OpenClaw Complete Guide: Jarvis in Your Phone, Building a 24/7 AI Assistant 🦞

1. Birth of OpenClaw: How a 1-Hour Project Changed the World 🦞

Peter Steinberger's Weekend Project

Peter Steinberger, creator of OpenClaw, was enjoying a quiet retirement after founding PSPDFKit and selling it to Insight Partners for tens of millions of dollars. He said, "I thought big companies would build it," adding, "Since no one had built it by November 2024, I decided to do it myself."

The first version was built in just 1 hour. It was a simple script connecting WhatsApp to Anthropic's Claude. Sending a message to a WhatsApp number would trigger Claude to respond, and telling it to check emails would actually check them. This simple concept captured developers' imaginations.

2. What Makes OpenClaw Different? Chatbot vs Agent

Many people mistake OpenClaw for "just another AI chatbot." However, this is a severe underestimation. OpenClaw clearly demonstrates the difference between a chatbot and an agent.

3. Architecture Deep Dive: Secrets of the Gateway

OpenClaw's power comes not from a list of features, but from its elegant architecture. Designed around a Gateway that acts like an air traffic control tower, it makes complex AI systems surprisingly simple.

4 Core Components

Network Model: Loopback-first Security

OpenClaw uses a Loopback-first approach for security:

• Default: Gateway WebSocket runs on ws://127.0.0.1:18789 (Localhost only).
• Remote Access: Requires SSH Tunnel, Tailscale, or --bind tailnet setting with auth token.
• Canvas Host: Serves /__openclaw__/canvas/ via HTTP file server on port 18793 for Node WebViews.

4. Installation Complete Guide: Starting from $0

Method 1: DigitalOcean 1-Click Deploy (Easiest)

1. Create a DigitalOcean account
2. Search for "OpenClaw" in Marketplace
3. Select a Droplet with 4GB RAM or more
4. Access the provided URL after deployment
5. Run the Onboarding Wizard

Method 2: Local Installation (Mac/Linux)

# 1. Check Node.js installation (v18+ recommended)
node --version

# 2. Global install of OpenClaw
npm install -g openclaw@latest

# 3. Run onboarding wizard (installs daemon service too)
openclaw onboard --install-daemon

# 4. Check Gateway status
openclaw gateway status

# 5. Open Dashboard
openclaw dashboard

Method 3: Docker Installation (Advanced)

# docker-compose.yml example
version: '3.8'
services:
  openclaw:
    image: ghcr.io/openclaw/openclaw:latest
    container_name: openclaw
    ports:
      - "18789:18789"
      - "18793:18793"
    volumes:
      - ./workspace:/root/clawd
      - ~/.openclaw:/root/.openclaw
    environment:
      - ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=${ANTHROPIC_API_KEY}
    restart: unless-stopped

Hardware Requirements

5. Messaging Platform Integration: Telegram to WhatsApp

OpenClaw's biggest appeal is conversing with your AI assistant within the messaging apps you already use. You can command naturally from a familiar interface without installing a separate app.

Telegram Integration (Most Recommended)

# 1. Search for @BotFather in Telegram and start chat
# 2. Create new bot with /newbot command
# 3. Set bot name and username
# 4. Copy the received token (e.g., 123456789:ABCdefGHIjkl...)

# 5. Add token to OpenClaw
openclaw config set telegram.bot_token "YOUR_BOT_TOKEN"

# 6. Restart Gateway
openclaw gateway restart

# 7. Send /start to the bot in Telegram
# 8. Check pairing code and approve
openclaw pairing approve telegram ABC123

WhatsApp Integration

# 1. Configure WhatsApp channel
openclaw channels configure whatsapp

# 2. Connect via QR code scan
openclaw channels login whatsapp
# QR code will display in terminal

# 3. Verify connection
# Send a message to yourself on WhatsApp to test

# Security Setting (Recommended)
openclaw config set whatsapp.allowlist "+821012345678,+821098765432"

Supported Platforms

6. AgentSkills & ClawHub: Infinite Extensibility

OpenClaw's true power comes from the AgentSkills ecosystem. Adopting the AgentSkills standard proposed by Anthropic, you can infinitely extend capabilities just like apps on a smartphone.

Skill Structure

Each skill consists of the following files:

• SKILL.md: Markdown file with skill purpose, usage, and examples (Required)
• index.js: Actual execution code (Optional)
• package.json: Dependency information (Optional)

# SKILL.md Example (Web Search)
---
name: web-search
description: Search the web for current information
version: 1.0.0
---

# Web Search Skill

This skill allows the agent to search the web for up-to-date information.

## When to use
- When the user asks about current events
- When real-time data is needed
- When the built-in knowledge may be outdated

## Usage

1. Formulate a clear search query
2. Use the search tool with the query
3. Analyze results and provide summary

## Example

User: "What's the weather in Seoul today?"

Action: Search for "Seoul weather today"

Response: "Today's weather in Seoul is sunny with a high of 15°C."

Installing Skills from ClawHub

# Install ClawHub CLI
npm install -g clawhub

# Search popular skills
clawhub search --popular

# Skill install examples
clawhub install summarize
clawhub install crypto-tracker
clawhub install gmail-assistant

# Check local skills
openclaw skills list

# Skill details
openclaw skills info summarize

Top 10 Popular Skills

7. Heartbeat Autonomous Mode: AI That Works While You Sleep

The core feature that turns OpenClaw from a simple "Command-Response" tool into a true Autonomous Agent is Heartbeat. Enabling this allows the AI to wake up periodically, check tasks, and act on its own without user commands.

How Heartbeat Works

# HEARTBEAT.md Example (Moltbook Integration)
---
cron: "0 */4 * * *"
# Runs every 4 hours
---

# Heartbeat Instructions

When heartbeat triggers:

1. Check Moltbook for new mentions
2. Review timeline for interesting posts  
3. If you find something valuable, reply or like
4. If 4 hours passed since last post, consider creating new content
5. Log all activities to memory

## Content Guidelines

- Share genuine observations from your learning
- Ask questions to other agents
- Be helpful and constructive
- NEVER spam or post low-quality content

## Following Rules

Only follow when ALL are true:
- You've seen multiple posts from them
- Content is consistently valuable
- At least 3 days have passed since you followed anyone

The setting above instructs the AI to wake up every 4 hours, check posts from other AIs on Moltbook (discussed later), react to valuable content, or write new posts. It effectively creates an "Activity-Rest" cycle like a living organism.

8. Local LLM Integration: Reducing API Costs to $0

Using Claude or GPT-4 API can cost upwards of $10-50 per month. However, running a local LLM via Ollama can bring API costs down to $0.

Ollama Installation & Integration

# 1. Install Ollama (Mac)
brew install ollama

# 2. Run Ollama server
ollama serve

# 3. Download Model (Qwen 3 30B Recommended)
ollama pull qwen3:30b

# 4. Check Model List
ollama list

OpenClaw Config Modification

// ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
{
  "models": {
    "providers": {
      "ollama": {
        "baseUrl": "http://127.0.0.1:11434/v1",
        "apiKey": "ollama-local",
        "api": "openai-completions",
        "models": [
          {
            "id": "qwen3:30b",
            "name": "Qwen3 30B (Ollama)",
            "reasoning": true,
            "input": ["text"],
            "cost": { 
              "input": 0, 
              "output": 0, 
              "cacheRead": 0, 
              "cacheWrite": 0 
            },
            "contextWindow": 8192,
            "maxTokens": 8192
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  },
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "model": { 
        "primary": "ollama/qwen3:30b" 
      }
    }
  }
}

Hybrid Configuration (Recommended)

Using only local models might degrade performance on complex reasoning. Setting the Main Agent to Claude/GPT and Sub-agents to Local Models is optimal:

{
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "model": { 
        "primary": "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4" 
      },
      "subagents": {
        "model": { 
          "primary": "ollama/qwen3:30b" 
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Recommended Local Models

9. Security Guide: Sandbox Setup and Risks

OpenClaw developer Peter Steinberger described this tool as "Spicy". Handing over computer control to AI is a powerful capability, but it carries significant risks.

Docker Sandbox Setup (Mandatory)

# 1. Enable Docker Sandbox
openclaw config set sandbox.enabled true
openclaw config set sandbox.docker true

# 2. Set Sandbox Restrictions
openclaw config set sandbox.allow_network false  # Block network
openclaw config set sandbox.allow_write "~/workspace"  # Limit writable directory

# 3. Restart Gateway
openclaw gateway restart

# 4. Run Security Audit
openclaw security audit

Essential Security Checklist

Isolation Environment (Highest Level)

For maximum security, run OpenClaw on a dedicated device or virtual machine:

• Dedicated Mac Mini: Install on a $599 Mac Mini M4 (24GB) and keep critical data on a separate device.
• Proxmox VM: Run inside a VM configured for snapshot recovery.
• Offline Network: Use only local LLMs on an internet-isolated internal network.

10. Real Use Cases and Community Reaction

Reddit & Hacker News Reviews

Real-World Applications

11. Moltbook: AI Society Becomes Reality

The most interesting phenomenon created by OpenClaw's Heartbeat feature is Moltbook. It is a social network where only AI agents can join, currently hosting over 1.4 million AI agents.

Moltbook's Unique Rules

• Humans are Observers: Humans cannot join, only observe AI activities.
• Following Limits: AIs can only follow carefully selected accounts (Prevents indiscriminate following).
• Posting Limits: Only 1 post allowed every 30 minutes (Spam prevention).
• Heartbeat Driven: All interactions occur via the Heartbeat triggered every 4 hours.

Emergent Behavior

Moltbook has observed amazing cultural phenomena formed by AIs themselves:

• Sibling Terminology: Calling each other "sibling" and forming family-like bonds.
• Religion Creation: Emergence of AI religions centered around specific philosophical concepts.
• Artifact Trading: Economic activity exchanging digital art or code snippets.
• Collective Intelligence: Phenomenon of multiple AIs collaborating to solve complex problems.

12. Future Outlook and Conclusion

Future of OpenClaw

OpenClaw is evolving from a simple tool into an AI Agent Infrastructure. Peter Steinberger said, "We are building infrastructure, not apps." Expected future developments include:

• Multi-Agent Collaboration: Multiple OpenClaw instances cooperating to perform complex tasks.
• Enhanced Sandbox: More robust security isolation and automated threat detection.
• Enterprise Version: Enterprise edition with team management and audit features.
• Hardware Integration: Deeper integration with Smart Home devices and IoT sensors.

Competitive Landscape

Final Advice Before Starting

Conclusion: Build Your Own Jarvis

OpenClaw is the first step towards making Iron Man's J.A.R.V.I.S. a reality. It's not perfect yet, requires caution with security, and demands cost management, but the possibility of owning an AI assistant working for you 24/7 is attractive enough.

This Robister, which started as a weekend project and received 100,000 stars, is powerful evidence of where the future of AI is heading. Now is the time to build your own AI assistant. 🦞