AI Key Setup
Hosted OpenClaw VPS uses your own AI key to power your bot.
That means you choose the provider and model, while OpenClaw VPS handles the hosting side.
Supported Providers
The main supported choices in the hosted setup are:
- OpenAI
- OpenRouter
- Google Gemini
For most people, the easiest starting point is OpenAI or OpenRouter.
Anthropic is not part of the hosted setup flow.
Why It Works This Way
- You keep control over which provider and model you use
- Your model spend stays with your provider account
- You can switch providers later without changing hosting platforms
What OpenClaw VPS Handles
- Hosted bot setup
- Web chat and hosted access
- Bot uptime, updates, and recovery
- Help when setup gets stuck
What You Handle
- Creating and managing your own AI key
- Monitoring your own provider-side model usage and spend
Setup Flow
- Open the dashboard deploy or config flow
- Choose your provider
- Paste your AI key
- Save and continue setup
Good Practice
- Use a dedicated key for OpenClaw
- Rotate keys if you think a key was exposed
- Keep spending controls inside your provider account
If you need help with setup, use the support link in the dashboard.