Set Up OpenClaw on DigitalOcean

1Create a DigitalOcean account

DigitalOcean is one of the providers directly covered in the OpenClaw docs. Use it if you want a docs-backed VPS walkthrough.

The official docs show the $6/mo Basic Droplet as the baseline. Start bigger only if you expect multiple channels, heavy tools, or browser automation.

2Create a clean Ubuntu Droplet

In the DigitalOcean dashboard:

1. Click Create → Droplets
2. Choose Ubuntu 24.04 LTS as the image
3. Start with the Basic plan; the official guide uses $6/mo (1 vCPU / 1GB RAM) as the baseline
4. Choose a datacenter region closest to your users
5. Use an SSH key if possible; password authentication also works
6. Create the Droplet and note its public IP

Avoid one-click marketplace images unless you have reviewed their startup scripts and defaults.

3Connect to Your Droplet

Open a terminal and connect to your Droplet via SSH:

ssh root@YOUR_DROPLET_IP

Replace YOUR_DROPLET_IP with your actual Droplet IP address. Enter your root password when prompted.

4Install OpenClaw CLI

Update the machine and install OpenClaw using the official installer:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash
openclaw --version

5Run onboarding

Start the onboarding flow and install the Gateway service:

openclaw onboard --install-daemon

This is where you configure model auth, channels, and the gateway token.

6Open the dashboard securely

Prefer an SSH tunnel or Tailscale instead of exposing the Control UI publicly:

ssh -N -L 18789:127.0.0.1:18789 root@YOUR_DROPLET_IP
# Then open http://127.0.0.1:18789/ locally

7Verify the gateway and pair your first channel

Back on the Droplet, confirm the service and reopen the dashboard link when needed:

openclaw status
openclaw dashboard

Use `openclaw status` for a quick health check. If auth is required, paste the token into the Control UI settings.