Install OpenClaw on Docker

Deploy OpenClaw on servers, NAS, or homelab using Docker. Isolated environment with persistent storage and easy updates.

Recommended for users who want 24/7 uptime and have a server or NAS available.

Prerequisites

  • Docker version 20.10 or later
  • Docker Compose v2 (recommended) or use docker-compose command
  • AI Provider API Key (Anthropic Claude, OpenAI, Google Gemini, etc.)
  • Ports: 3000 (or your preferred port)

Quick Start

Create a directory for your OpenClaw deployment and save this as docker-compose.yml:

version: "3.9" services: openclaw: image: ghcr.io/openclaw/openclaw:latest container_name: openclaw restart: unless-stopped ports: - "3000:3000" environment: # Required: At least one AI provider ANTHROPIC_API_KEY: your_claude_api_key # Optional: Add more providers as needed # OPENAI_API_KEY: your_openai_key # GOOGLE_GENERATIVE_AI_API_KEY: your_google_key # XAI_API_KEY: your_xai_key volumes: - ./openclaw_data:/var/lib/openclaw

Start the container:

docker compose up -d

Check the logs:

docker logs -f openclaw

Environment Variables

OpenClaw supports multiple AI providers. Configure at least one:

ANTHROPIC_API_KEY Claude API key (recommended)
OPENAI_API_KEY OpenAI API key
GOOGLE_GENERATIVE_AI_API_KEY Google Gemini API key
XAI_API_KEY xAI API key
DEFAULT_MODEL Default model to use (e.g., claude-sonnet-4-20250514)

Volumes & Persistence

The ./openclaw_data volume stores:

  • Configuration: API keys, settings
  • Memory: Long-term memory and conversation history
  • Logs: Application logs

Back up this directory regularly to preserve your data and memory.

Production Configuration

For production deployments, add health checks, resource limits, and security options:

version: "3.9" services: openclaw: image: ghcr.io/openclaw/openclaw:latest container_name: openclaw restart: unless-stopped ports: - "3000:3000" environment: ANTHROPIC_API_KEY: your_claude_api_key volumes: - ./openclaw_data:/var/lib/openclaw # Production settings healthcheck: test: ["CMD", "curl", "-f", "http://localhost:3000/health"] interval: 30s timeout: 10s retries: 3 start_period: 40s deploy: resources: limits: memory: 2G reservations: memory: 1G

Docker Run (Alternative)

Prefer using Docker directly without Compose?

# Create volume for persistence docker volume create openclaw_data # Run the container docker run -d \ --name openclaw \ -p 3000:3000 \ -v openclaw_data:/var/lib/openclaw \ -e ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your_claude_api_key \ --restart unless-stopped \ ghcr.io/openclaw/openclaw:latest

Common Commands

docker compose down
docker compose restart
docker compose pull && docker compose up -d
docker logs --tail 100 -f openclaw

Reverse Proxy & HTTPS

To access OpenClaw over the internet with HTTPS, use a reverse proxy:

  • Nginx - Popular web server and reverse proxy
  • Caddy - Automatic HTTPS
  • Traefik - Container-native reverse proxy
  • Cloudflare Tunnel - See our Cloudflare guide

Never expose OpenClaw directly to the internet without HTTPS and authentication.

Troubleshooting

  • Container won't start? Check logs: docker logs openclaw
  • API key errors? Verify your environment variable is set correctly
  • Port already in use? Change the port mapping (e.g., "8080:3000")
  • Out of memory? Increase Docker memory allocation or add swap

More troubleshooting tips on the Troubleshoot page.

For the latest Docker images and updates, check the GitHub Container Registry.

More resources