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Quick Start Guide

Get your first AI agent running and responding to messages in under 15 minutes. This guide walks you through every step from sign-up to your first conversation.

Before you begin

All you need is an email address and a payment method. ClawHQ handles all the infrastructure — no technical setup required on your end.

Step 1: Create Your Account

Go to clawhq.tech/register and create your account with an email and password. You'll be asked to choose a plan:

  • Starter ($59/mo) — Great for getting started with AI agents
  • Pro ($129/mo) — Adds logs, analytics, knowledge base, API access, and more
  • Ultra ($350/mo) — Adds Mission Control for managing agent workforces

Not sure which plan to choose? Start with Starter — you can upgrade anytime from the Billing page, and all your data carries over.

Tip: Annual billing

Save approximately 15% by choosing annual billing. Starter drops to $599/year ($49.92/mo effective).

Step 2: Wait for VPS Provisioning

After completing payment, ClawHQ begins setting up your dedicated server. This typically takes 15–30 minutes. During this time, ClawHQ:

  1. Provisions a dedicated VPS with your chosen resources
  2. Installs and configures OpenClaw (the AI agent framework)
  3. Sets up your subdomain (e.g., yourname.clawhq.tech)
  4. Configures SSL certificates for secure HTTPS
  5. Installs the AI model gateway and embedding services

You'll see a progress indicator on your dashboard showing which step is currently running. You can safely close the browser and come back later — provisioning continues in the background.

Don't worry if it takes a moment

Provisioning involves 12 sequential steps including DNS setup, firewall configuration, and SSL certificate generation. If it takes longer than 30 minutes, reach out via Support.

Step 3: Explore the Dashboard

Once provisioning completes, your dashboard loads with the Overview page. You'll see:

  • An onboarding checklist guiding you through your first actions
  • VPS status showing your server is running and healthy
  • Quick actions linking to the most common tasks

The checklist tracks your progress automatically — each step checks itself off as you complete it. No manual clicking required.

Step 4: Connect Your First Channel

Navigate to the Channels page from the sidebar. We recommend starting with Telegram — it's the fastest to set up.

Telegram Setup (2 minutes)

  1. Open Telegram and search for @BotFather
  2. Send /newbot and follow the prompts to create a bot
  3. BotFather gives you an API token — copy it
  4. Back in ClawHQ, click Telegram under "Connect New Channel"
  5. Paste the API token and click Connect
  6. Wait a few seconds for the connection to establish

Once connected, the Telegram card shows a green "Connected" status. You can verify with the Test Connection button.

Other channels

Discord, Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Webchat are also self-service. WhatsApp and Signal require additional setup steps. See the Channels documentation for guides on each platform.

Step 5: Add an Agent from the Store

Navigate to the Agent Store from the sidebar. You'll find pre-built agents for common use cases:

  • Support Bot — Customer service agent that handles inquiries, returns, and FAQs
  • Research Bot — Research assistant that finds information and summarizes it
  • Writer Bot — Content writer for blog posts, emails, and documentation
  • Sales Bot — Sales assistant for product recommendations and objection handling

Click on an agent to see its full description, capabilities, and reviews. When ready, click Add to add it to your agent list. Many agents are currently free.

Step 6: Deploy the Agent

Navigate to the Agents page. You'll see the agent you just added. Click Deploy.

Deploying writes the agent's configuration files to your VPS and restarts the OpenClaw service to load the new agent. This takes 10–30 seconds.

Once deployed, the agent card shows a green Deployed badge along with its health status.

Step 7: Send Your First Message

Navigate to the Chat page. Select your deployed agent from the sidebar, then type a message:

Hello! What can you help me with?

The agent's response streams in token by token — you'll see it typing in real time. The response comes from the AI model running through your dedicated VPS.

Step 8: Test on Telegram

Open Telegram and find your bot (the one you created with BotFather). Send it a message. The same agent that responded in the ClawHQ dashboard now responds on Telegram.

That's it — your AI agent is live on Telegram and ready to handle conversations. You can connect more channels at any time.

You're all set!

Your AI agent is now running 24/7 on your dedicated server and responding on Telegram. The onboarding checklist on your dashboard should show all steps complete.

What's Next

Troubleshooting

VPS provisioning is stuck

If provisioning hasn't completed after 30 minutes, check the progress indicator for which step it's on. If it shows an error, try refreshing the page. If the issue persists, create a support ticket with the step number and any error message shown.

Channel connection fails

Make sure your VPS is in Running status before connecting a channel. Double-check that you copied the full API token — partial tokens are the most common cause of connection failures.

Agent deployment fails

Ensure your VPS is running (check the VPS page). If the OpenClaw Gateway service is stopped, restart it from the Services panel.

No response from agent

On the Agents page, use the Test button to send a test message directly. If the test fails, check the agent's health status. A "Degraded" or "Error" status indicates a configuration issue — try undeploying and redeploying the agent.

Still need help?

Create a support ticket from your dashboard or visit the FAQ for answers to common questions.