How to Install OpenClaw with Docker (Step-by-Step) | Code Boost
Description: What This Guide Covers This guide walks through installing OpenClaw using Docker , the easiest and most reliable way to run it locally. By the end of this guide you'll have: OpenCl...

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# How to Install OpenClaw with Docker (Step-by-Step)

By Matt · Mar 6, 2026

##

## What This Guide Covers

This guide walks through installing OpenClaw using Docker, the easiest and most reliable way to run it locally.

By the end of this guide you'll have:

- OpenClaw running in a Docker container

- The gateway configured

- Your first agent ready to connect to AI providers

This method works on:

- macOS

- Linux

- Windows (WSL2)

- Synology / NAS environments that support Docker

# What OpenClaw Actually Installs

Before installing, it helps to understand what you're running.

OpenClaw consists of three main pieces:

Component | What it does
--- | ---
Gateway | The core service that runs the agent
Workspace | The environment where the agent performs tasks
AI Provider | The model powering the agent (OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.)

Docker packages these pieces into a container so you don’t need to manually install dependencies.

# Requirements

Before installing OpenClaw you need:

### 1. Docker installed

Check if Docker is installed:

docker --version

If it isn't installed yet:

- macOS / Windows → Install Docker Desktop

- Linux → Install Docker Engine

Minimum recommended system:

Resource | Recommendation
--- | ---
RAM | 8GB
CPU | 4 cores
Disk | 10GB free

OpenClaw can run on less, but builds may take longer.

# Step 1 — Clone the OpenClaw Repository

##

Download the project from GitHub.

git clone https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw.git cd openclaw

This repository includes:

- Docker configuration

- setup scripts

- onboarding tools

- environment configuration

# Step 2 — Run the Docker Setup Script

The easiest way to install OpenClaw is using the included setup script.

./docker-setup.sh

This script automatically:

- Builds or pulls the OpenClaw Docker image

- Starts the Docker containers

- Runs onboarding

- Creates the `.env` configuration file

- Generates your gateway token

You do not need to manually run Docker commands.

# Optional: Use the Prebuilt Image (Faster)

If you want to avoid building locally, you can use the official container image.

OPENCLAW_IMAGE=ghcr.io/openclaw/openclaw:latest ./docker-setup.sh

This can save several minutes during installation.

# Step 3 — Complete Onboarding

During setup you’ll be asked to configure your AI provider.

Common choices:

Provider | Notes
--- | ---
OpenAI | Most widely used
Anthropic | Often better for reasoning
Local models | Possible but requires more setup

You will typically enter an API key.

Example:

OPENAI_API_KEY=your_key_here

# Step 4 — Start the Gateway

Once setup finishes, start OpenClaw.

docker compose up -d

This launches the gateway container in the background.

# Step 5 — Verify OpenClaw Is Running

Check container status:

docker ps

You should see something like:

openclaw-gateway

If it is running, the installation succeeded.

You can also check logs:

docker logs openclaw-gateway

# Where OpenClaw Stores Data

By default OpenClaw stores data inside the container.

For persistent data, you can mount a workspace folder.

Example:

./workspace:/workspace

This allows agents to keep files between restarts.

# Updating OpenClaw

To update OpenClaw later:

git pull docker compose pull docker compose up -d

# Troubleshooting

## Docker build fails

Try using the prebuilt image:

OPENCLAW_IMAGE=ghcr.io/openclaw/openclaw:latest ./docker-setup.sh

## Container stops immediately

Check logs:

docker logs openclaw-gateway

Most failures come from:

- missing API keys

- incorrect environment variables

- port conflicts

## Out of memory errors

OpenClaw builds can require several gigabytes of RAM.

Try increasing Docker memory limits or using the prebuilt image.

# Optional Advanced Setup

Advanced users may want to enable:

- sandbox mode

- browser automation

- persistent workspaces

- multi-agent orchestration

These require additional Docker configuration.

# Final Thoughts

Installing OpenClaw with Docker removes most of the complexity of dependency management. Once running, you can begin experimenting with autonomous agents, automation workflows, and AI-driven tasks.