Your free automation platform — installed in 10 minutes, no coding required
Here is everything you need to follow this guide:
That is it. If you can type a web address, you can install OpenClaw.
OpenClaw is free and open-source. FREE FOREVER "Open-source" means the code is public. Anyone can look at it. No hidden fees. No trial that expires. No surprise charges.
Node.js, the engine that powers OpenClaw, is also free and open-source. FREE FOREVER
Here is the total cost breakdown:
| Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Node.js | Free | The engine. FREE FOREVER Open-source, trusted by millions. |
| OpenClaw | Free | The automation platform. FREE FOREVER Open-source, self-hosted on your Mac. |
| Terminal | Free | Already on your Mac. FREE FOREVER |
| AI Brain (optional) | Free tier available | OpenAI, Google, or others. Most have a free tier to start. |
AI provider API keys (like OpenAI) are free to sign up for, but usage beyond the free tier costs money. OpenAI gives you $5 of free credits when you sign up. Google Gemini has a generous free tier.
You can build and test automations without any AI key at all. Add one later when you are ready.
Bottom line: You will not spend a single dollar today. Everything in this guide is free.
Every chapter follows the same pattern. First, we explain what you are doing and why. Then, we walk you through how to do it — step by step, one click or one command at a time. We show you what you will see on screen at every stage so you never get lost.
By the end of all 8 chapters, you will have Node.js installed, OpenClaw running, the dashboard open, an AI brain connected, and your first test automation completed. All on your Mac. All free.
Good news — you probably already have everything you need sitting on your desk right now. A Mac, an internet connection, and about 15 minutes. That is the complete shopping list.
1. A Mac computer. Any Mac that still receives software updates will work. MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac Mini, Mac Studio, Mac Pro — all fine. It does not matter if your Mac has an Intel chip or one of Apple's newer M1, M2, M3, M4, or M5 chips. OpenClaw runs on all of them.
2. An internet connection. You need the internet to download two free programs and to connect OpenClaw to an AI brain later. Wi-Fi or an ethernet cable — either one works.
3. About 15 minutes of your time. That is it. No credit card, no special account, no tech degree.
You are going to use an app called Terminal during this guide. Terminal is already on your Mac. FREE FOREVER You do not need to download it.
Think of Terminal like a text message conversation with your computer. Instead of tapping icons and clicking buttons, you type a short command and press Enter. Your computer reads the command and does what you asked. That is all Terminal is — a place to type instructions.
Pro Tip: Do not be afraid of Terminal. It cannot break your computer. If you type something wrong, it will just say "command not found" and wait for you to try again. It is very patient.
We are going to install two free programs:
That is the entire plan. Two programs, both free, both safe. Let us start.
You only need to install once. After that, OpenClaw lives on your Mac and you just open it whenever you want to build or run automations.
Node.js is a free program made by a huge community of developers. Thousands of tools on the internet depend on it. It is one of the most popular and trusted programs in the world. OpenClaw is built on top of Node.js, so we need to install it first.
Analogy: If OpenClaw is a car, Node.js is the engine. You cannot drive a car without an engine. You cannot run OpenClaw without Node.js.
Safari, Chrome, Firefox — any one works. This is the app you use to visit websites.
Type nodejs.org in the address bar at the top of your browser. Press Enter.
LTS stands for Long Term Support. This is the stable, tested version. Do not click "Current" — that is for advanced developers testing new features.
node-v22.x.x.pkg. You will see it at the bottom of your browser window or in your Downloads folder.Double-click the .pkg file in your Downloads folder. A friendly installer window will appear.
Click Continue on each screen. Click Agree when it shows the license. Click Install. Your Mac might ask for your password — type it and click Install Software.
Open Terminal (remember: Command + Space, type "Terminal," press Enter). Then type this command and press Enter:
v22.14.0. The exact number does not matter. If you see a number starting with "v," Node.js is installed.If you see "command not found": Close Terminal completely (Command + Q) and open it again. Then try the node --version command one more time. The installer sometimes needs a fresh Terminal window to take effect.
You only install Node.js once. It stays on your Mac until you remove it. No maintenance needed.
node --version and saw a version numberNow that Node.js is installed, installing OpenClaw takes one single command. You type it into Terminal, press Enter, and wait about 30 seconds. That is it.
Node.js came with a tool called npm (Node Package Manager). Think of npm like an app store for developer tools. You are going to use it to download and install OpenClaw.
If Terminal is still open from the last chapter, great. If not, press Command + Space, type Terminal, press Enter.
Copy and paste this exact command into Terminal. Then press Enter.
npm is the app store. install means download and set up. -g means install it globally (so you can use it from anywhere). openclaw is the name of the program.You will see text scrolling in the Terminal window. This is normal. It is downloading files and setting things up. Do not close the window.
Type this command and press Enter:
0.42.0. If you see a number, OpenClaw is installed.If you see a "permission denied" error: Try the command again with sudo in front of it: sudo npm install -g openclaw. It will ask for your Mac password. Type it (you will not see the characters appear — that is normal) and press Enter.
Quick Win: You just installed a professional-grade automation platform with one command. Many freelancers and agencies pay hundreds of dollars a month for tools that do less than what OpenClaw does for free.
You only install once. To update OpenClaw later, run the same command: npm install -g openclaw. It will download the latest version.
npm install -g openclaw commandopenclaw --version and saw a version numberOpenClaw runs on your Mac and gives you a visual dashboard in your web browser. Think of it like a control center where you build and manage your automations by dragging and dropping pieces together. No code. Just point, click, and connect.
Press Command + Space, type Terminal, press Enter. (You might already have it open.)
Type this command and press Enter:
Open Safari, Chrome, or Firefox. Type this address in the address bar and press Enter:
The first time you open the dashboard, it will ask you to create an account. Pick an email and password. This account is local to your Mac — it does not send your data anywhere.
Pro Tip: Bookmark http://localhost:3000 in your browser. That way you can get back to your dashboard with one click. Just remember: Terminal needs to be running the openclaw start command for the dashboard to work.
Important: Do not close the Terminal window while you are using OpenClaw. Terminal is the engine running in the background. If you close it, the dashboard will stop working. You can minimize the Terminal window — just do not close it.
Every time you want to use OpenClaw: open Terminal, type openclaw start, open your browser to localhost:3000. That is your daily startup routine. Takes 10 seconds.
openclaw start in Terminallocalhost:3000Before you build anything, take 60 seconds to learn where things are. The OpenClaw dashboard has a few key areas. Once you know them, everything else makes sense.
Analogy: This is like walking into a new kitchen. Before you cook, you find where the knives, pots, and stove are. Same idea.
| Area | Where It Is | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| Sidebar | Left side of the screen | Your main menu. Links to Automations, Connections, Runs, and Settings. |
| Automations | Sidebar → Automations | Where you build and manage your automations. This is where you will spend most of your time. |
| Connections | Sidebar → Connections | Where you link OpenClaw to other apps and AI brains. Gmail, Slack, OpenAI, Google Sheets — all go here. |
| Runs | Sidebar → Runs | A log of every time an automation has run. Great for checking if something worked or finding errors. |
| Settings | Bottom of the sidebar | Account settings, appearance, and advanced options. |
Every automation in OpenClaw has three parts:
You build automations by dragging and dropping these pieces on a visual canvas. No typing code. Just connecting boxes with lines.
Quick Win: Click "Automations" in the sidebar right now. Then click "New Automation." You will see the blank canvas where you build things. Take a look, then come back here for the next chapter.
Refer back to this chapter any time you forget where something is. The sidebar is your home base. Automations, Connections, Runs, Settings — everything lives there.
OpenClaw is the body. The AI brain is what makes it smart. Without an AI brain, OpenClaw can still do things like send emails and move data around. But with an AI brain, it can write, summarize, analyze, classify, and think.
A department manager at a mid-size company might connect OpenAI to summarize weekly reports automatically. A freelance writer might use Google Gemini to generate first drafts. The brain you pick depends on what you want to build.
| AI Provider | Cost | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| OpenAI (GPT-4o) | Free $5 credit, then pay-as-you-go | Writing, summarizing, customer service, general tasks |
| Google Gemini | Free tier available | Analysis, document processing, multilingual tasks |
| Anthropic (Claude) | Free tier available | Long documents, careful analysis, coding help |
| Ollama (local) | Free forever | Privacy-focused. Runs entirely on your Mac. No data leaves your computer. FREE FOREVER |
OpenAI gives you $5 of free credits when you sign up. After that, you pay per use (about $0.01–$0.03 per request). Most individuals and small teams spend less than $5/month.
Start with the free credits. You will know if you need more long before you run out.
Pro Tip: If you are not sure which one to pick, start with OpenAI. It is the most popular and has the most tutorials online. You can always add more brains later.
Go to platform.openai.com in your browser. Sign up for a free account (or log in if you already have one). Click your profile icon, then click API Keys. Click Create new secret key. Copy the key — it looks like a long string of random letters and numbers.
sk- followed by random characters. Copy it. You will paste it in the next step.Important: Treat your API key like a password. Do not share it. Do not post it online. If someone gets your key, they can use your account and you will be charged for their usage.
In your OpenClaw dashboard, click Connections in the sidebar. Then click New Connection.
Scroll through the list or use the search bar. Click OpenAI.
Paste the key you copied in Step 1. Click Save.
You only connect each AI brain once. After that, every automation you build can use it. You can connect multiple brains and pick which one to use for each automation.
Time to make sure everything works. You are going to build the simplest possible automation: a button that asks AI to write something, then shows you the result. It takes about 60 seconds to build.
Think of this like turning the key in a new car for the first time. You are not driving anywhere yet. You just want to hear the engine start.
In the sidebar, click Automations, then click the New Automation button.
Click the trigger block (the first block on the canvas). Select Manual Trigger from the list. This means the automation runs when you click a button — not on a schedule or in response to an event.
Click the + button below the trigger. Search for OpenAI (or whichever AI brain you connected). Select it. Choose the Ask AI or Generate Text action.
In the prompt field, type something simple. Here is a good test:
Look for a Test button in the top right corner of the canvas. Click it.
Quick Win: You just built and ran an AI automation in under 60 seconds. An operations team at a 200-person company would use this same pattern to summarize meeting notes, draft status updates, or generate weekly reports — all on autopilot.
Any time you set up a new AI connection or update OpenClaw, run this quick test to make sure everything is still working. It takes 30 seconds and gives you peace of mind.
You have OpenClaw running on your Mac. This final chapter covers the most common issues people run into and gives you a clear plan for what to build next.
Most people install a tool, feel excited, and then never build anything real. The action plan at the bottom makes sure that does not happen to you.
| Problem | What Happens | How to Fix It |
|---|---|---|
| "command not found: node" | Terminal does not recognize Node.js | Close Terminal (Command + Q) and open it again. If still broken, reinstall Node.js from nodejs.org. |
| "command not found: openclaw" | Terminal does not recognize OpenClaw | Run npm install -g openclaw again. If you get a permission error, add sudo in front. |
| "permission denied" error | Your Mac is blocking the install | Run sudo npm install -g openclaw and type your Mac password when asked. |
| Dashboard will not load | Browser shows an error at localhost:3000 | Make sure Terminal is still running openclaw start. If you closed it, open Terminal and run the command again. |
| AI step shows an error | The AI brain is not responding | Check your API key in Connections. Make sure it is correct and your account has credits. |
| "port already in use" | Something else is using port 3000 | Try openclaw start --port 3001 and open localhost:3001 in your browser instead. |
Warning: Do not share your API keys. If you post your API key in a forum, on social media, or in a screenshot, someone can use your account and you will be charged. Treat API keys like passwords.
To stop OpenClaw: Go to the Terminal window where it is running and press Control + C. (That is the Control key, not the Command key.) The dashboard will stop working.
To start it again: Type openclaw start and press Enter. Open your browser to localhost:3000.
Pro Tip: Your automations and settings are saved on your Mac. Stopping and starting OpenClaw does not delete anything. It is like turning off your computer and turning it back on — everything is still there.
OpenClaw is updated regularly with new features. To get the latest version, run this command:
That is it. One command. It downloads the newest version and replaces the old one. Your automations are not affected.
Action Step: Open your OpenClaw dashboard right now and click "New Automation." Build something real. Even a small one. The people who win with automation are not the ones who understand the technology best. They are the ones who actually use it. Every single day.
Come back to this troubleshooting section whenever something goes wrong. And follow the action plan this week — it turns a one-time install into a permanent habit that saves you hours every week.
Bookmark this section. Come back every time you need a command.
| # | Task | Command | What It Does |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Check Node.js | node --version | Shows which version of Node.js is installed |
| 2 | Install OpenClaw | npm install -g openclaw | Downloads and installs OpenClaw globally |
| 3 | Check OpenClaw | openclaw --version | Shows which version of OpenClaw is installed |
| 4 | Start OpenClaw | openclaw start | Launches the OpenClaw server and dashboard |
| 5 | Stop OpenClaw | Control + C | Stops the running server (press in Terminal) |
| 6 | Update OpenClaw | npm install -g openclaw@latest | Downloads the newest version |
| 7 | Use different port | openclaw start --port 3001 | Starts on port 3001 if 3000 is taken |
| 8 | Fix permissions | sudo npm install -g openclaw | Installs with admin access (asks for your password) |
You now have OpenClaw installed and running on your Mac. Here are three ways to keep building:
Our recommendation: When connecting an AI model to OpenClaw, we recommend Claude by Anthropic. It follows instructions precisely, handles structured data well, and takes your privacy seriously. You're welcome to use any AI tool — ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity all work great. But if you want our honest pick, try Claude.
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