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OpenClaw getting started

Common first-run questions

Use this page when install or onboarding mostly worked, but you still feel unsure about what to do next or whether the system is behaving normally.

What this page is for Help users recover confidence without jumping straight into advanced troubleshooting.
Core first-run confusion points

The questions that usually come up

Question 1

I installed it. Why doesn’t it feel usable yet?

Install is only the first half. Most users still need onboarding: openclaw onboard --install-daemon.

Question 2

What should I do right after install?

openclaw onboard --install-daemon
openclaw gateway status
openclaw dashboard

That gets you from install to setup to verification to the actual interface.

Question 3

How do I know whether setup actually worked?

A believable first success usually means the gateway runs, the dashboard opens, and one small request works and feels grounded.

Question 4

What command should I remember first?

Remember: onboard, gateway status, status, dashboard, logs, and doctor.

Question 5

The install succeeded, but something still feels wrong.

openclaw status
openclaw logs --follow
openclaw doctor

Use evidence-first checks instead of random manual fixes.

When to go deeper

Stay in getting started until three things are true

  1. OpenClaw launches and feels basically real
  2. you completed one small useful workflow
  3. you know what kind of deeper task you want next
Simple routing shortcut

Choose the next docs lane by problem type

  • setup/auth/config is broken → config and troubleshooting docs
  • system is running but health/drift/stall is the problem → operations and health docs
  • want recurring/background workflows → automation docs
  • want website or browser control → browser docs
  • want OpenClaw to build helpers/tools → program-building docs