Deploy OpenClaw
Pick your deployment. Both paths get you to the same place — a running, Discord-connected OpenClaw agent. The cloud path costs nothing upfront and proves the concept. The local path costs ~$300 once and pays for itself in months.
AWS EC2 Setup
Spin up a free-tier EC2 instance, harden SSH, and deploy OpenClaw. Connect it to Discord and ChatGPT. 24/7 uptime with no hardware sitting on your desk. Start here if you want to prove the concept before buying anything.
Start Tutorial →Mini PC Setup
OpenClaw natively on a dedicated mini PC or home server. No cloud bills, full hardware control, and your data never leaves your home. The setup that pays for itself within the year.
Start Tutorial →Level Up
Getting OpenClaw running is step one. These guides are what separate a generic AI chatbot from a personal agent that knows you, protects your credentials, and gets better the longer you use it.
Memory Architecture
Out of the box, your agent knows nothing about you. Memory files change that. Configure SOUL.md, AGENTS.md, USER.md, and more to build an agent that remembers your preferences, matches your style, and follows your rules.
Start Tutorial →Skills & Slash Commands
Memory files teach your agent who you are. Skills teach it what to do.
Build a /status health check, a /deploy-check
pre-flight, install the best community skills, and unlock the power of
/batch parallel execution.
Hooks
Skills tell your agent what to do. Hooks enforce what it must and must not do.
Get notified when Claude needs input, protect .env from ever
being touched, auto-format every file it writes, and block any task from
completing until tests pass.
Securing Your Secrets
API keys in plaintext config files have already burned thousands of people. Learn how credentials actually get stolen, move your secrets to environment variables, lock down file permissions, and run OpenClaw's security audit.
Read Guide →Build Your Local AI Stack
Stop renting intelligence. Run real LLMs on your own hardware — no API fees, no data leaving your machine, no monthly bills. Install Ollama, pull your first model, and wire it directly into OpenClaw. More coming: Dynamic DNS, model fine-tuning, home lab expansion.
🖥️ Requires local hardware — follow the Mini PC Setup tutorial first if you haven't already.
Ollama Basics
Install Ollama and run your first local language model. Mistral 7B runs well on modern CPUs. No API keys, no internet required, no monthly bills.
Start Tutorial →Ollama Advanced
Tune parameters, benchmark your hardware, run multiple models, and wire Ollama directly into OpenClaw. Local AI and your agent become one system.
Start Tutorial →💡 The whole point: Go through these tutorials in order. Understand what you're building before you buy expensive hardware. Once you've proven the concept and have a real use case — then invest in a souped-up machine or a production server. Don't spend $1,000+ to learn on. Earn it first.