Implementation Guide

OpenClaw Setup Guide

Replicable implementation template for business support model. Transform your workflow with agentic AI systems.

⏱️ 2-3 hours setup 📅 March 2026 💰 $50-200/mo 🔧 Intermediate

Overview

This guide documents the exact order and steps for implementing OpenClaw as a personal agentic AI system. Use this as a template for helping others deploy OpenClaw for their own products and services.

Setup Time
2-3 hrs
Daily Maintenance
30 min
Monthly Cost
$50-200
Skill Level
Int.

Required Accounts

Create these accounts before starting:

Service Purpose Cost
Anthropic Claude API (premium model) Pay-per-use
Moonshot Kimi API (primary model) Pay-per-use
Telegram Primary messaging channel Free
Slack Secondary/team channel Free tier
Brave Web search API Free (2000/mo)
Google Gmail/Calendar/Drive Free

Pro tip: Start with free tiers. Scale up as usage grows.

1
Prerequisites
15 minutes

System Requirements

2
Core Installation
20 minutes

Install OpenClaw CLI

# Install via npm
npm install -g openclaw

# Or use pnpm
pnpm install -g openclaw

# Verify installation
openclaw --version

Initialize Configuration

# Create config directory
mkdir -p ~/.openclaw

# Run initial setup wizard
openclaw doctor

Configure API Keys

# Create environment file
touch ~/.openclaw/.env

# Add your keys
cat > ~/.openclaw/.env << 'EOF'
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...
MOONSHOT_API_KEY=sk-...
BRAVE_API_KEY=BSAT...
GOOGLE_API_KEY=AIza...
TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=...
SLACK_BOT_TOKEN=xoxb-...
SLACK_APP_TOKEN=xapp-...
EOF

# Secure the file
chmod 600 ~/.openclaw/.env
3
Workspace Structure
30 minutes

Directory Layout

workspace/ ├── AGENTS.md # Agent behavior guidelines ├── USER.md # User preferences/context ├── MEMORY.md # Long-term memory ├── SOUL.md # Agent persona ├── TOOLS.md # Environment notes ├── HEARTBEAT.md # Periodic check tasks ├── KANBAN.md # Task board ├── memory/ # Daily logs │ ├── 2026-03-09.md │ └── ... └── content-pipeline/ # Content workflow

Key Files

SOUL.md — Agent persona and core principles

USER.md — User context and preferences

AGENTS.md — Session guidelines and safety rules

HEARTBEAT.md — Periodic check tasks

4
Model Optimization & Cost Control
20 minutes

Multi-Model Strategy

Use cheap models for routine tasks, premium for complex reasoning:

Model Input/1M Output/1M Use Case
Llama 3.1 8B $0.02 $0.02 Heartbeats, simple queries
Kimi K2.5 $0.50 $1.00 General conversation
Claude Opus $15.00 $75.00 Complex reasoning

💰 Cost Savings

Monthly example (10M tokens):

  • All Opus: ~$450
  • Optimized mix: ~$50-80
  • Savings: $370-400/month

Configuration

{
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "model": {
        "primary": "moonshot/kimi-k2.5",
        "fallbacks": ["anthropic/claude-opus-4-5"]
      },
      "heartbeat": {
        "every": "2h",
        "model": "groq/llama-3.1-8b-instant"
      }
    }
  }
}

Per-Request Override

/model llama    # Cheap for simple tasks
/model opus     # Premium for complex
/model default  # Return to primary
5
Tool Integrations
45 minutes

Google Workspace (gog)

# Install
openclaw skills install gog

# Gmail
gog gmail search "is:unread from:boss"
gog gmail send --to "client@example.com" --subject "Update"

# Calendar
gog calendar list --days 7
gog calendar add "Meeting" --when "tomorrow 2pm"

# Drive
gog drive list --query "name contains 'Q4'"
gog drive upload ~/report.pdf

Other Key Integrations

6
Automation & Cron Jobs
20 minutes

Morning Brief

openclaw cron add \
  --name "morning-brief" \
  --schedule "30 6 * * *" \
  --command "python3 ~/.openclaw/workspace/morning-brief.py" \
  --to "telegram:YOUR_CHAT_ID"

Lunch & Learn

openclaw cron add \
  --name "lunch-learn-monday" \
  --schedule "0 12 * * 1" \
  --message "🔋 Lunch & Learn questions..." \
  --to "slack:YOUR_DM_ID"

Verification Checklist

Daily Workflow

User Side (5 min)

  1. Check Telegram/Slack for morning brief
  2. Respond to agent questions
  3. Review any flagged items

Agent Side (automatic)

  1. Generate morning brief (6:30 AM)
  2. Monitor channels for messages
  3. Log daily activities to memory file
  4. Periodic heartbeat checks (every 2h)

Business Support Model

Tier Setup Monthly Includes
Basic $500 $200 Single channel, morning brief, basic automation
Professional $1,500 $500 Multi-channel, content pipeline, custom tools
Enterprise $5,000+ $1,500+ Multiple agents, team integration, custom dev

Resources