File size: 3,340 Bytes
fc93158 | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 | ---
summary: "Get OpenClaw installed and run your first chat in minutes."
read_when:
- First time setup from zero
- You want the fastest path to a working chat
title: "Getting Started"
---
# Getting Started
Goal: go from zero to a first working chat with minimal setup.
<Info>
Fastest chat: open the Control UI (no channel setup needed). Run `openclaw dashboard`
and chat in the browser, or open `http://127.0.0.1:18789/` on the
<Tooltip headline="Gateway host" tip="The machine running the OpenClaw gateway service.">gateway host</Tooltip>.
Docs: [Dashboard](/web/dashboard) and [Control UI](/web/control-ui).
</Info>
## Prereqs
- Node 24 recommended (Node 22 LTS, currently `22.16+`, still supported for compatibility)
<Tip>
Check your Node version with `node --version` if you are unsure.
</Tip>
## Quick setup (CLI)
<Steps>
<Step title="Install OpenClaw (recommended)">
<Tabs>
<Tab title="macOS/Linux">
```bash
curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash
```
<img
src="/assets/install-script.svg"
alt="Install Script Process"
className="rounded-lg"
/>
</Tab>
<Tab title="Windows (PowerShell)">
```powershell
iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1 | iex
```
</Tab>
</Tabs>
<Note>
Other install methods and requirements: [Install](/install).
</Note>
</Step>
<Step title="Run the onboarding wizard">
```bash
openclaw onboard --install-daemon
```
The wizard configures auth, gateway settings, and optional channels.
See [Onboarding Wizard](/start/wizard) for details.
</Step>
<Step title="Check the Gateway">
If you installed the service, it should already be running:
```bash
openclaw gateway status
```
</Step>
<Step title="Open the Control UI">
```bash
openclaw dashboard
```
</Step>
</Steps>
<Check>
If the Control UI loads, your Gateway is ready for use.
</Check>
## Optional checks and extras
<AccordionGroup>
<Accordion title="Run the Gateway in the foreground">
Useful for quick tests or troubleshooting.
```bash
openclaw gateway --port 18789
```
</Accordion>
<Accordion title="Send a test message">
Requires a configured channel.
```bash
openclaw message send --target +15555550123 --message "Hello from OpenClaw"
```
</Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>
## Useful environment variables
If you run OpenClaw as a service account or want custom config/state locations:
- `OPENCLAW_HOME` sets the home directory used for internal path resolution.
- `OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR` overrides the state directory.
- `OPENCLAW_CONFIG_PATH` overrides the config file path.
Full environment variable reference: [Environment vars](/help/environment).
## Go deeper
<Columns>
<Card title="Onboarding Wizard (details)" href="/start/wizard">
Full CLI wizard reference and advanced options.
</Card>
<Card title="macOS app onboarding" href="/start/onboarding">
First run flow for the macOS app.
</Card>
</Columns>
## What you will have
- A running Gateway
- Auth configured
- Control UI access or a connected channel
## Next steps
- DM safety and approvals: [Pairing](/channels/pairing)
- Connect more channels: [Channels](/channels)
- Advanced workflows and from source: [Setup](/start/setup)
|