Your free automation platform — installed in 10 minutes, no coding required
Here is everything you need to follow this guide:
Not sure which Windows version you have? Press the Windows key, type "About your PC", and press Enter. It will show your Windows version.
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.
Node.js, the engine that powers OpenClaw, is also free and open-source. FREE FOREVER
| 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 PC. |
| PowerShell | Free | Already on your Windows PC. 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.
By the end of all 8 chapters, you will have Node.js installed, OpenClaw running, the dashboard open, an AI brain connected, and a clear plan for your first real automation. All on your Windows PC. All free.
Let us start with the good news: you probably already have everything. A Windows 10 or 11 computer, an internet connection, and about 15 minutes. That is the complete list.
1. A Windows 10 or Windows 11 computer. Desktop or laptop — both work. If your computer runs Windows 10 or newer, you are good.
2. An internet connection. You need the internet to download two free programs and to connect OpenClaw to an AI brain later. Wi-Fi, ethernet cable, or even a phone hotspot — any connection works.
3. About 15 minutes. That is it. No credit card. No special account. No tech background.
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 PC and you just open it whenever you want to build or run automations.
During this guide, you are going to use a program called PowerShell. It is already on your Windows computer. FREE FOREVER You do not need to download it.
Think of PowerShell like a text message conversation with your computer. Instead of clicking icons and dragging things around, you type a short command and press Enter. Your computer reads the command and does what you asked.
Important: You need to open PowerShell with "Administrator" powers. This means you are telling Windows "I am the owner of this computer, let me install things."
Click the Windows icon in the bottom-left corner of your screen (or bottom-center on Windows 11).
Just start typing. You will see Windows PowerShell appear in the search results.
Right-click on Windows PowerShell in the results. Choose "Run as administrator."
You will see a dark blue window with white text. At the top it will say "Administrator: Windows PowerShell." There will be a blinking cursor waiting for you to type.
PS C:\Windows\system32>. That is PowerShell telling you it is ready.Pro Tip: Do not be afraid of PowerShell. It cannot break your computer. If you type something wrong, it will just show an error message and wait for you to try again. Very patient.
By default, Windows blocks some commands for safety. We need to tell Windows it is okay to run our install commands. Type this command and press Enter:
If it asks you to confirm, type Y and press Enter.
You only need to do this once. After this guide, you can open a regular (non-administrator) PowerShell window for day-to-day OpenClaw use.
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.
Edge, Chrome, Firefox — any one works.
Type nodejs.org in the address bar and press Enter.
LTS stands for Long Term Support. This is the stable, tested version. Do not click "Current."
node-v22.x.x-x64.msi. You will see it at the bottom of your browser or in your Downloads folder.Double-click the .msi file. An installer window will appear.
Click Next on each screen. Accept the license agreement. Leave all the default settings as they are. Click Install. Windows might ask for permission — click Yes.
Go back to your PowerShell window. If you closed it, open a new one as Administrator (Chapter 2). Type this command and press Enter:
v22.14.0. If you see a number starting with "v," Node.js is installed.If you see an error: Close PowerShell completely and open a new one as Administrator. The installer sometimes needs a fresh window. Try node --version again.
You only install Node.js once. It stays on your PC 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 PowerShell, press Enter, and wait about 30 seconds.
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 it is still open from the last chapter, great. If not, follow the steps in Chapter 2 to open it again.
Copy and paste this exact command into PowerShell. 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 PowerShell window. This is normal. Do not close the window.
Type this command and press Enter:
0.42.0. If you see a number, OpenClaw is installed.Quick Win: You just installed a professional-grade automation platform with one command. A marketing department at a 300-person company would use this same tool to automate their email campaigns, report generation, and social media posting — all for free.
You only install once. To update OpenClaw later, run the same command: npm install -g openclaw.
npm install -g openclaw commandopenclaw --version and saw a version numberOpenClaw runs on your PC 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.
You can use a regular PowerShell window now (you do not need Administrator mode after the install). Click the Start button, type PowerShell, click Windows PowerShell.
Type this command and press Enter:
Open Edge, 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 PC — it does not send your data anywhere.
Important: Do not close the PowerShell window while you are using OpenClaw. PowerShell is the engine running in the background. If you close it, the dashboard will stop working. You can minimize it — just do not close it.
Pro Tip: Bookmark http://localhost:3000 in your browser. Every time you want to use OpenClaw: open PowerShell, type openclaw start, open your bookmark. Takes 10 seconds.
This is your daily startup routine. Open PowerShell, type openclaw start, open the browser. Same three steps every time.
openclaw start in PowerShelllocalhost: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 office on your first day. Before you start working, you find where the printer, the break room, and your desk 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 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 things worked. |
| 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." Look at the blank canvas. That is where you will build things starting in the next chapter.
Refer back to this chapter any time you forget where something is. Sidebar is your home base.
OpenClaw is the body. The AI brain is what makes it smart. Without an AI brain, OpenClaw can still send emails and move data. But with an AI brain, it can write, summarize, analyze, classify, and think.
An individual freelancer might connect OpenAI to draft client proposals. A small team of 10 might use Google Gemini to classify incoming support tickets. A department head at a mid-size company might connect Claude to summarize weekly reports for executives.
| 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 PC. 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 spend less than $5/month.
Start with the free credits. You will know if you need more long before you run out.
Go to platform.openai.com in your browser. Sign up for a free account. Click your profile icon, then API Keys. Click Create new secret key. Copy the key.
sk- followed by random characters.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.
In your dashboard, click Connections in the sidebar. Then click New Connection.
Scroll through the list or search. Click OpenAI.
Paste the key you copied. Click Save.
You only connect each AI brain once. After that, every automation you build can use it.
You have OpenClaw running on your Windows PC. This final chapter covers the most common Windows-specific issues and gives you a clear plan for what to build next.
| Problem | What Happens | How to Fix It |
|---|---|---|
| "node is not recognized" | PowerShell does not find Node.js | Close PowerShell and open a new one. If still broken, reinstall Node.js and make sure "Add to PATH" is checked in the installer. |
| "openclaw is not recognized" | PowerShell does not find OpenClaw | Run npm install -g openclaw again in an Administrator PowerShell. |
| "execution of scripts is disabled" | Windows is blocking the command | Run Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned (from Chapter 2). |
| Windows Firewall popup | Windows asks to allow network access | Click Allow access. OpenClaw needs to talk to your browser on localhost. |
| Dashboard will not load | Browser shows an error at localhost:3000 | Make sure PowerShell is still running openclaw start. If you closed it, reopen and run the command. |
| "port already in use" | Something else is using port 3000 | Try openclaw start --port 3001 and open localhost:3001 instead. |
| Antivirus blocks install | Your antivirus thinks npm is suspicious | Temporarily disable your antivirus, run the install, then re-enable it. Node.js and npm are safe and trusted by millions of developers. |
Warning: Windows PATH issues. If commands are "not recognized" after install, the fix is almost always: close PowerShell, open a new one. The installer adds Node.js to your system PATH, but existing windows do not pick it up until restarted.
To stop OpenClaw: Go to the PowerShell window where it is running and press Ctrl + C. 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 PC. Stopping and starting OpenClaw does not delete anything.
One command. Downloads the newest version. Your automations are not affected.
Action Step: Open your OpenClaw dashboard right now and click "New Automation." Build something real. The people who win with automation are the ones who actually use it. Every single day.
Come back to this troubleshooting section whenever something goes wrong. Follow the action plan this week to turn a one-time install into a permanent habit.
Bookmark this section. Come back every time you need a command.
| # | Task | Command | What It Does |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Allow scripts | Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned | Lets PowerShell run install commands (one-time) |
| 2 | Check Node.js | node --version | Shows which version of Node.js is installed |
| 3 | Install OpenClaw | npm install -g openclaw | Downloads and installs OpenClaw globally |
| 4 | Check OpenClaw | openclaw --version | Shows which version of OpenClaw is installed |
| 5 | Start OpenClaw | openclaw start | Launches the OpenClaw server and dashboard |
| 6 | Stop OpenClaw | Ctrl + C | Stops the running server (press in PowerShell) |
| 7 | Update OpenClaw | npm install -g openclaw@latest | Downloads the newest version |
| 8 | Use different port | openclaw start --port 3001 | Starts on port 3001 if 3000 is taken |
You now have OpenClaw installed and running on your Windows PC. 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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