Railway is the fastest way to deploy OpenClaw to the cloud with zero infrastructure management. This guide walks you through connecting your GitHub repository, configuring environment variables, setting up a custom domain, and monitoring logs. You'll have OpenClaw running in production in under 30 minutes with automatic deployments on every git push.
Why This Is Hard to Do Yourself
These are the common pitfalls that trip people up.
Service configuration
Railway auto-detects Node.js but needs manual env var and port configuration
Pricing surprises
Free tier limits and per-hour resource billing can catch new users off guard
Domain setup complexity
Custom domains require DNS configuration and Railway domain verification
Limited observability
Railway logs are basic; no built-in metrics or APM
Step-by-Step Guide
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Create a Railway account
Sign up at railway.app with GitHub.
# Visit https://railway.app
# Click "Login with GitHub"
# Authorize Railway to access your repositoriesCreate a new project from GitHub
Connect your OpenClaw repository.
# In Railway dashboard:
# Click "New Project"
# Select "Deploy from GitHub repo"
# Choose your openclaw fork or the official repoConfigure environment variables
Add API keys and configuration.
# In Railway project settings, click "Variables"
# Add:
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...
OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...
OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_PORT=$PORT
NODE_ENV=productionWarning: Railway automatically provides a $PORT variable. Always use $PORT instead of hardcoding port 3000, or your service will fail to start.
Deploy the service
Railway auto-deploys on variable save.
# Railway automatically builds and deploys
# Watch the deployment logs in the Railway dashboard
# Wait for "Build successful" and "Deployment live"Set up a custom domain (optional)
Configure DNS for your domain.
# In Railway project settings, click "Settings" > "Domains"
# Click "Custom Domain"
# Add your domain (e.g., openclaw.yourdomain.com)
# Add the CNAME record to your DNS provider:
# CNAME openclaw -> your-app.up.railway.appMonitor logs and verify deployment
Check logs for errors.
# In Railway dashboard, click "Deployments" > "View Logs"
# Verify startup logs show no errors
# Test the service at your Railway URL or custom domainNeed Expert Railway Configuration?
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