Prerequisites

Before deploying OpenClaw, ensure you have the following:

Required

Supported Provider API Key (BYOK)

Bring your own supported provider key before you deploy. Some upstream examples in these docs still use the current ANTHROPIC_API_KEY env var name, so have your key ready before you start.

1. Sign in to the provider you plan to use
2. Create an API key for your OpenClaw deployment
3. Save it securely in your password manager or secret store
4. Keep it ready for the deploy steps below

Cloudflare Account (for Workers)

For Cloudflare Workers deployment:

1. Create account at dash.cloudflare.com 
2. Subscribe to Workers Paid plan ($5/mo)
3. (Optional) Add a custom domain

VPS (for Traditional Deployment)

For VPS deployment, you need:

• Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 (recommended)
• 1 vCPU, 1GB RAM minimum (2 vCPU, 2GB recommended)
• 20GB SSD storage
• Root or sudo access

Optional

Custom Domain

To use a custom domain like ai.yourdomain.com:

• Domain registered and DNS managed (Cloudflare recommended)
• SSL certificate (automatic with Cloudflare)

Messaging Integrations

If you want external messaging access:

See the integration guides for the current public setup path.

Technical Knowledge

Cloudflare Workers

• Basic command line usage
• Understanding of environment variables
• Familiarity with Bun and Node-compatible tooling

VPS Deployment

• SSH access and basic Linux commands
• Docker fundamentals
• Basic networking (ports, firewalls)