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OpenClaw Openclaw Installation 2026

Practical OpenClaw installation guide with commands, checks, and rollback-safe steps.

Updated: 2026-03-118 min read

Best for

You are setting up OpenClaw for the first time.

Reading time

8 minutes

Expected result

You finish with a working baseline environment.

Execution Steps

  1. Check runtime baseline first: Node.js LTS, shell permissions, and available ports.
  2. Install and bootstrap with `npm install -g openclaw@latest` and `openclaw onboard --install-daemon`.
  3. Verify with `openclaw doctor` and confirm ports 3000 and 18789 are reachable.
  4. Run one minimal end-to-end message test before adding channels or skills.

Key Commands

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

Common Risks

  • Change one variable at a time to avoid mixed signals.
  • Keep rollback evidence and logs for every change.

Frequent Failure Patterns

  • Skipping environment checks causes startup failures.
  • Mixed runtime versions create inconsistent dependency behavior.

Acceptance Checks

  • Service starts successfully
  • Core commands run
  • First test task returns expected output