What is Openclaw-
Openclaw is an open-source AI automation framework designed for developers. It allows users to build programmable AI workflows and run them on their own infrastructure.
How to use Openclaw-
Openclaw can be quickly installed using a shell script: curl -fsSL https://openclaw.im/install.sh | bash. For production environments, Docker or Kubernetes deployments are recommended, with Helm charts available.
Features of Openclaw-
- Programmable Workflow Engine: Define AI workflows using TypeScript or YAML, offering full programmatic control over triggers, conditions, and actions.
- Universal Message Router: Route messages across platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Slack, and iMessage through a unified API gateway.
- Transparent & Auditable: 100% open-source under the MIT license, allowing for code auditability without telemetry or hidden behaviors.
- Stateful Context Manager: Built-in session and context management for multi-turn conversations with pluggable backends (SQLite, PostgreSQL, Redis).
- Plugin Architecture: An extensible plugin system with over 50 built-in integrations, supporting custom plugins written in TypeScript and hot-reloading during development.
- Bring Your Own Model (BYOM): Connect to various AI model providers (OpenAI, Anthropic) or run local models via Ollama for offline operation.
Use Cases of Openclaw-
- Automating company operations, including scheduling and email responses.
- Building AI assistants that can perform actions rather than just providing information.
- Developing privacy-focused AI solutions by running models locally and keeping data within one's own infrastructure.
FAQ
- What is Openclaw? Openclaw is an open-source AI automation framework for developers, offering full control over AI workflows, source code access, and customization via TypeScript plugins.
- Who should use Openclaw? Developers and technical teams who need programmable AI automation, custom plugin development, and want to avoid vendor lock-in.
- How is Openclaw different from ChatGPT or Claude? ChatGPT and Claude are hosted AI services. Openclaw is a self-deployable framework that gives users control over their infrastructure, data, and underlying AI models.
- How do I install Openclaw?
Use the command:
curl -fsSL https://openclaw.im/install.sh | bash. Docker and Kubernetes options are also available. - Can I use Openclaw with local models? Yes, Openclaw supports Ollama for fully offline operation with models like Llama and Mistral, requiring no API keys.
- Is Openclaw free to use? Yes, Openclaw is free and open-source under the MIT license, with users only incurring compute costs for their own infrastructure or external AI model API fees.




