If you’re starting with OpenClaw, this is the best place to begin. These guides cover the setup, the core concepts, and the most useful ways to make OpenClaw feel like a real assistant. Updated regularly with new guides as they publish.
Start here
New to OpenClaw? Begin with these four, in order.
- What Is OpenClaw? The Beginner’s Guide to Your Personal AI Assistant
- How to Set Up OpenClaw in 30 Minutes (No Coding Required)
- The Complete OpenClaw Guide: Everything You Need to Get Started
- How to Build Your First AI Agent Without Coding (2026 Guide)
- How to Make OpenClaw Feel Like Your Own Personal Assistant
Core concepts
Understand how your agent thinks, remembers, and stays proactive.
- MEMORY.md Explained: How to Give Your Agent a Persistent Long-Term Memory
- HEARTBEAT.md Explained: How to Make Your Agent Proactive
- How to Write a HEARTBEAT.md from Scratch (And Make Your Agent Actually Proactive)
- HEARTBEAT.md Active Tasks: How to Set Up Scheduled Agent Checks
- What Are OpenClaw Sub-Agents? And Why This Changes Everything
- How to Spawn a Subagent in OpenClaw (Step-by-Step)
- How to Use OpenClaw Sub-Agents for Content Creation (Real Example)
- OpenClaw Skills and Plugins: How to Make Your AI Do Exactly What You Want
- How to Use OpenClaw Skills to Customize Your AI Workflow
- SOUL.md Explained: How to Give Your OpenClaw Agent a Real Personality
- USER.md Explained: Why Your Agent Needs to Know Who You Are
- AGENTS.md Explained: The Operating Rules Your Agent Lives By
- IDENTITY.md Explained: Naming and Defining Your Agent’s Core Identity
Troubleshooting: fix it in 10 minutes
OpenClaw acting up? These guides fix the most common problems fast.
- OpenClaw Heartbeat Not Triggering? Fix It in 10 Minutes (2026)
- OpenClaw Update Broke Something? How to Roll Back Safely
- OpenClaw Says Tool Not Found? Fix It in 10 Minutes
- OpenClaw Not Responding in Your Channel? Fix Channel Routing
- OpenClaw Token Costs Getting Out of Control? Fix Your Usage in 10 Minutes
- OpenClaw Agent Stuck in a Loop? Stop It in 5 Minutes (2026)
- DeepSeek Just Got More Expensive (And It’s Still the Cheapest Option): What Changed and How to Keep Your Bill Flat
- Your OpenClaw Agent Keeps Forgetting? Fix Memory and Context
- OpenClaw Is Suddenly Asking for Approval on Every Command: Here’s the Fix
- OpenClaw Stopped Replying on Telegram After an Upgrade? This Is Probably Why
- How to Fix “Another Gateway Instance Is Already Listening” in OpenClaw
- How to Fix the Anthropic 429 “Extra Usage Required” Error in OpenClaw
Security
Keep your agent (and your credentials) safe.
- Is Your OpenClaw Infected? Check for ClawHavoc Malware in 10 Minutes (2026)
- How to Secure Your AI Agent: Prompt Injection, Data Leaks, and What to Watch Out For
- Are AI Agents Safe? What the Fedora Incident Teaches Us
Hosting, channels, and integrations
- How to Host OpenClaw on a VPS for Under $10/Month
- OpenClaw Works on Telegram, WhatsApp, and Discord: Here Is the Difference
- How to Connect OpenClaw to Telegram: Step-by-Step Guide
- How to Connect OpenClaw to Other Tools and Apps: No Coding Required
- OpenClaw Mobile App: How to Set Up AI on Your iPhone or Android
- How to Automate Your WordPress Publishing Pipeline with OpenClaw