OpenClaw VPS Deployment

Automated OpenClaw deployment to any Ubuntu VPS.

Deploy OpenClaw in ~10 minutes using the official installer. Two deployment modes:

1. Configured Deployment: OpenClaw + Telegram channel + auth configured, bot ready to use
2. Install Only: Just install OpenClaw, configure interactively later via openclaw onboard

Uses: Official OpenClaw installer + Onboarding wizard

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Prerequisites

For all deployments:

• VPS - Ubuntu 24.04 server from any provider
• SSH access - SSH key (recommended) or password

For configured deployments:

• Telegram bot token - From @BotFather
• User's Telegram ID - From @userinfobot
• Anthropic API key or Claude setup-token

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Quick Start

Configured Deployment

Provide credentials during deployment. Bot will be ready to message immediately.

1. Create a VPS

Recommended providers:

• Hetzner Cloud
• OVH
• DigitalOcean

Specs:

• OS: Ubuntu 24.04
• RAM: 4GB minimum
• Storage: 40GB+

2. Verify SSH Access

Before running the deployment script, connect to your VPS and verify access:

ssh YOUR_SSH_USER@YOUR_VPS_IP

First-time connection checklist:

• Accept the host key fingerprint when prompted
• Change the default password if required by your provider
• Verify you can execute commands (e.g., sudo apt update)

Recommended: Set up SSH key authentication

This prevents password prompts during deployment:

# On your local machine
ssh-copy-id YOUR_SSH_USER@YOUR_VPS_IP

Or manually:

cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub | ssh YOUR_SSH_USER@YOUR_VPS_IP "mkdir -p ~/.ssh && cat >> ~/.ssh/authorized_keys"

Verify passwordless login:

ssh YOUR_SSH_USER@YOUR_VPS_IP
# Should connect without password prompt

Once you can SSH in without issues, proceed to the next step.

3. Create a Telegram Bot

Message @BotFather on Telegram:

/newbot
[Follow the prompts]

Save the token (format: 123456789:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrsTUVwxyz)

4. Get User's Telegram ID

Have the user message @userinfobot on Telegram.

It will reply with their user ID (format: 987654321)

Note: This pre-authorizes the user so they can message the bot immediately.

5. Get Authentication

Go to Anthropic Console:

1. Sign up or log in
2. Go to API Keys section
3. Click Create Key
4. Save the key (format: sk-ant-api03-...)

Or use Claude subscription setup-token: claude setup-token

6. Clone the Deployment Script

git clone https://github.com/ortegarod/openclaw-vps-deploy.git
cd openclaw-vps-deploy

7. Run the Deploy Script

With API Key:

./deploy.sh \
  --host YOUR_VPS_IP \
  --user YOUR_SSH_USER \
  --telegram-token "YOUR_TELEGRAM_TOKEN" \
  --telegram-user-id USER_TELEGRAM_ID \
  --api-key "YOUR_CLAUDE_API_KEY"

Or with Claude subscription setup-token:

./deploy.sh \
  --host YOUR_VPS_IP \
  --user YOUR_SSH_USER \
  --telegram-token "YOUR_TELEGRAM_TOKEN" \
  --telegram-user-id USER_TELEGRAM_ID \
  --token "YOUR_SETUP_TOKEN"

Fresh installation (wipe existing workspace):

Add --clean to remove existing identity/workspace files:

./deploy.sh \
  --host YOUR_VPS_IP \
  --user YOUR_SSH_USER \
  --telegram-token "YOUR_TELEGRAM_TOKEN" \
  --telegram-user-id USER_TELEGRAM_ID \
  --token "YOUR_SETUP_TOKEN" \
  --clean

Use --clean when:

• Redeploying to an existing VPS
• Want a fresh start
• Previous bot identity should be removed

What gets configured:

• OpenClaw CLI + dependencies
• Authentication (API key or setup-token)
• Telegram channel (bot token + pre-authorized user)
• Gateway daemon (systemd service)
• Firewall (SSH + Gateway port)

Replace:

• YOUR_VPS_IP with VPS IP address (e.g., 203.0.113.10)
• YOUR_SSH_USER with SSH username (e.g., ubuntu, root)
• YOUR_TELEGRAM_TOKEN with bot token from step 3
• USER_TELEGRAM_ID with user's Telegram ID from step 4 (e.g., 987654321)
• YOUR_CLAUDE_API_KEY with API key from step 5 OR
• YOUR_SETUP_TOKEN with Claude setup-token

Important SSH notes:

• Use the IP address, not hostname (unless DNS is configured)
• Specify --user to match your SSH config (default is root)
• Script uses your existing SSH keys automatically
• If VS Code or SSH access works, use the same IP and user

8. Done!

Bot is ready! User can message on Telegram immediately (pre-authorized, no pairing needed).

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Install-Only Deployment

Install OpenClaw without credentials. User configures via interactive wizard.

1. Create a VPS

Same as configured deployment (see above).

2. Run the Deploy Script

git clone https://github.com/ortegarod/openclaw-vps-deploy.git
cd openclaw-vps-deploy

./deploy.sh \
  --host YOUR_VPS_IP \
  --user YOUR_SSH_USER

That's it! Installs:

• OpenClaw CLI
• System dependencies (curl, git, ufw)
• Firewall configuration

3. Complete Setup

SSH in and run the interactive wizard:

ssh YOUR_SSH_USER@YOUR_VPS_IP
openclaw onboard

# Follow prompts:
# - Choose auth method (API key or setup-token)
# - Enter credentials
# - Configure Telegram bot
# - Install daemon service

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What Gets Installed

Both Modes

1. OpenClaw CLI via curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash
2. System packages curl, git, ufw (firewall)
3. Firewall rules SSH (22), Gateway (18789)

Configured Mode Also Includes

4. Onboarding via openclaw onboard --non-interactive
5. Telegram channel pre-authorized for specified user ID
6. Gateway daemon systemd service for auto-restart

Directory Structure

~/.openclaw/
├── bin/openclaw            # OpenClaw CLI
├── openclaw.json           # Configuration
├── workspace/              # Agent workspace
│   ├── AGENTS.md
│   ├── IDENTITY.md
│   ├── SOUL.md
│   └── ...
├── agents/main/sessions/   # Session history
└── credentials/            # Channel credentials

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Post-Deployment

Customize the Agent

SSH into VPS and edit workspace files:

ssh YOUR_USER@YOUR_IP
nano ~/.openclaw/workspace/IDENTITY.md
nano ~/.openclaw/workspace/SOUL.md

Restart to apply:

openclaw gateway restart

Check Status

ssh YOUR_USER@YOUR_IP
openclaw status

View Logs

openclaw logs --follow

Restart Gateway

openclaw gateway restart

Update OpenClaw

# Re-run installer
curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash
openclaw gateway restart

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Troubleshooting

SSH Connection Fails

If you see "Permission denied" or "Cannot connect":

1. Check SSH config (~/.ssh/config) if using VS Code or similar tools
2. Use same IP and user that works in your SSH client:

   ./deploy.sh --host YOUR_IP --user YOUR_USER

3. Test SSH manually first:

   ssh YOUR_USER@YOUR_IP

Bot Not Responding

ssh YOUR_USER@YOUR_IP
openclaw status
openclaw logs --follow

Gateway Not Running

openclaw gateway start

Check Telegram Configuration

openclaw channels list

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Security

Deployment includes:

• UFW firewall (SSH + Gateway port)
• Systemd service isolation
• DM pairing or allowlist (not open by default)

Additional recommendations:

• Use SSH keys (not passwords)
• Keep VPS updated: sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade
• Review OpenClaw security docs
• Run security audit: openclaw security audit

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Documentation

• OpenClaw Docs
• Installation
• Onboarding Wizard
• Channels
• Security

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Contributing

Contributions welcome! Test on a clean Ubuntu 24.04 VPS before submitting PR.

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License

MIT License - See LICENSE

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Credits

Built using the official OpenClaw installer.

Questions? OpenClaw Discord