Install OpenClaw on Windows

Complete installation guide for Windows 10/11 • WSL2 recommended

Prerequisites

System Requirements

  • Windows 10 (version 1903+) or Windows 11
  • x86_64 or ARM64 architecture
  • 500MB free disk space

Software Requirements

  • Node.js 22+ (recommended inside WSL2)
  • PowerShell or Command Prompt
  • Administrator privileges

Installation Methods

Native Windows Installation (Experimental)

Download and install Node.js:

Visit nodejs.org and download Node 22 LTS.

Verify installation in PowerShell: 

node --version
                    # Should output: v22.x.x

Install OpenClaw globally (note: native Windows is untested; WSL2 is recommended): 

npm install -g openclaw@latest
openclaw onboard
openclaw dashboard

WSL2 Installation (Recommended)

Install WSL2 (if not already installed): 

wsl --install
# Restart your computer after installation

Enable systemd inside WSL (required for installing the Gateway service): 

# In WSL (Ubuntu):
sudo tee /etc/wsl.conf >/dev/null <<'EOF'
[boot]
systemd=true
EOF

# In PowerShell:
wsl --shutdown

Inside WSL2 Ubuntu, install Node.js and OpenClaw: 

sudo apt update
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_22.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt-get install -y nodejs
npm install -g openclaw@latest
openclaw onboard --install-daemon
openclaw dashboard
# Or open: http://127.0.0.1:18789/

If the browser shows “unauthorized”, run openclaw dashboard and open the tokenized link it prints (?token=...).

Chocolatey (Experimental)

Install Chocolatey (if not already installed):

Visit chocolatey.org/install for installation instructions

Install Node.js and OpenClaw: 

choco install nodejs-lts
npm install -g openclaw@latest
openclaw onboard
openclaw dashboard

Run as a Service (WSL2)

Recommended: install the Gateway service inside WSL2 (systemd user service):

Inside WSL2:

openclaw onboard --install-daemon
# Or:
openclaw gateway install

Troubleshooting Windows Installation

PowerShell Execution Policy Error

If you get "cannot be loaded because running scripts is disabled": 

Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser

Node.js Not Found After Installation

Add Node.js to PATH manually: 

# Add to System Environment Variables:
C:\\Program Files\\nodejs\\

Restart PowerShell/Command Prompt after changing PATH

Windows Firewall Blocking

Allow OpenClaw through Windows Firewall: 

netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="OpenClaw" dir=in action=allow protocol=TCP localport=18789

WSL2 Network Issues

Access WSL2 services from Windows (most setups work via localhost): 

# From Windows, try:
http://localhost:18789/

# If you need LAN access from another machine, use Windows portproxy to forward
# a Windows port to the current WSL IP (WSL IP changes after restarts).

Permission Errors with npm

Run PowerShell as Administrator or use: 

npm config set prefix "%APPDATA%\\npm"
# Add %APPDATA%\\npm to your PATH

Best Practices for Windows

Use WSL2 for Better Performance

WSL2 provides better performance and compatibility with Linux-based tools. It's the recommended approach for development.

Use Windows Terminal

Install Windows Terminal from Microsoft Store for a better command-line experience with tabs and customization.

Keep Node.js Updated

Regularly update Node.js to get the latest features and security fixes: 

choco upgrade nodejs-lts

Secure Your Configuration

Store sensitive tokens in environment variables. Use Windows Environment Variables or a .env file.

Next Steps

Configure your AI assistant and start using OpenClaw on Windows

Configuration Generator Browse Guides Troubleshooting