If you searched for Moltbot, the active project README identified in the available documentation now presents the assistant as OpenClaw. OpenClaw is a self-managed assistant that runs on your devices and connects to messaging channels through a Gateway. For current installation steps, use the project’s own documentation rather than older Moltbot-branded third-party tutorials.
What is Moltbot, and why is it called OpenClaw?
The name in the title reflects the project identity readers may have encountered as Moltbot. The repository README covered here identifies the project as OpenClaw and describes it as “a personal AI assistant you run on your own devices.” The README is the project’s statement, not a quotation from an individual.
OpenClaw is organized around a Gateway control plane: the Gateway connects the assistant with supported communication channels and tools. The assistant is intended to run on a device you manage, rather than being only a hosted chat webpage. The repository README is available at the OpenClaw project repository; check its current identity and linked documentation before installing, since names and software guidance can change.
What can OpenClaw connect to and do?
Messaging channels
The project README lists integrations including WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, Google Chat, Signal, iMessage, IRC, Microsoft Teams, Matrix, Feishu, LINE, Mattermost, Nextcloud Talk, Nostr, Synology Chat, Tlon, Twitch, Zalo, WeChat, QQ, and WebChat. A listing does not mean every channel has identical features or setup steps. Use the project’s current channel documentation for the specific service you intend to connect.
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Tools and companion apps
Documented first-class tools include browser, canvas, nodes, cron, and sessions, plus selected actions for Discord and Slack. The project also describes optional companion components: Windows Hub, a macOS menu bar app, and iOS and Android nodes. These are documented capabilities, not a guarantee that every device, tool, or channel is available in every configuration; consult the project documentation for details.
How to install OpenClaw
The repository’s setup guidance recommends Node 24, or Node 22.19 or later. It gives the following package installation and onboarding commands:
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Install a supported Node.js version: Node 24, or Node 22.19 or later, according to the repository guidance.
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Install OpenClaw globally with
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Start onboarding and install the daemon with
openclaw onboard --install-daemon. -
Follow onboarding to configure the Gateway, workspace, channels, and skills.
The daemon installation is intended to keep the Gateway running as a user service. The README also documents running in the foreground for debugging and links to a beginner guide. Follow the live project installation documentation for exact current instructions; runtime requirements and commands can change.
Should you use your current computer or a dedicated host?
OpenClaw is software, not a physical product, and the reviewed project material does not require buying a particular device or establish minimum hardware specifications. Your choice is mainly about availability and maintenance:
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| Approach | Availability | Cost and maintenance | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Existing computer | The Gateway is available while that computer is on and running it. | Uses hardware you already own; you manage its uptime and software. | Trying the assistant or using it only when your everyday computer is on. |
| Dedicated always-on host | Can keep the Gateway available when your everyday computer is off, if configured to run continuously. | Requires a separate device and its ongoing power, updates, and maintenance. The project material does not specify a required model or minimum hardware. | Readers who want the assistant reachable more consistently. |
A mini PC is one possible category of dedicated host, not an OpenClaw requirement. No benchmark or hardware comparison is established by the project material cited here.
Is OpenClaw safe to run?
Safety depends substantially on who can reach the assistant and what permissions its tools receive. The README says tools run on the host by default for the main session. That means you should treat the assistant’s access as consequential, especially if it can interact with files, applications, or other host resources.
Understand pairing and sandboxing
The project describes pairing as the default for unknown senders on several channels: an unknown sender receives a code, and their message is not processed until approval. This is a useful gate, but it does not replace careful channel configuration or review of who can interact with the assistant.
For non-main sessions, the project describes sandboxing options, with Docker as the default sandbox backend. A sandbox changes the environment in which tools operate; it is not the same as granting unrestricted host access. Before using remote access or allowing multiple people to use the system, review the project’s security, Gateway exposure, and sandboxing documentation and choose settings deliberately.
Use official project channels
Security risks are not only theoretical. Axios reported in January 2026 on the assistant’s extensive potential access to a user’s machine and cited a contemporaneous report of exposed or misconfigured control panels; this is historical reporting, not a current count of exposed systems. TechRadar reported on January 29, 2026, that a fake VS Code extension impersonating Moltbot carried a trojan. Obtain software through official project channels and avoid unofficial extensions or lookalike downloads. See Axios’s January 2026 report and TechRadar’s January 2026 report.
Local access or remote access?
Keeping use local to the device or network limits the need to expose the Gateway beyond your immediate environment. Remote access can make the assistant reachable when you are away, but it also increases the importance of the project’s Gateway exposure guidance and access controls. The available project material describes Gateway exposure and security documentation but does not establish one universally safe remote-access configuration; follow the current official instructions rather than opening access casually.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to decide before connecting a channel
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Which messaging service you actually need, and what its current integration supports.
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Who is allowed to message the assistant, and how unknown-sender pairing is configured for that channel.
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Whether tools should operate with host access in the main session or within the documented sandbox options for non-main sessions.
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Whether the Gateway needs to remain available when your everyday computer is off, which determines whether a separate always-on host is useful.
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Whether you need remote access, and what additional exposure and controls that requires.
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