GCP

```bash
gcloud init
gcloud auth login
```

Or do every step below through the [Cloud Console](https://console.cloud.google.com) web UI instead.

Enable billing at [console.cloud.google.com/billing](https://console.cloud.google.com/billing) (required for Compute Engine).

Console equivalent: IAM & Admin > Create Project, enable billing, then APIs & Services > Enable APIs > "Compute Engine API" > Enable.

```bash
gcloud compute instances create openclaw-gateway \
  --zone=us-central1-a \
  --machine-type=e2-small \
  --boot-disk-size=20GB \
  --image-family=debian-12 \
  --image-project=debian-cloud
```

Console: click "SSH" next to the VM in the Compute Engine dashboard.

SSH key propagation can take 1-2 minutes after VM creation; wait and retry if connection is refused.

Log out and back in for the group change to take effect, then SSH back in:

```bash
exit
```

```bash
gcloud compute ssh openclaw-gateway --zone=us-central1-a
```

Verify:

```bash
docker --version
docker compose version
```

This guide builds a custom image so any binaries you bake in survive restarts.

```bash
mkdir -p ~/.openclaw
mkdir -p ~/.openclaw/workspace
```

```bash
OPENCLAW_IMAGE=openclaw:latest
OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN=
OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_BIND=lan
OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_PORT=18789

OPENCLAW_CONFIG_DIR=/home/$USER/.openclaw
OPENCLAW_WORKSPACE_DIR=/home/$USER/.openclaw/workspace

GOG_KEYRING_PASSWORD=
XDG_CONFIG_HOME=/home/node/.openclaw
```

Set `OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN` to manage the stable gateway token through
`.env`; otherwise configure `gateway.auth.token` before relying on clients
across restarts. If neither is set, OpenClaw uses a runtime-only token for
that startup. Generate a keyring password for `GOG_KEYRING_PASSWORD`:

```bash
openssl rand -hex 32
```

**Do not commit this file.** It holds container/runtime env such as
`OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN`. Stored provider OAuth/API-key auth lives in the
mounted `~/.openclaw/agents/<agentId>/agent/auth-profiles.json`.

```yaml
services:
  openclaw-gateway:
    image: ${OPENCLAW_IMAGE}
    build: .
    restart: unless-stopped
    env_file:
      - .env
    environment:
      - HOME=/home/node
      - NODE_ENV=production
      - TERM=xterm-256color
      - OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_BIND=${OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_BIND}
      - OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_PORT=${OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_PORT}
      - OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN=${OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN}
      - GOG_KEYRING_PASSWORD=${GOG_KEYRING_PASSWORD}
      - XDG_CONFIG_HOME=${XDG_CONFIG_HOME}
      - PATH=/home/linuxbrew/.linuxbrew/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin
    volumes:
      - ${OPENCLAW_CONFIG_DIR}:/home/node/.openclaw
      - ${OPENCLAW_WORKSPACE_DIR}:/home/node/.openclaw/workspace
    ports:
      # Recommended: keep the Gateway loopback-only on the VM; access via SSH tunnel.
      # To expose it publicly, remove the `127.0.0.1:` prefix and firewall accordingly.
      - "127.0.0.1:${OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_PORT}:18789"
    command:
      [
        "node",
        "dist/index.js",
        "gateway",
        "--bind",
        "${OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_BIND}",
        "--port",
        "${OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_PORT}",
        "--allow-unconfigured",
      ]
```

`--allow-unconfigured` is only for bootstrap convenience, not a substitute for real gateway configuration. Still set auth (`gateway.auth.token` or password) and a safe bind mode for your deployment.

- [Bake required binaries into the image](/install/docker-vm-runtime#bake-required-binaries-into-the-image)
- [Build and launch](/install/docker-vm-runtime#build-and-launch)
- [What persists where](/install/docker-vm-runtime#what-persists-where)
- [Updates](/install/docker-vm-runtime#updates)

When binding to LAN (`OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_BIND=lan`), configure a trusted browser origin before continuing:

```bash
docker compose run --rm openclaw-cli config set gateway.controlUi.allowedOrigins '["http://127.0.0.1:18789"]' --strict-json
```

Replace `18789` with your configured port if you changed it.

```bash
gcloud compute ssh openclaw-gateway --zone=us-central1-a -- -L 18789:127.0.0.1:18789
```

Open `http://127.0.0.1:18789/` in your browser.

Reprint a clean dashboard link:

```bash
docker compose run --rm openclaw-cli dashboard --no-open
```

If the UI prompts for shared-secret auth, paste the configured token or
password into Control UI settings (this Docker flow writes a token by
default; use your configured password instead if you switched to password
auth).

If Control UI shows `unauthorized` or `disconnected (1008): pairing required`, approve the browser device:

```bash
docker compose run --rm openclaw-cli devices list
docker compose run --rm openclaw-cli devices approve <requestId>
```

See [Docker VM Runtime](/install/docker-vm-runtime#what-persists-where) for the shared persistence map and [update flow](/install/docker-vm-runtime#updates).

gcloud compute os-login describe-profile

# Stop the VM first
gcloud compute instances stop openclaw-gateway --zone=us-central1-a

# Change machine type
gcloud compute instances set-machine-type openclaw-gateway \
  --zone=us-central1-a \
  --machine-type=e2-small

# Start the VM
gcloud compute instances start openclaw-gateway --zone=us-central1-a

gcloud iam service-accounts create openclaw-deploy \
  --display-name="OpenClaw Deployment"

gcloud projects add-iam-policy-binding my-openclaw-project \
  --member="serviceAccount:[email protected]" \
  --role="roles/compute.instanceAdmin.v1"