Get Started with OpenClaw

Prerequisites

Before running OpenClaw commands, verify your local environment and provider access.

• Node.js 22+ installed
• npm, pnpm, or Corepack available
• Terminal access in your project directory
• API keys for providers used by your skills

Install and initialize

1. 1. Install the OpenClaw CLI

   Install the CLI globally so commands are available in your shell.

   npm install -g openclaw

2. 2. Create your first workspace

   Initialize a project folder for your first agent and baseline configuration.

   openclaw init my-agent

3. 3. Verify the install

   Check version and run diagnostics before using external providers.

   openclaw --version
   openclaw doctor

4. 4. Configure environment variables

   Add required API keys and secrets before running provider-backed skills.

   cp .env.example .env

Run your first task

Start with a narrow outcome so you can validate output quality and permissions before adding more skills.

openclaw run "summarize weekly product metrics"

Skill structure

Keep each skill in a consistent folder with clear usage docs and expected inputs/outputs.

skills/
  analytics-summary/
    SKILL.md
    assets/
    templates/

Recommended skills to explore

Use these lists to quickly find high-signal examples while learning OpenClaw conventions.

Frequently asked questions

Next steps

Continue with real examples, then publish internal standards for how your team writes and reviews skills.