What Is OpenClaw?
The Complete Guide
Your computer. Your AI. No SaaS required.
We have spent months testing, breaking, and rebuilding OpenClaw workflows. Here is everything you need to know about the most exciting open-source AI agent platform available.
Our take in 30 seconds
What OpenClaw actually is.
In our experience, OpenClaw is the most capable open-source AI agent platform available right now. It runs on your computer or a server. You give it access to an AI model (Claude, GPT, Gemini, or a local model), and it becomes an autonomous agent. It can open a browser, read and write files, execute code, search the web, and communicate with you through Telegram, WhatsApp, Discord, Slack, or 24 other messaging channels. You talk to it like you would talk to a capable assistant. It figures out the steps, uses the tools it has, and reports back when it is done. You own the software, you pick the AI model, and the data never leaves your infrastructure unless you want it to.
Want to try it? Start here or jump straight to installation.
How it works
The architecture in four boxes.
After months of working with OpenClaw, here is the mental model that clicked for us. Everything flows through the Gateway.
Persistent Memory
Agents remember context across sessions using workspace markdown files.
Multi-Agent Routing
Run multiple specialized agents with isolated sessions and channel routing.
Model Failover
If one LLM provider goes down, OpenClaw automatically switches to a backup.
Understanding the architecture is one thing. Getting it running is another. The $19 workshop walks you through every layer in about 15 minutes.
Three mental models
How it's different.
We have used all three extensively. ChatGPT thinks. Zapier connects. OpenClaw operates. Here is why that distinction matters.
You type, it responds
- •Conversational AI. Great for brainstorming.
- •Cannot take actions in the real world.
- •No persistent memory between sessions.
- •You are always the human in the loop.
- •Runs on someone else's servers.
Trigger > action workflows
- •Connects apps through APIs.
- •Powerful for structured, repeatable flows.
- •Useless when an app has no API.
- •No intelligence. No judgment calls.
- •Costs scale per task.
Operates your computer
- •Uses a real browser. Clicks, types, reads.
- •Works with any software. API or not.
- •Persistent memory. Learns over time.
- •Runs autonomously or with your oversight.
- •Self-hosted. Flat cost. You own everything.
The backstory, as we saw it
From community rename to open-source movement.
OpenClaw started with a different name. In late 2025, the original project hit a trademark wall, and the community decided to rally rather than retreat. On January 27, 2026, hundreds of users gathered in Discord at 5 AM. Dozens of names were proposed. OpenClaw won, because lobsters molt to grow, and growth was exactly what was happening.
Three days later, on January 30, the migration was complete. In just 3 hours, the team renamed the GitHub organization, secured the X handle with a gold checkmark, published new npm packages, migrated the docs to docs.openclaw.ai, and updated every reference across the codebase. The community calls it The Great Molt.
Today, OpenClaw is fully open source under the MIT license. Anyone can inspect the code, fork it, or contribute. The project is maintained by a small team and a growing community of builders who believe AI agents should be owned by the people who use them, not rented from a SaaS dashboard.
The ecosystem
28 channels. 26+ providers.
We have tested OpenClaw across all 28 supported channels and a dozen LLM providers. Here is what the ecosystem looks like.
Messaging Channels
LLM Providers
Plus Moonshot, Xiaomi, Qianfan, GLM, Vercel AI Gateway, and more. Want to run completely local? Ollama gives you zero-API-cost agents.
Real workflows we have seen
What people actually use it for.
These are workflows our community members and customers have built. Our take: the browser automation is what makes OpenClaw uniquely powerful.
Inbox Triage and Reply Drafts
- Agent reads incoming emails via Gmail webhook
- Classifies each email by urgency and topic
- Drafts a reply for routine questions
- Sends you a Telegram summary with one-tap approve
Competitor Price Monitoring
- Cron job triggers agent every morning at 8 AM
- Agent opens competitor sites in isolated browser
- Extracts current pricing using page reading tools
- Writes a CSV and flags changes above 5%
Meeting Prep and Follow-Up
- Agent reads your calendar 30 minutes before each call
- Pulls LinkedIn profiles and recent emails for each attendee
- Sends a brief to your Telegram with key talking points
- After the meeting, drafts follow-up emails from your notes
Content Generation Pipeline
- You drop a topic and target keywords into a workspace file
- Agent researches via web search and browser reading
- Writes a blog draft, LinkedIn post, and tweet thread
- Saves all versions to files for your review
CRM Data Entry from Chat
- Agent listens in a WhatsApp group for deal updates
- Extracts client name, deal size, and next steps
- Opens your CRM in the browser and fills the record
- Sends confirmation back to the group
Daily Ops Dashboard
- Heartbeat template runs on gateway startup each morning
- Agent checks server health, email queue, and task backlog
- Compiles a plain-English status report
- Delivers it to Slack and a daily memory log file
Customer Onboarding Workflows
- Webhook fires when a new customer signs up
- Agent sends a welcome message via Telegram or WhatsApp
- Walks them through setup with an interactive Q&A flow
- Escalates to your team if they need custom help
Code Review and Documentation
- Agent monitors a GitHub repo for new PRs
- Reviews the diff, flags issues, and suggests improvements
- Generates or updates documentation for changed functions
- Posts the review summary as a PR comment
Want to build workflows like these? Skip the trial and error. The $19 workshop covers the setup step-by-step so you can start building on day one.
By the numbers
The platform at a glance.
Written by
Kevin Jeppesen
Founder, The Operator Vault
Kevin is an early OpenClaw adopter who has saved an estimated 400 to 500 hours through AI automation. He stress-tests new workflows daily, sharing what actually works through step-by-step guides and a security-conscious approach to operating AI with real tools.
Common questions
Frequently asked about OpenClaw.
See what OpenClaw
can do for you.
Our $19 workshop gets you from zero to a running agent in about 20 minutes. We walk you through install, configuration, and launching your first automation.