OpenClaw: Your Private AI Assistant

OpenClaw is your own AI assistant — a private, ChatGPT-style dashboard powered by Claude and GPT, running entirely on your hTech VPS. Chat with it in your browser, or connect a messaging app and talk to it from your phone. Your conversations and API keys stay on your server. It's the friendly, no-terminal way to put Claude Code and Codex to work.

What you get

• A private AI dashboard — a web chat like ChatGPT, but it's yours and runs on your VPS.
• The best models — use Claude (Anthropic) and/or GPT (OpenAI) with your own API key.
• Your data stays yours — conversations and keys live on your server, not ours or a third party's.
• Optional: chat from your phone — connect Telegram, WhatsApp, Slack or Discord and message your assistant anywhere.
• Real capabilities — it can browse the web, run tools/skills and act as an agent, not just answer questions.

Before you start

• A hTech Cloud VPS on unmanaged Ubuntu (22.04/24.04), with at least 2 GB RAM and 20 GB disk. The order form sizes this for you automatically.
• An AI provider key (recommended) — an Anthropic (Claude) or OpenAI (GPT) API key. You can paste it during install and be chatting in minutes. No key handy? You can still install and add one afterwards — see Get an AI key.
• Your server root password — used once to install, then discarded (our access is removed after setup).

Install OpenClaw

Pick OpenClaw when you order a VPS, or add it to a VPS you already have from the Client Area (open your VPS service → Installed Applications).

Installing OpenClaw with an optional API key

• 1
  Choose OpenClaw from the app menu (under AI & Automation).
• 2
  Add an API key (recommended). Paste an Anthropic and/or OpenAI key and your assistant works the moment it's installed. Leave both blank to add one later.
• 3
  Root password — used once over SSH to install, then our access is removed. It's never stored.

Installation takes a few minutes (it downloads and starts OpenClaw). The panel auto-refreshes; when it reads Active your dashboard link and login token appear.

First login

On the Active OpenClaw card you'll see a Dashboard URL and a Control UI token.

The OpenClaw card once it's running

1. Open the Dashboard URL in your browser.
2. Paste the Control UI token when asked (click Show on the card to reveal it, then copy it into the dashboard's login / Settings).
3. Type a message in the chat. If you get a reply, everything's working. ?

Get an AI key (Claude or OpenAI)

OpenClaw uses your AI account, so you're in full control of usage and cost. Getting a key takes a minute:

• Claude (Anthropic): sign in at console.anthropic.com → API Keys → Create Key. Keys start with sk-ant-.
• GPT (OpenAI): sign in at platform.openai.com → API keys → Create new secret key. Keys start with sk-.

Add your key — two easy ways (no command line)

• At install — paste it into the wizard and you're ready the moment it's installed.
• Any time after install — on the OpenClaw card in your Client Area, click AI keys & settings, paste your key, and hit Save settings. We store it on your server, switch OpenClaw to use it, and restart the app for you.

Adding an AI key after install — right from your Client Area

Add just one provider or both — with both keys you can switch between Claude and GPT in the dashboard.

Use it from your phone (optional)

Want to message your assistant from Telegram, WhatsApp, Slack or Discord instead of the browser? OpenClaw supports all of them. The easiest is Telegram:

1. In Telegram, message @BotFather, send /newbot, and follow the prompts. It gives you a bot token.
2. Send us that token (support ticket) — we connect it to your OpenClaw and approve the pairing.
3. Message your new bot in Telegram — you're now chatting with your AI from your phone.

Put it on your own domain (free HTTPS)

By default the dashboard answers on your server's IP over plain http. To use your own domain with a padlock:

1. At your DNS provider, point an A record (e.g. ai.yourdomain.com) to your VPS IP.
2. On the OpenClaw card, click Add HTTPS, enter the domain, and submit with your root password.

We issue a free auto-renewing certificate and reconfigure OpenClaw to trust the new address automatically — your dashboard is then at https://ai.yourdomain.com.

Manage it

Everything is on the OpenClaw card in your Client Area:

Action	What it does
AI keys & settings	Add or update your Anthropic/OpenAI API key after install (see Get an AI key). We apply it and restart the app.
Restart	Restarts OpenClaw if it's sluggish or shows Not responding. Your data is untouched.
Backup now / Backups	Snapshot your OpenClaw config and conversations; download, restore or delete backups. Stored on your VPS — download a copy for off-server safety.
Add / Remove HTTPS	Put it on your domain with a free certificate, or revert to plain HTTP.
Health badge	Online = we reached it in the last check; red = not responding (try Restart).
Remove	Uninstalls OpenClaw from the server (optionally deleting its backups).

Troubleshooting

The dashboard won't load / I get a connection error

• Give it a minute after install and let the panel auto-refresh — it may still be starting.
• Make sure you're using the exact Dashboard URL from the card (including the :18789 port if you haven't added a domain yet).
• Click Restart on the card, then reload.

It loads but won't accept my token

Copy the Control UI token fresh from the card (click Show), with no extra spaces. Paste it into the dashboard's login / Settings field. If you've re-installed, the token changes — always use the current one on the card.

I can chat but get "no model" or "add an API key"

No AI key is configured yet. On the OpenClaw card in your Client Area, click AI keys & settings, paste an Anthropic or OpenAI key, and hit Save settings — we apply it and restart the app. See Get an AI key for where to get one.

After adding my domain, the dashboard shows an error

We automatically tell OpenClaw to trust the new HTTPS address when you add a certificate. If it still misbehaves, wait a minute for it to restart, clear your browser cache, and reload https://yourdomain. Still stuck? Open a ticket.

My Telegram/WhatsApp bot isn't responding

Channels need a bot token and a one-time pairing approval on the server. If you set it up yourself and messages aren't coming through, open a ticket with the app name and we'll check the pairing.

FAQ

Question	Answer
Do I need to know how to code?	No. Install it, open the dashboard, and chat. Connecting phone messengers is the only step that's a bit more involved — and we can do that for you.
Does it cost extra to use Claude/GPT?	You use your own AI account, so model usage is billed by Anthropic/OpenAI directly — you control it. The VPS is your only hTech cost.
Where do my conversations live?	On your VPS only. We don't hold copies. Download backups for off-server safety.
Can I use both Claude and GPT?	Yes — add both keys and switch models in the dashboard.
Is it really "Claude Code" and "Codex"?	OpenClaw runs those AI coding agents under the hood, so you get their power through a friendly chat interface instead of a terminal.
Can I move it to my own domain later?	Yes, any time — see Your own domain + HTTPS.