Install the OpenClaw CLI

With your prerequisites ready, installing OpenClaw is one short step. The install puts the openclaw command on your machine so you can run it from anywhere.

The standard method uses npm, which comes bundled with Node. It downloads OpenClaw from the npm registry and sets it up for you.

Run this command to install OpenClaw. The -g flag installs it globally, so the openclaw command works from any folder.

The @latest tag tells npm to grab the newest published release. You always start on the current version instead of an old cached one.

Prefer not to use npm directly? The homepage offers a curl install script that does the setup for you in a single line.

In that one-liner, -fsSL makes curl fail quietly on errors and follow redirects, then bash runs the downloaded script. Both methods reach the same place.

Either path works, so pick what fits you. The choice is just preference: npm if you manage Node packages, curl for a quick hands-off setup.

A global install registers a single openclaw command. From then on you type openclaw in any terminal without reinstalling per project.

After installing, check that the command exists. Running openclaw --version prints the installed version and proves the install worked.

If your shell cannot find openclaw, the global npm bin folder may not be on your PATH. Reopening the terminal often picks up the new command.

Installing only places the tool on disk. The next stage, onboarding, is where you actually wire up the daemon and your channels.

Which command installs OpenClaw globally via npm?

You can now install OpenClaw two ways: npm install -g openclaw@latest or the curl one-liner. A quick --version check confirms it is ready to onboard. ⚙️