/docker" icon="container"> Containerized or headless deployments. </Card> <Card title="Podman" href="/install/podman" icon="container"> Rootless container alternative to Docker. </Card> <Card title="Nix" href="/install/nix" icon="snowflake"> Declarative install via Nix flake. </Card> <Card title="Ansible" href="/install/ansible" icon="server"> Automated fleet provisioning. </Card> <Card title="Bun" href="/install/bun" icon="zap"> CLI-only usage via the Bun runtime. </Card> </CardGroup>

Verify the install

bash
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:

<CardGroup cols={3}> <Card title="VPS" href="/vps">Any Linux VPS</Card> <Card title="Docker VM" href="/install/docker-vm-runtime">Shared Docker steps</Card> <Card title="Kubernetes" href="/install/kubernetes">K8s</Card> <Card title="Fly.io" href="/install/fly">Fly.io</Card> <Card title="Hetzner" href="/install/hetzner">Hetzner</Card> <Card title="GCP" href="/install/gcp">Google Cloud</Card> <Card title="Azure" href="/install/azure">Azure</Card> <Card title="Railway" href="/install/railway">Railway</Card> <Card title="Render" href="/install/render">Render</Card> <Card title="Northflank" href="/install/northflank">Northflank</Card> </CardGroup>

Update, migrate, or uninstall

<CardGroup cols={3}> <Card title="Updating" href="/install/updating" icon="refresh-cw"> Keep OpenClaw up to date. </Card> <Card title="Migrating" href="/install/migrating" icon="arrow-right"> Move to a new machine. </Card> <Card title="Uninstall" href="/install/uninstall" icon="trash-2"> Remove OpenClaw completely. </Card> </CardGroup>

Troubleshooting: openclaw not found

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

bash
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):

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

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