Guide
What Is an OpenClaw AI Agent?
OpenClaw turns leading AI models into personal AI agents that live on Telegram, Discord, or your browser — available 24/7 to help with tasks, research, and automation.
AI Agents vs. Chatbots
A chatbot answers questions. An AI agent takes action. OpenClaw agents don't just respond to messages — they can browse the web, manage files, control smart home devices, send emails, and execute over 5,700 community-built skills from ClawHub.
Think of an OpenClaw agent as a personal AI assistant that lives in the messaging app you already use. It's powered by the AI model you choose (Claude, GPT, Gemini, etc.) and extended by skills that give it real-world capabilities.
How OpenClaw Agents Work
An OpenClaw agent has three layers:
- AI Model (the brain) — You choose which model powers your agent. Claude Opus 4.6 for complex tasks, Gemini Flash for speed, DeepSeek for budget-friendly reasoning. Switch models anytime without redeploying.
- Skills (the hands) — Community-built plugins that let your agent interact with the real world. Web search, email, file management, smart home, coding — over 5,700 skills on ClawHub, toggleable from the visual editor.
- Channels (the voice) — Where your agent lives. Telegram, Discord, or the built-in Web UI. Your agent can be active on multiple channels simultaneously, with per-user session isolation.
What Can an OpenClaw Agent Do?
With the right skills enabled, an OpenClaw agent handles tasks across categories:
Messaging & Communication
- Respond to messages on Telegram, Discord, and browser chat
- Manage email — summarize, draft, send
- Morning briefings with weather, calendar, and news
Automation & Productivity
- Calendar scheduling and meeting notes
- File management and document summaries
- Habit tracking and daily accountability
Research & Monitoring
- Web research and content summarization
- Price tracking and stock alerts
- Competitor monitoring and news summaries
Smart Home & IoT
- Smart home device control
- Voice command integration
- Server monitoring and shell commands
These are just highlights — ClawHub has 5,700+ skills covering everything from flight check-ins to workout logging to server monitoring.
Supported AI Models
Your OpenClaw agent can be powered by any of these leading AI models. All API costs are billed at the original provider rates with zero markup. See the full pricing comparison.
| Model | Provider | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Opus 4.6 | Anthropic | Most capable — complex reasoning and analysis |
| Claude Sonnet 4.6 | Anthropic | Best balance of speed, quality, and cost |
| GPT-5.2 | OpenAI | Strong at code generation and general tasks |
| Gemini 3 Pro | Multimodal capabilities and long context | |
| Gemini 3 Flash | Fastest responses, cost-efficient | |
| DeepSeek V3.2 | DeepSeek | Best value — great reasoning at low cost |
| Kimi K2.5 | Moonshot AI | Strong multilingual support |
Channels: Where Your Agent Lives
OpenClaw agents connect to the platforms you already use:
- Telegram — The most popular option. Your agent becomes a Telegram bot that responds to DMs. Pair it via the web gateway for secure access.
- Discord — Add your agent to any Discord server. It responds in channels or DMs with the same skills and model you configured.
- Browser (Web UI) — Chat directly from any browser through the built-in gateway. No app install needed. Works on mobile and desktop.
Deploy Your AI Agent in 30 Seconds
With OpenClaw Launch, you don't need Docker, a server, or any command-line knowledge. The entire setup is visual:
- Pick your AI model — Choose from Claude, GPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, or Kimi using dropdown menus.
- Choose your platform — Select Telegram, Discord, or browser. Paste your bot token if applicable.
- Click Deploy — Your AI agent is live in under 30 seconds. No install, no config files, no Docker.
Plans start at $3/month. AI API costs are billed at exact provider rates — zero markup.
OpenClaw Agent vs. Other AI Agent Frameworks
| OpenClaw Agent | Custom LangChain/CrewAI | ChatGPT Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup time | 30 seconds (with Launch) | Hours to days | Instant |
| Model choice | 7+ models, switch anytime | Any (you configure) | GPT only |
| Telegram / Discord | Built-in | Build it yourself | No |
| Skills / plugins | 5,700+ on ClawHub | Build your own tools | Limited GPTs |
| Open source | Yes (MIT license) | Yes | No |
| Self-host option | Yes | Yes | No |
| Coding required | No (with Launch) | Yes (Python) | No |
Security & Privacy
Every OpenClaw agent on OpenClaw Launch runs in an isolated Docker container with dedicated storage — fully sandboxed from other users. Gateway tokens are auto-generated with cryptographically secure random UUIDs. Configurations are encrypted at rest with AES-256-GCM. All connections use SSL/HTTPS. We never access your conversations or API keys.
Get Started
Ready to build your own AI agent? You can either install OpenClaw yourself (Docker + CLI, 2–6 hours) or use OpenClaw Launch to deploy in 30 seconds with zero setup.