How to Install OpenClaw on a VPS in 30 Minutes: Step-by-Step Guide 2026

OpenClaw is an AI agent that runs 24/7 on your own server. It responds in Telegram, performs tasks autonomously, and never sends your data anywhere. In this article, I'll walk through the entire installation process step by step — from renting a VPS to your agent's first message.

Step 1. Rent a VPS and Connect for the First Time

I recommend Hetzner Cloud — the CX22 plan (~$4.49/mo, 2 vCPU / 4 GB RAM / 40 GB NVMe). Together with the API key, basic OpenClaw usage comes to about $20-30/mo. Alternatives: DigitalOcean, Vultr, Contabo.

After creating the server, connect via SSH:

ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP

First thing we do — update the system:

apt update && apt upgrade -y

Step 2. Basic Server Security

Before installing OpenClaw, let's set up a firewall and brute-force protection. This is critical — an exposed server will get attacked within minutes.

UFW — Firewall

apt install ufw -y
ufw default deny incoming
ufw default allow outgoing
ufw allow ssh
ufw allow 80/tcp
ufw allow 443/tcp
ufw enable

fail2ban — Brute-Force Protection

apt install fail2ban -y
systemctl enable fail2ban
systemctl start fail2ban

Step 3. Install Node.js 22+

OpenClaw requires Node.js version 22 or higher. Install it via the official NodeSource script:

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_22.x | bash -
apt install nodejs -y
node --version  # should show v22.x.x

Step 4. Install OpenClaw

Clone the repository and install dependencies:

cd /opt
git clone https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw.git
cd openclaw
npm install

Copy the config file and fill in your keys:

cp .env.example .env
nano .env

In the .env file, fill in:

ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...
TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=...
AGENT_NAME=MyAgent

Step 5. Run via systemd

To make the agent start automatically after a server reboot, register it as a system service:

nano /etc/systemd/system/openclaw.service

Paste the configuration:

[Unit]
Description=OpenClaw AI Agent
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=root
WorkingDirectory=/opt/openclaw
ExecStart=/usr/bin/node index.js
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=10

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Enable and start:

systemctl daemon-reload
systemctl enable openclaw
systemctl start openclaw
systemctl status openclaw

Step 6. Connect Telegram

Create a bot via @BotFather in Telegram. Get the token and paste it into .env. After restarting, the agent will start responding in Telegram.

systemctl restart openclaw

Send your bot /start — and the agent will respond. Congratulations, OpenClaw is up and running!

Step 7. Configure Personality (Optional)

To make the agent "know" who it is and how to respond, create configuration files:

• AGENTS.md — general behavior and agent rules
• SOUL.md — character, tone, personality
• USER.md — information about the owner (you)

More on personality configuration in a separate article.