openclaw/docs/start/getting-started.md

summary, read_when, title

summary	read_when	title
Get OpenClaw installed and run your first chat in minutes.	First time setup from zero You want the fastest path to a working chat	Getting Started

Getting Started

Goal: go from zero to a first working chat with minimal setup.

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 gateway host. Docs: [Dashboard](/web/dashboard) and [Control UI](/web/control-ui).

Prereqs

• Node 24 recommended (Node 22 LTS, currently 22.16+, still supported for compatibility)
• An API key from a model provider (Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, etc.) — onboarding will prompt you for this

Check your Node version with `node --version` if you are unsure. Windows users: WSL2 is strongly recommended. See [Windows](/platforms/windows).

Quick setup (CLI)

```bash curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash ``` ```powershell iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1 | iex ```

<Note>
Other install methods and requirements: [Install](/install).
</Note>

```bash openclaw onboard --install-daemon ```

Onboarding configures auth, gateway settings, and optional channels.
See [Onboarding (CLI)](/start/wizard) for details.

If you installed the service, it should already be running:

```bash
openclaw gateway status
```

```bash openclaw dashboard ```

If the Control UI loads, your Gateway is ready.

The fastest way to chat is directly in the Control UI browser tab. Type a message and you should get an AI reply.

Want to chat from a messaging app instead? The fastest channel setup
is usually [Telegram](/channels/telegram) (just a bot token, no QR
pairing). See [Channels](/channels) for all options.

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.

Go deeper

Full CLI onboarding reference and advanced options. First run flow for the macOS app.

What you will have

• A running Gateway
• Auth configured
• Control UI access or a connected channel

Next steps

• DM safety and approvals: Pairing
• Connect more channels: Channels
• Advanced workflows and from source: Setup