What is OpenClaw?
OpenClaw (also known as Open Claw) is an open-source AI agent platform that runs on your own infrastructure and connects to the messaging channels your team already uses.
What OpenClaw Does
OpenClaw turns any LLM (Claude, GPT-4, Gemini, or open-source models) into an interactive AI agent that lives inside your messaging apps. Instead of switching to a separate chat interface, you talk to your AI agent through WhatsApp, Slack, Discord, or any other connected channel.
The platform is fully self-hosted, meaning your conversations, data, and configurations stay on your own servers. You control which LLM provider to use, what skills (plugins) are installed, and how the agent behaves through custom skill development and personality configuration.
Self-Hosted
Runs on your own infrastructure. Your data never leaves your servers unless you choose to connect external services.
Multi-Channel
Connects to WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, Microsoft Teams, Signal, and iMessage from a single instance.
Extensible
Over 700 community skills available on ClawHub, plus the ability to build custom skills using the skill.md standard.
Customizable
Define your AI agent's personality, guardrails, and brand voice through the soul.md configuration file.
Clawdbot → Moltbot → OpenClaw
Clawdbot
Original nameThe project launched as Clawdbot — an open-source AI agent that could run locally and connect to messaging platforms.
Moltbot
First renameThe project was renamed to Moltbot with a restructured codebase, new plugin system, and improved configuration format.
OpenClaw
Current nameThe project settled on OpenClaw as its final name. It now has 133K+ GitHub stars and a thriving community.
How OpenClaw Works
Every interaction follows the same request flow: message in, AI processing, response out.
Message Received
A user sends a message through a connected channel (WhatsApp, Slack, Discord, etc.).
Gateway Routes
The Gateway server receives the request, authenticates it, applies rate limiting, and routes it to the AI backend.
LLM Processes
The message is sent to the configured LLM (Claude, GPT-4, Gemini, or another provider) along with the soul.md personality and relevant skills.
Response Delivered
The AI’s response is sent back through the same channel, with any skill outputs (web searches, API calls, file operations) included.
Core Components
Gateway
The HTTP server that handles incoming requests, routes them to the AI backend, and enforces authentication and rate limiting.
ClawHub
Community marketplace with 700+ skills (plugins). Skills are community-submitted and range from web scrapers to calendar integrations.
skill.md
The standard file format for defining OpenClaw skills. It specifies what a skill does, its inputs/outputs, and execution logic.
soul.md
Personality configuration file that defines how the AI speaks, what topics it avoids, brand guidelines, and behavioral guardrails.
Use Cases
Marketing & Content
Automate content creation, SEO workflows, and email campaigns.
Social Media
Social post creation, community engagement, and analytics.
E-Commerce & Retail
Product descriptions, review analysis, and inventory forecasting.
Real Estate
Property listings, market analysis, and lead qualification.
Education
Curriculum content, student assessments, and research summarization.
HR & Recruiting
Job descriptions, resume screening, and onboarding automation.
Customer Support
Ticket triage, knowledge bases, and feedback analysis.
Common Challenges
Security Risks
Out-of-the-box OpenClaw has known risks: exposed gateways, unvetted ClawHub skills, and prompt injection vulnerabilities. Proper configuration is essential.
Cost Management
LLM API costs can escalate quickly with heavy usage, compaction events, and runaway automations. Smart model routing and token budgets help control spending.
Complexity
Setting up integrations, managing configs, and debugging issues requires technical knowledge. Deployment guides and expert help reduce the learning curve.
Getting Started
New to OpenClaw?
Start with the fundamentals and learn your way around the platform.
Ready to Deploy?
Pick your platform and follow one of the step-by-step deployment guides.
Need Expert Help?
Connect with vetted OpenClaw specialists for setup, security, and optimization.
Explore More
Guides
80+ step-by-step guides across 7 categories
Solutions
Industry-specific use cases and strategies
Comparisons
OpenClaw vs alternatives side-by-side
Experts
Vetted specialists by category
Services
Six professional service categories
News
Latest ecosystem updates and releases
Events
Community workshops, hackathons, and meetups
Glossary
Key terms and definitions
Frequently Asked Questions
Need Help with OpenClaw?
OpenClaw Experts connects you with vetted specialists for setup, security, cost optimization, and custom development.