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Source-grounded rewrite of 529 published docs pages with per-unit information-loss verification: 1,713 factual corrections cited to src/**, generated surfaces regenerated, frontmatter titles preserved for i18n, release notes pages untouched. All docs gates green. Closes #100141
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| summary | read_when | title | |
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| OpenClaw is a multi-channel gateway for AI agents that runs on any OS. |
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OpenClaw |
OpenClaw 🦞
"EXFOLIATE! EXFOLIATE!" — A space lobster, probably
Any OS gateway for AI agents across Discord, Google Chat, iMessage, Matrix, Microsoft Teams, Signal, Slack, Telegram, WhatsApp, Zalo, and more.
Send a message, get an agent response from your pocket. Run one Gateway across channel plugins, WebChat, and mobile nodes.
What is OpenClaw?
OpenClaw is a self-hosted gateway that connects your favorite chat apps — Discord, Google Chat, iMessage, Matrix, Microsoft Teams, Signal, Slack, Telegram, WhatsApp, Zalo, and more via channel plugins — to AI coding agents. You run a single Gateway process on your own machine (or a server), and it becomes the bridge between your messaging apps and an always-available AI assistant.
Who is it for? Developers and power users who want a personal AI assistant they can message from anywhere — without giving up control of their data or relying on a hosted service.
What makes it different?
- Self-hosted: runs on your hardware, your rules
- Multi-channel: one Gateway serves every configured channel plugin simultaneously
- Agent-native: built for coding agents with tool use, sessions, memory, and multi-agent routing
- Open source: MIT licensed, community-driven
What do you need? Node 24 (recommended), or Node 22 LTS (22.19+) for compatibility, an API key from your chosen provider, and 5 minutes. For best quality and security, use the strongest latest-generation model available.
How it works
flowchart LR
A["Chat apps + plugins"] --> B["Gateway"]
B --> C["OpenClaw agent"]
B --> D["CLI"]
B --> E["Web Control UI"]
B --> F["macOS app"]
B --> G["iOS and Android nodes"]
The Gateway is the single source of truth for sessions, routing, and channel connections.
Key capabilities
Discord, iMessage, Signal, Slack, Telegram, WhatsApp, WebChat, and more with a single Gateway process. Channel plugins add Matrix, Nostr, Twitch, Zalo, and more; official plugins install on demand. Isolated sessions per agent, workspace, or sender. Send and receive images, audio, and documents. Browser dashboard for chat, config, sessions, and nodes. Pair iOS and Android nodes for Canvas, camera, and voice-enabled workflows.Quick start
```bash npm install -g openclaw@latest ``` ```bash openclaw onboard --install-daemon ``` Open the Control UI in your browser and send a message:```bash
openclaw dashboard
```
Or connect a channel ([Telegram](/channels/telegram) is fastest) and chat from your phone.
Need the full install and dev setup? See Getting Started.
Dashboard
Open the browser Control UI after the Gateway starts.
- Local default: http://127.0.0.1:18789/
- Remote access: Web surfaces and Tailscale
Configuration (optional)
Config lives at ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json.
- If you do nothing, OpenClaw uses the bundled OpenClaw agent runtime; DMs share the agent's main session, and each group chat gets its own session.
- If you want to lock it down, start with
channels.whatsapp.allowFromand (for groups) mention rules.
Example:
{
channels: {
whatsapp: {
allowFrom: ["+15555550123"],
groups: { "*": { requireMention: true } },
},
},
messages: { groupChat: { mentionPatterns: ["@openclaw"] } },
}