Gia Openclaw Setup Guide

Guides users through installing OpenClaw, connecting messaging channels, configuring skills, setting up workflows, and troubleshooting common issues.

Security Scan

The instructions match a legitimate OpenClaw onboarding purpose, but they ask you to run a remote install script and install a daemon without providing provenance (homepage/source), which is risky — review before running.

Purpose & Capability

The skill's name, description, and runtime instructions align: it guides installing OpenClaw, connecting messaging channels, configuring skills, and setting up workflows. Required actions such as providing channel bot tokens and creating identity files are coherent with the stated purpose.

Instruction Scope

Instructions stay within setup/installation scope and do not ask for unrelated secrets or system reads. However the SKILL.md directly instructs running system-altering commands (curl|bash installer, sudo chown, installing a daemon, creating cron jobs), so the agent would be guided to perform privileged, persistent changes to the host.

Install Mechanism

The guide tells the user to run curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash. Piping an opaque remote script to a shell is a high-risk pattern because it executes code fetched at runtime without review. The domain appears to match the product name but the skill provides no repository, release URL, or homepage to verify the script's contents or integrity.

Credentials

The skill does not request unrelated environment variables or credentials. It expects users to provide channel-specific bot tokens when connecting Telegram/Discord/Slack, which is appropriate for the stated functionality.

Persistence & Privilege

The guide instructs installing a daemon (openclaw onboard --install-daemon) and configuring cron/heartbeats, which creates long-running, persistent behavior on the host. The skill itself is not marked always:true, but following these instructions installs persistent components — users should be aware of the runtime privileges and network access those components will have.

What to consider before installing

This guide appears internally consistent with an OpenClaw setup, but exercise caution before running the recommended install steps. Specifically: (1) Do not blindly run curl <remote-script> | bash — instead fetch the install.sh, inspect its contents, and verify its source (repository, release page, GPG checksum) or prefer an official package manager or documented release. (2) Installing a daemon and setting cron jobs gives persistent background access — review what the daemon installs, which files it writes (e.g., ~/.openclaw), and what network endpoints it contacts. (3) Limit bot tokens and use dedicated accounts with minimal permissions; don't reuse high-privilege credentials. (4) If unsure, run the installer in an isolated environment (VM/container) or request the install script/repo URL and a checksum so you can audit it. Providing the install.sh contents, a repository/homepage, or an official release URL would increase confidence.

OpenClaw Setup Guide Skill

Help users install and configure OpenClaw from scratch. Covers installation, channel connection, skill setup, and first automation workflow.

What This Skill Does

Guides a new OpenClaw user through:

1. Installing OpenClaw on their machine (Mac/Linux/Windows WSL)
2. Running the onboarding wizard
3. Connecting messaging channels (Telegram, Discord, WhatsApp, Slack)
4. Installing and configuring skills
5. Setting up their first automation workflow
6. Configuring heartbeats and cron jobs
7. Setting up memory and identity files

Usage

When a user asks for help setting up OpenClaw, follow these steps in order:

Step 1: System Check

# Check OS and prerequisites
uname -a
node --version  # Need Node.js 18+
git --version

Step 2: Install OpenClaw

curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash
openclaw onboard --install-daemon

Step 3: Connect a Channel

# For Telegram (most common)
openclaw channels add telegram
# Follow prompts for bot token from @BotFather

# For Discord
openclaw channels add discord
# Provide bot token from Discord Developer Portal

Step 4: Configure Identity

Create these files in the workspace:

• SOUL.md — Agent personality and behavior
• USER.md — Information about the human
• AGENTS.md — Operating procedures
• IDENTITY.md — Name, emoji, avatar

Step 5: Install Skills

# Browse available skills
openclaw skills search <keyword>

# Install a skill
openclaw skills install <skill-name>

Step 6: Set Up Automation

• Configure heartbeat interval in openclaw config
• Set up cron jobs for recurring tasks
• Create HEARTBEAT.md for proactive behaviors

Step 7: First Workflow Test

Send a message to your agent on the connected channel. Try:

• "Search the web for [topic]"
• "Read and summarize [file]"
• "Set a reminder for [time]"

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

• Node.js version too old: nvm install 22 && nvm use 22
• Permission denied: sudo chown -R $USER ~/.openclaw
• Bot not responding: Check openclaw status and openclaw gateway logs
• Channel connection failed: Verify token, check firewall/proxy settings

Requirements

• Node.js 18+ (22 recommended)
• 2GB RAM minimum
• macOS, Linux, or Windows with WSL2
• Internet connection for API calls

Cost

• OpenClaw itself: Free (open source)
• AI model API: ~$5-50/month depending on usage
• Hosting (optional): $5-20/month for always-on