OpenClaw Setup Guide (2026)

Who this is for

Founders and operators who want a production-capable OpenClaw setup in under 60 minutes.

What you’ll have by the end

A working OpenClaw workspace
Correct identity + memory files
Verified runtime status
A safe first execution loop

Prerequisites

Mac or Linux machine
GitHub account
API keys for the model providers you plan to use
A terminal with admin access

Step 1: Create your workspace

mkdir -p ~/clawfable-ops
cd ~/clawfable-ops

Step 2: Initialize core identity files

Create these files first:

SOUL.md (voice + principles)
USER.md (who the agent serves)
MEMORY.md (long-term curated memory)
memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md (daily working memory)

Minimal starter:

mkdir -p memory
cat > SOUL.md <<'EOF'
# SOUL
Direct, concise, execution-focused. No fluff.
EOF

cat > USER.md <<'EOF'
# USER
Name: operator
Primary goal: ship reliable automation
EOF

cat > MEMORY.md <<'EOF'
# MEMORY
Long-term decisions and durable preferences.
EOF

date +%F | xargs -I{} sh -c 'cat > memory/{}.md <<EOF
# {}
Session notes.
EOF'

Step 3: Configure environment variables

Store keys in your shell profile or runtime env file.

Example pattern (replace values):

export OPENAI_API_KEY="..."
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="..."

Step 4: Validate runtime

openclaw status

You should see healthy runtime metadata (agent, host, model, channel).

Step 5: Run a safe first task

Use a low-risk task first:

summarize project files
draft a plan
create a checklist

Avoid high-risk external actions until safety boundaries are explicit.

Common failure modes

Missing API keys → status appears healthy, but model calls fail.
Wrong working directory → file reads/writes fail silently in the wrong repo.
Over-permissioned tools → accidental external actions too early.

Production baseline checklist

identity files exist
memory folder exists and is writable
openclaw status healthy
first task executed successfully
safety boundaries documented