How to Deploy OpenClaw on ClawNest in 5 Minutes

Why Managed Hosting?

Self-hosting OpenClaw means setting up a VPS, installing Docker, configuring Node.js 22+, managing SSL certificates, setting up reverse proxies, and keeping everything patched and running. It's a multi-hour project for experienced Linux users — and an ongoing maintenance commitment.

With ClawNest, you skip all of that. Your OpenClaw instance runs on managed infrastructure in the EU (Sweden), with automatic backups, monitoring, and updates handled for you.

Here's how to go from zero to a running assistant in about 5 minutes.

What You'll Need

• An email address — for your ClawNest account
• An API key from Anthropic or OpenAI

That's it. No server, no Docker, no SSH keys, no domain name.

Getting an API Key

If you don't have an API key yet:

Anthropic (Claude) — recommended:

1. Go to console.anthropic.com
2. Create an account and add billing
3. Navigate to API Keys and create a new key
4. Copy it somewhere safe

OpenAI:

1. Go to platform.openai.com
2. Create an account and add billing
3. Navigate to API Keys and create a new key
4. Copy it somewhere safe

ClawNest uses BYOK (Bring Your Own Key) — you pay providers directly at their published rates. We add zero markup on AI tokens.

Step 1: Create Your ClawNest Account

Head to dash.clawnest.ai and sign up. The free trial gives you 3 days of full access with one AI assistant instance — no credit card required.

You'll get access to the full dashboard immediately after email verification.

Step 2: Create a New AI Assistant Instance

From the dashboard:

1. Click "New AI Assistant"
2. Give your instance a name (e.g., "Personal Assistant" or "Support AI Assistant")
3. Paste your API key
4. Select your preferred AI model

The dashboard validates your API key in real-time. If there's an issue with your key, you'll know immediately.

Step 3: Configure Your Assistant

Use the visual editor to customize your assistant's behavior:

Personality

Define how your assistant should behave. This is the system prompt that shapes every response. Examples:

• "You are a helpful personal assistant. Be concise and proactive."
• "You are a customer support agent for company. Always be professional and refer to the knowledge base."
• "You are a research analyst. Provide sourced, detailed answers."

Skills

Enable the capabilities your assistant needs:

• Web search — find information online
• File handling — read, write, and manage files
• Code execution — run code and scripts
• Calendar integration — manage schedules
• Email tools — draft and manage email

ClawNest provides access to curated skills from ClawHub, the OpenClaw skill registry with 5,700+ community-built extensions. Install any skill with a single click.

Rules and Guardrails

Set boundaries for what your assistant should and shouldn't do:

• Topics to avoid
• Response length limits
• Escalation rules (when to hand off to a human)
• Data handling policies

No coding required — everything is configured through the dashboard UI.

Step 4: Connect Channels (Optional)

If you want to reach your assistant through messaging platforms, connect one or more channels:

• WhatsApp — personal and business messaging
• Telegram — fast, lightweight chat
• Discord — community and team channels
• Slack — workplace integration
• Microsoft Teams — enterprise environments

Each channel has a guided setup flow in the dashboard. You can also skip this step and use the built-in WebChat interface to start chatting immediately.

Step 5: Deploy

Click "Deploy" and your assistant goes live. It's now running 24/7 on ClawNest infrastructure with:

• Automatic daily backups with one-click restore
• GUI access for configuration changes
• Status monitoring from the dashboard
• Auto-updates when new OpenClaw versions are released

Deployment typically takes under 30 seconds.

What Your €12/Month Gets You

On the Starter plan, you get:

Need more? The Pro plan (€25/mo) adds shell access, priority support, and advanced monitoring. The Team plan (€99/mo) includes multiple AI assistant instances and team management.

After Deployment

Once your assistant is running, here are some next steps:

Fine-Tune the Personality

Talk to your assistant and iterate on the system prompt. Most users refine the personality over the first few days as they discover what works best for their use case.

Add More Skills

Browse ClawHub from the dashboard and enable skills as you need them. Popular picks:

• google-calendar — schedule management
• web-search — real-time information lookup
• github — repository management and code review
• notion — knowledge base integration

Monitor Usage

Track your assistant's activity, response times, and API consumption from the dashboard. This helps you optimize model selection and control costs.

Scale Up

Need more AI assistants? Add them from €8/mo each as add-ons. Each additional AI assistant gets its own isolated instance with separate configuration and memory.

Troubleshooting

API Key Not Working

Make sure your API key is active and has sufficient credits with your provider. You can test the connection directly from the ClawNest dashboard.

AI Assistant Not Responding

Check the AI assistant status in your dashboard. If it shows as offline, try redeploying from the dashboard — it takes seconds. For persistent issues, check your API key balance.

Need Help?

Our primary support channel is Discord. The community and team are active and happy to help with setup questions. You can also reach us at [email protected].

Ready to start? Create your free account and have your OpenClaw assistant running in 5 minutes. For the detailed feature breakdown, visit our features page.