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Onboarding Wizard (CLI)

The onboarding wizard is the recommended way to set up OpenClaw on macOS, Linux, or Windows (via WSL2; strongly recommended). It configures a local Gateway or a remote Gateway connection, plus channels, skills, and workspace defaults in one guided flow. 
openclaw onboard
Fastest first chat: open the Control UI (no channel setup needed). Run openclaw dashboard and chat in the browser. Docs: Dashboard.
To reconfigure later: 
openclaw configure
openclaw agents add <name>
--json does not imply non-interactive mode. For scripts, use --non-interactive.
Recommended: set up a Brave Search API key so the agent can use web_search (web_fetch works without a key). Easiest path: openclaw configure --section web which stores tools.web.search.apiKey. Docs: Web tools.

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QuickStart vs Advanced

The wizard starts with QuickStart (defaults) vs Advanced (full control).
  • Local gateway (loopback)
  • Workspace default (or existing workspace)
  • Gateway port 18789
  • Gateway auth Token (auto‑generated, even on loopback)
  • Tailscale exposure Off
  • Telegram + WhatsApp DMs default to allowlist (you’ll be prompted for your phone number)

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What the wizard configures

Local mode (default) walks you through these steps:
  1. Model/Auth — Anthropic API key (recommended), OAuth, OpenAI, or other providers. Pick a default model.
  2. Workspace — Location for agent files (default ~/.openclaw/workspace). Seeds bootstrap files.
  3. Gateway — Port, bind address, auth mode, Tailscale exposure.
  4. Channels — WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Google Chat, Mattermost, Signal, BlueBubbles, or iMessage.
  5. Daemon — Installs a LaunchAgent (macOS) or systemd user unit (Linux/WSL2).
  6. Health check — Starts the Gateway and verifies it’s running.
  7. Skills — Installs recommended skills and optional dependencies.
Re-running the wizard does not wipe anything unless you explicitly choose Reset (or pass --reset). If the config is invalid or contains legacy keys, the wizard asks you to run openclaw doctor first.
Remote mode only configures the local client to connect to a Gateway elsewhere. It does not install or change anything on the remote host.

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Add another agent

Use openclaw agents add <name> to create a separate agent with its own workspace, sessions, and auth profiles. Running without --workspace launches the wizard. What it sets:
  • agents.list[].name
  • agents.list[].workspace
  • agents.list[].agentDir
Notes:
  • Default workspaces follow ~/.openclaw/workspace-<agentId>.
  • Add bindings to route inbound messages (the wizard can do this).
  • Non-interactive flags: --model, --agent-dir, --bind, --non-interactive.

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Full reference

For detailed step-by-step breakdowns, non-interactive scripting, Signal setup, RPC API, and a full list of config fields the wizard writes, see the Wizard Reference.