Introduction

OpenClaw is an open-source personal AI assistant that lives on your computer. Unlike cloud-based AI tools, OpenClaw runs locally with full access to your files, calendar, email, and terminal—it’s not just a chat interface, but a proactive assistant that actually executes tasks.

Key Features

1. Runs On Your Machine

  • Self-hosted and fully open source
  • Your context and skills live on YOUR computer, not a walled garden
  • You control everything—hack it, customize it, make it yours
  • Supports Linux, macOS, Windows, and Raspberry Pi

2. Multi-Platform Communication

  • Works from WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, iMessage, and more
  • Message it like a coworker and it does tasks
  • Proactive: cron jobs, reminders, background tasks
  • Persistent memory across all channels

3. Integrations That Matter

  • Gmail: Clear inbox, send emails, manage drafts
  • Calendar: Schedule events, check availability, set reminders
  • Slack: Send messages, read channels
  • GitHub: Manage repositories, create PRs, review code
  • Todoist: Automate task management
  • Browser: Control Chrome, navigate websites, capture screenshots
  • Hetzner/Cloud Providers: Manage servers, deployments
  • And 50+ more via community skills

4. Skills System

  • Growing community building reusable skills
  • Create your own skills with AI assistance
  • Skills include: flight booking, health tracking, content pipelines, tax preparation, and more
  • Hot-reload skills—update without restarting

5. Agent Capabilities

  • Spawn sub-agents for specialized tasks
  • Agent-to-agent memory sharing
  • Multi-session support for parallel work
  • Session orchestration and steering

6. Heartbeats & Proactive Tasks

  • Automated checks on schedule (email, calendar, mentions)
  • Cron job support for periodic tasks
  • Reminders that actually remind you
  • Background task execution without prompts

7. Memory & Context

  • Persistent memory that learns from every interaction
  • Workspace-based notes (MEMORY.md, daily logs)
  • Context persists 24/7 across sessions
  • Memory recall with semantic search

8. Extensible & Self-Hackable

  • Built to be extended and customized
  • Write custom skills, tools, and integrations
  • Plugin architecture for community contributions
  • Open source with active development

What People Are Saying

“It’s fact that claw can just keep building upon itself just by talking to it in discord is crazy. The future is already here” — @jonahships_

“Why OpenClaw is nuts: your context and skills live on YOUR computer, not a walled garden. It’s open source. Growing community building skills.” — @danpeguine “OpenClaw is a 24/7 assistant with access to its own computer. What if there were ten, or a hundred, or a thousand?? All running 24/7 in cloud with access to your files, Gmail, calendar, everything about you… That’s future.” — @nickvasiles “It’s running my company.” — @therno “At this point I don’t even know what to call OpenClaw. It’s something new. After a few weeks in with it, this is first time I have felt like I am living in future since launch of ChatGPT.” — @davemorin

Quick Start

Prerequisites

  • Node.js v18+
  • Git
  • A supported OS (Linux, macOS, Windows)

Installation

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw.git
cd openclaw

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Start the Gateway
npm start

Configuration

  1. Run npm run onboard to set up your first agent
  2. Connect your communication channels (WhatsApp, Telegram, etc.)
  3. Define integrations (Gmail, GitHub, etc.)
  4. Start chatting with your personal AI assistant!

Links

Why Choose OpenClaw?

If you want a personal AI assistant that truly lives on your machine, proactively handles tasks, and integrates with the tools you actually use, OpenClaw is a game changer. It’s not just another chat bot—it’s a digital teammate that works alongside you, learns from you, and grows with your needs.

Try it out and share your experience!

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