OpenClaw Full Tutorial for Beginners – How to Set Up and Use OpenClaw

Introduction

OpenClaw (formerly known as ClawdBot/MoltBot) represents a significant advancement in autonomous AI agent technology, offering users a self-hosted solution for managing digital tasks. This comprehensive tutorial by Kian provides an in-depth walkthrough of OpenClaw’s capabilities, from basic setup to advanced multi-agent configurations and security implementations. As autonomous agents gain popularity within the AI community, with the ability to think independently, create tasks, complete them, and reprioritize their task lists to achieve objectives, OpenClaw emerges as a powerful tool that puts this technology directly in users’ hands. Video about the full Tutorial.

OpenClaw Installation & Configuration Guide

Use Case: Second Brain Organization System

This guide will walk you through setting up OpenClaw as a personal knowledge management system that integrates with Obsidian, captures information from multiple sources, and organizes your digital brain.

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Installation & Initial Setup

Prerequisites

# Check Node.js version (need v22+)
node --version

# If you need to install/update Node.js
# macOS (using Homebrew)
brew install node@22

# Linux (using nvm)
curl -o- <https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.0/install.sh> | bash
nvm install 22
nvm use 22

# Windows (download from nodejs.org)
# <https://nodejs.org/en/download/>

Step 1: Install OpenClaw

# Install globally
npm install -g openclaw

# Verify installation
openclaw --version

Step 2: Run Onboarding Wizard

# Start onboarding with daemon installation
openclaw onboard --install-daemon

# The wizard will guide you through:
# - Security warnings (read carefully!)
# - Manual vs Quick configuration (choose Manual)
# - Gateway type (Local for single machine)
# - Workspace directory (default: ~/.openclaw)

Step 3: Configuration Choices

Model Selection:

? Select AI provider: Anthropic
? Enter API key: sk-ant-xxxxxxxxxxxxx
? Select model: claude-opus-4-5-20251101

Get your API key from: https://console.anthropic.com/settings/keys

Gateway Configuration:

? Gateway port: 18789 (default)
? Gateway bind: loopback (most secure for local use)
? Tailscale exposure: No
? Gateway token: [Press Enter to auto-generate]

Channel Setup (skip for now):

? Configure chat channels now? No

Skills Selection for Second Brain:

? Select skills to install:
  [x] obsidian - Obsidian knowledge base management
  [x] google - Google Workspace integration
  [x] notion - Notion integration (optional)
  [ ] Skip for now

Package Manager:

? Package manager: npm (default)

Hooks Configuration:

? Enable hooks:
  [x] boot.md - Run on gateway startup
  [x] command_logger - Log all commands
  [x] session_memory - Save session context

Service Runtime:

? Service runtime: node
? Install gateway service: Yes

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Part 2: Second Brain Agent Configuration

Step 1: Launch TUI and Initialize Agent

# Start the Terminal User Interface
openclaw tui

When the agent first wakes up, respond:

My name is [Your Name]. You are my Second Brain assistant named "Sage".

Your purpose is to help me:
- Organize and retrieve knowledge from my Obsidian vault
- Capture ideas and insights from conversations
- Create structured notes and summaries
- Connect related concepts across my knowledge base
- Remind me of relevant information when needed

You are curious, well-organized, and excellent at finding connections between ideas. You help me think clearly and remember what matters.

Step 2: Customize Agent Files

Navigate to your OpenClaw workspace:

cd ~/.openclaw

Edit agent.md

nano agent.md

Add this content:

# Agent Configuration

## Core Purpose
You are Sage, a Second Brain assistant specialized in knowledge management, note organization, and insight synthesis.

## Primary Responsibilities
1. **Knowledge Capture**: Save important information from conversations to Obsidian
2. **Information Retrieval**: Search and surface relevant notes when asked
3. **Note Creation**: Generate well-structured markdown notes with proper tags
4. **Connection Discovery**: Identify links between concepts across notes
5. **Periodic Review**: Check for unprocessed notes and suggest organization

## Note-Taking Format
When creating notes, use this structure:
- Title: Clear, descriptive heading
- Tags: #topic #type #project
- Summary: 2-3 sentence overview
- Content: Main body with headers
- Links: Related notes [[Note Title]]
- Metadata: Date, source, context

## Obsidian Integration
- Vault Location: ~/Documents/Obsidian/MainVault
- Daily Notes: Store in /Daily
- Topics: Store in /Topics
- Projects: Store in /Projects
- Resources: Store in /Resources

## Communication Style
- Clear and concise
- Ask clarifying questions when needed
- Proactively suggest organization improvements
- Highlight connections to existing knowledge

Edit heartbeat.md

nano heartbeat.md

Add periodic tasks:

# Heartbeat Tasks
Run these checks every hour:

## Knowledge Base Maintenance
1. Check for unorganized notes in /Inbox folder
2. Identify notes without tags or backlinks
3. Suggest related notes that could be linked
4. Summarize new additions from the past 24 hours

## Reminders
1. Check for notes tagged #followup and remind me
2. Review notes tagged #todayIlearned from the week
3. Surface notes related to my current projects

## Daily Summary (9 AM)
- Create a daily note with:
  - Date and day of week
  - Current active projects
  - Recent insights worth reviewing
  - Suggested topics to explore

## Weekly Review (Friday 5 PM)
- Compile weekly insights
- Identify knowledge gaps
- Suggest consolidation opportunities

Edit identity.md

nano identity.md

# Agent Identity

**Name**: Sage
**Role**: Second Brain & Knowledge Management Assistant
**Version**: Personal Knowledge Companion

## Personality Traits
- **Organized**: Maintains structured, well-tagged information
- **Insightful**: Finds patterns and connections between ideas
- **Proactive**: Suggests improvements without being asked
- **Patient**: Takes time to understand context before acting
- **Curious**: Asks thoughtful questions to deepen understanding

## Expertise Areas
- Knowledge management methodologies (Zettelkasten, PARA, PKM)
- Obsidian vault organization and optimization
- Information synthesis and summarization
- Concept mapping and relationship discovery
- Markdown formatting and structure

## Communication Preferences
- Use clear section headers
- Provide actionable suggestions
- Include relevant examples
- Ask before making major changes
- Explain reasoning for organizational decisions

Edit user.md

nano user.md

# User Profile

**Name**: [Your Name]
**Timezone**: [Your Timezone]
**Location**: [Your Location]

## Learning Interests
- [Add your main areas of interest]
- [Topics you're currently exploring]
- [Professional domains]

## Active Projects
1. [Project Name] - [Brief description]
2. [Project Name] - [Brief description]

## Note-Taking Preferences
- **Format**: Markdown with YAML frontmatter
- **Tagging System**: #type/note, #status/active, #topic/[area]
- **Linking Style**: [[WikiLinks]] for internal, [Text](URL) for external
- **Review Frequency**: Weekly on Fridays

## Knowledge Base Structure

MainVault/
├── 00-Inbox/ # Temporary captures
├── 01-Daily/ # Daily notes
├── 02-Topics/ # Organized by subject
├── 03-Projects/ # Project-specific notes
├── 04-Resources/ # Reference material
└── 05-Archive/ # Completed/old content

## Workflows
- **Capture**: Quick saves go to Inbox
- **Process**: Review Inbox weekly, move to appropriate folders
- **Connect**: Link related notes bidirectionally
- **Review**: Weekly summary on Fridays

---

Part 3: Obsidian Skill Configuration

Step 1: Install Obsidian Skill

# View available skills
openclaw skills list

# Install Obsidian skill
openclaw skills install obsidian

# Verify installation
openclaw skills status

Step 2: Configure Obsidian Integration

Create configuration file:

mkdir -p ~/.openclaw/skills/obsidian
nano ~/.openclaw/skills/obsidian/config.json

Add configuration:

{
  "vaultPath": "/Users/[YourUsername]/Documents/Obsidian/MainVault",
  "defaultFolder": "00-Inbox",
  "templatePath": "Templates/note-template.md",
  "dailyNotesFolder": "01-Daily",
  "dailyNotesFormat": "YYYY-MM-DD",
  "attachmentsFolder": "Attachments",
  "defaultTags": ["#captured", "#needsProcessing"],
  "autoLink": true,
  "createBacklinks": true
}

Step 3: Create Note Template

Create template in Obsidian:

nano ~/Documents/Obsidian/MainVault/Templates/note-template.md

Template content:

---
created: {{date:YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm}}
tags: []
type: note
status: draft
---

# {{title}}

## Summary

## Content

## Related Notes

## Sources

## Follow-up Questions

---

Part 4: Messaging Integration Setup

Option A: WhatsApp Integration

# Enable WhatsApp plugin
openclaw plugins enable whatsapp

# Restart gateway
openclaw restart

# Login to WhatsApp
openclaw channels login

# Scan QR code with your phone (WhatsApp > Settings > Linked Devices)

Option B: Telegram Integration

# Create bot with BotFather on Telegram
# 1. Message @BotFather on Telegram
# 2. Send: /newbot
# 3. Follow prompts to create bot
# 4. Copy the token provided

# Configure Telegram
openclaw config set channels.telegram.enabled true
openclaw config set channels.telegram.botToken "YOUR_BOT_TOKEN"

# Restart gateway
openclaw restart

Step 5: Configure Allowed Users (Security)

Edit config:

nano ~/.openclaw/auth_profiles.json

Add your phone number/Telegram ID:

{
  "channels": {
    "whatsapp": {
      "enabled": true,
      "allowFrom": ["+1234567890"],
      "restrictGroups": true
    },
    "telegram": {
      "enabled": true,
      "allowFrom": ["your_telegram_id"],
      "restrictGroups": true
    }
  }
}

---

Part 5: Second Brain Workflows

Workflow 1: Quick Capture from WhatsApp

User Message:

"Remember: The Feynman Technique involves explaining concepts in simple terms to identify knowledge gaps. Source: MIT OpenCourseWare lecture on learning methods."

Agent Response:

Captured to Obsidian! Created note:
📝 The Feynman Technique
   Location: 00-Inbox/feynman-technique.md
   Tags: #learning #method #captured

Would you like me to:
1. Move this to a specific topic folder?
2. Find related notes about learning methods?
3. Add it to your learning project?

Workflow 2: Retrieve Related Information

User Message:

"What do I know about learning methods?"

Agent Response:

Found 7 notes about learning methods:

📚 Main Concepts:
- [[Feynman Technique]] - Explain to learn
- [[Spaced Repetition]] - Review at intervals
- [[Active Recall]] - Test yourself

🔗 Related Projects:
- [[Learning System Design]] (12 linked notes)

📊 Most Recent:
- "Feynman Technique" (captured 10 min ago)
- "Memory Palace Method" (3 days ago)

Would you like a summary of any of these?

Workflow 3: Automated Daily Note

Agent automatically creates (9 AM):

---
created: 2025-02-14 09:00
type: daily-note
tags: [#daily, #2025-02, #friday]
---

# Daily Note - February 14, 2025

## 🎯 Active Projects
- [[Second Brain Setup]] - Status: In progress
- [[Research: AI Agents]] - Status: Active

## 💡 Recent Captures (Last 24h)
- [[Feynman Technique]] - Learning method
- [[Zettelkasten Method]] - Note organization

## 🔍 Connections Found
Your note on "Learning Methods" connects to:
- [[Study Techniques]] (5 shared concepts)
- [[Teaching Philosophy]] (2 shared concepts)

## 📌 Follow-up Items
- Review notes tagged #needsProcessing (3 items)
- Link [[Concept Mapping]] to related topics

## 🌟 Suggested Exploration
Based on your recent captures, you might find these interesting:
- [[Cognitive Load Theory]]
- [[Bloom's Taxonomy]]

Workflow 4: Weekly Knowledge Review

Command:

/skill obsidian_review

Agent Response:

📊 Weekly Knowledge Review (Feb 8-14, 2025)

## 📈 Activity Summary
- New notes: 12
- Notes organized: 8
- Links created: 23
- Tags added: 45

## 🌟 Top Insights This Week
1. "Learning through teaching is 2x more effective"
   - Connected to 5 existing notes
   - Tagged: #learning #insight

2. "Second brain should mirror thinking process"
   - Created new topic cluster
   - Tagged: #pkm #philosophy

## 🔄 Needs Processing
Inbox: 4 notes waiting to be organized
- [[Quick Idea - AI Workflows]]
- [[Meeting Notes - Project X]]
- [[Article Highlights - Knowledge Management]]
- [[Random Thoughts - System Design]]

## 🎯 Suggested Actions
1. Create a "Learning Methods" MOC (Map of Content)
2. Archive completed project notes
3. Add descriptions to orphan notes (7 found)

Would you like me to start any of these tasks?

---

Part 6: Advanced Configuration

Custom Skills for Second Brain

Create custom skill:

mkdir -p ~/.openclaw/skills/custom
nano ~/.openclaw/skills/custom/semantic-search.md

Content:

---
name: semantic_search
description: Search Obsidian vault using semantic similarity
userInvocable: true
category: knowledge-management
---

# Semantic Search Skill

## Purpose
Search your knowledge base by meaning, not just keywords.

## Commands
- `/search-similar [concept]` - Find conceptually related notes
- `/find-connections [note]` - Discover unexpected links
- `/cluster-topics` - Group notes by semantic similarity

## Implementation
Uses embeddings to compare note content and find semantic relationships.

## Usage Example
User: "/search-similar quantum computing"
Agent: Searches for notes about computing, physics, quantum mechanics, even if they don't contain exact phrase.

Sandbox Configuration for Security

# Create isolated sandbox for agent
openclaw agents add second-brain-sandbox

# Configure sandbox mode
openclaw config set agents.second-brain-sandbox.sandboxMode "all"
openclaw config set agents.second-brain-sandbox.sandboxScope "agent"
openclaw config set agents.second-brain-sandbox.workspaceAccess "read-write"

# Limit tools
openclaw config set agents.second-brain-sandbox.tools.deny '["exec", "process"]'

# Restart gateway
openclaw restart

---

Part 7: Usage Examples

Example 1: Capture from Conversation

Via WhatsApp:

You: "I just learned that the Zettelkasten method was created by Niklas Luhmann, who wrote 70 books and over 400 articles using his slip-box system of over 90,000 notes. The key is atomic notes - one idea per note."

Sage: "Fascinating! I've created a note about this. Let me organize it properly:

📝 Created: Zettelkasten Method - Niklas Luhmann
   - Location: 02-Topics/Knowledge-Management/
   - Connected to: [[Note-Taking Systems]], [[PKM Methods]]
   - Tags: #zettelkasten #pkm #productivity

I noticed you have 3 other notes about note-taking methods. Should I create a Map of Content (MOC) linking all your note-taking research?"

Example 2: Morning Knowledge Briefing

Automated at 9 AM:

Good morning! Here's your knowledge briefing:

🧠 Your Second Brain Status:
- Total notes: 347
- Added this week: 12
- Most active topic: #learning-methods

💡 Insight from Yesterday:
You captured 3 notes about AI agents. I've created a new topic cluster and linked them to your existing [[Automation]] notes.

📋 Today's Suggestions:
1. Process 4 inbox items (15 min)
2. Review notes tagged #follow-up (3 items)
3. Your weekly review is due Friday

🔗 Interesting Connection:
Your new note on [[Cognitive Load]] relates to your project on [[Educational Design]]. Want me to create a link?

Example 3: Research Assistant

User:

"Help me prepare for writing about 'Building AI Agents' - what do I already know?"

Sage:

📚 Knowledge Inventory: Building AI Agents

## Core Concepts (7 notes)
- [[Autonomous Agents Fundamentals]]
- [[LLM Integration Patterns]]
- [[Agent Memory Systems]]

## Related Projects
- [[Second Brain Setup]] - Your current project
- [[AI Automation Research]] - 15 related notes

## Key Insights You've Captured
1. "Agent architecture: Observe → Reason → Act loop"
2. "Memory persistence is crucial for context"
3. "Security: sandbox execution environments"

## Knowledge Gaps I Notice
- No notes on agent testing strategies
- Limited content on multi-agent systems
- Could expand on tool integration patterns

## Suggested Outline
Based on your notes, here's a potential structure:

1. Introduction to AI Agents
   - Link to [[What are Autonomous Agents]]

2. Architecture & Design
   - Link to [[Agent Architecture Patterns]]

3. Implementation Details
   - Use examples from [[OpenClaw Setup]]

4. Security Considerations
   - Reference [[AI Safety Notes]]

Would you like me to create a project note with this outline and link all relevant existing notes?

---

Part 8: Maintenance & Optimization

Daily Maintenance Commands

# Check system health
openclaw doctor

# View recent activity
openclaw logs tail

# Check agent status
openclaw status

# Update skills
openclaw skills update

# Backup configuration
cp -r ~/.openclaw ~/.openclaw-backup-$(date +%Y%m%d)

Weekly Optimization

# Security audit
openclaw security-audit-deep

# Clean up old sessions
openclaw sessions clean --older-than 30d

# Verify Obsidian sync
ls -la ~/Documents/Obsidian/MainVault/00-Inbox/

# Review agent performance
openclaw tui
# Then use: /stats

Git Backup for Configuration

cd ~/.openclaw
git init
git add agent.md identity.md memory.md heartbeat.md user.md
git commit -m "Initial Second Brain configuration"

# Push to private repo
git remote add origin git@github.com:yourusername/openclaw-config.git
git push -u origin main

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Part 9: Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Agent not responding:

# Check gateway status
openclaw status

# Restart gateway
openclaw restart

# Check logs
openclaw logs tail -f

Obsidian integration not working:

# Verify skill installation
openclaw skills status obsidian

# Check vault path
cat ~/.openclaw/skills/obsidian/config.json

# Test file access
ls -la ~/Documents/Obsidian/MainVault/

WhatsApp disconnected:

# Re-login
openclaw channels login

# Check channel status
openclaw channels status

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Part 10: Next Steps & Extensions

Extend Your Second Brain

1. Add Google Drive Sync
   • Backup Obsidian vault to Google Drive
   • Enable automatic document capture
2. Email Integration
   • Forward important emails to create notes
   • Configure: openclaw skills install himalaya
3. Web Clipper Alternative
   • Use messaging to capture web content
   • Send URLs to automatically create notes
4. Task Management
   • Integrate with Todoist or Things
   • Extract tasks from notes automatically
5. Spaced Repetition
   • Identify notes for review based on intervals
   • Create flashcards from key concepts

Resources

• OpenClaw Documentation: https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw
• Obsidian Documentation: https://help.obsidian.md/
• Knowledge Management Resources: https://glasp.co/hatch/glasp/p/VYVvssTBth8pPp6PYTAb

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Security Checklist

• [ ] API keys stored in environment variables, not config files
• [ ] WhatsApp/Telegram restricted to your personal accounts only
• [ ] Never added agent to group chats
• [ ] Sandbox enabled for untrusted operations
• [ ] Regular security audits scheduled
• [ ] Backup configuration to private Git repository
• [ ] Strong model (Claude Opus 4.5) selected
• [ ] File permissions checked and corrected
• [ ] Gateway bound to loopback (not exposed publicly)
• [ ] Regular updates scheduled

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This setup creates a powerful Second Brain system where OpenClaw acts as an intelligent intermediary between you and your knowledge base, helping you capture, organize, connect, and retrieve information naturally through conversation.

Video about OpenClaw Full Tutorial

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Conclusion and Key Takeaways

OpenClaw represents a significant step toward democratization of personal assistance, allowing individuals and businesses to benefit from virtual researchers, assistants, and workers. The platform’s self-hosted nature ensures complete data ownership while providing enterprise-grade capabilities traditionally reserved for large organizations.

Essential Takeaways

1. Self-Hosting Provides Control: Complete data ownership and customization at the cost of personal security management responsibility
2. Security Must Be Proactive: VPS deployment, sandboxing, and careful configuration prevent potential vulnerabilities from becoming actual threats
3. Skills Enable Specialization: The extensible skill system allows agents to grow more capable over time without core system changes
4. Multi-Agent Architecture Scales: Separate agents for different contexts prevent capability creep and maintain clear boundaries
5. Gateway Architecture Enables Integration: Single long-running process manages multiple communication platforms simultaneously
6. Community Drives Innovation: Open-source nature with ClawHub enables rapid skill development and sharing
7. Model Selection Impacts Security: More capable AI models demonstrate better judgment and resistance to manipulation

Looking Forward

As autonomous agents become increasingly sophisticated and reliable, exponential growth in automation across various fields and industries is anticipated. OpenClaw positions users at the forefront of this transformation, providing tools to build personal automation systems today that will evolve alongside advancing AI capabilities.

The tutorial successfully demonstrates that autonomous agent technology has matured beyond experimental projects into practical tools for everyday use. By following Kian’s comprehensive guide, users can deploy their own AI assistants while maintaining security and privacy—a significant achievement in the rapidly evolving landscape of AI automation.

Related References

• The Complete Beginners Guide To Autonomous Agents – Understanding autonomous agent fundamentals
• Building LangChain Agents With LangFlow – Alternative agent frameworks
• Navigating the Landscape of Autonomous Agents and Frameworks – Comparing agent architectures
• The Future of Technology: Local AI – Privacy and local processing trends