How to Build Your Own AI Assistant with OpenClaw

Every tech founder has the same fantasy: An AI assistant that actually understands their business, handles their tasks, and works across all their communication channels.

The problem? Most "AI assistants" are glorified chatbots locked inside proprietary platforms. You can't customize them, you can't control them, and you certainly can't teach them about your specific workflows.

OpenClaw changes everything. It's a self-hosted AI gateway that puts you in control. Install it once, connect it to WhatsApp, Discord, Telegram, or any platform, and you've got an AI assistant that actually works for you.

Here's exactly how to set it up.

What Is OpenClaw?

OpenClaw is an open-source AI gateway that runs on your infrastructure. Think of it as your personal AI operating system.

Multi-Platform

Connect to WhatsApp, Discord, Telegram, Slack, and more simultaneously

Self-Hosted

Your data stays on your servers. No vendor lock-in, no privacy concerns

Extensible

Install skills, create automations, and customize everything

Model Agnostic

Works with OpenAI, Anthropic, local models, or any API

Unlike ChatGPT or Claude, which lock you into their ecosystem, OpenClaw gives you:

Complete customization - Modify prompts, behaviors, and responses
Cross-platform presence - One AI, multiple channels
Automation capabilities - Cron jobs, heartbeats, and webhooks
Skill system - Install pre-built capabilities or create your own
Memory persistence - Your AI remembers across sessions and platforms

"OpenClaw is what AI assistants should have been from the beginning: powerful, flexible, and owned by you."

Step 1

Prerequisites & System Requirements

Before we start, you'll need:

Hardware Requirements:

Minimum: 2GB RAM, 10GB storage
Recommended: 4GB RAM, 20GB storage
Platform: Linux, macOS, or Windows with WSL

Software Requirements:

Node.js 18+ (we'll install this)
Git
A code editor (VS Code recommended)
Terminal/command line access

Account Requirements:

OpenAI API key (or another AI provider)
GitHub account (for installation)
WhatsApp Business account (for WhatsApp integration)

You can run OpenClaw on a $5/month VPS, a Raspberry Pi, or your laptop. It's designed to be lightweight.

Step 2

Install Node.js

OpenClaw runs on Node.js. Here's how to install it on different systems:

macOS (using Homebrew):

$ brew install node

Ubuntu/Debian:

                $ curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo -E bash -

                $ sudo apt-get install -y nodejs

Windows (using Chocolatey):

> choco install nodejs

Verify the installation:

                $ node --version

                v20.10.0

                $ npm --version

                10.2.3

If you see version numbers, you're ready for the next step.

Step 3

Download & Install OpenClaw

Clone the OpenClaw repository and install dependencies:

                $ git clone https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw.git

                $ cd openclaw

                $ npm install

This will download OpenClaw and install all required packages. The process takes 2-3 minutes.

If you get permission errors on Linux/macOS, you may need to use `sudo npm install`. This is normal.

Once installation completes, test the basic setup:

                $ npm run test

                ✅ Core modules loaded
✅ Configuration valid
✅ Database connection established
            

Step 4

Configure Your AI Provider

OpenClaw needs an AI model to power conversations. We'll use OpenAI, but you can use any provider.

Get Your OpenAI API Key:

Go to platform.openai.com/api-keys
Click "Create new secret key"
Copy the key (starts with sk-)
Add billing information (required for API access)

Configure OpenClaw:

                $ cp config/config.example.json config/config.json

                $ nano config/config.json

Update the configuration with your API key:

{
  "ai": {
    "provider": "openai",
    "apiKey": "sk-your-api-key-here",
    "model": "gpt-4-turbo",
    "maxTokens": 4000
  },
  "server": {
    "port": 3000,
    "host": "localhost"
  },
  "database": {
    "type": "sqlite",
    "path": "./data/openclaw.db"
  }
}
            

Start with GPT-4 Turbo for the best experience. You can always switch to cheaper models later.

Step 5

Start Your AI Gateway

Time to fire up OpenClaw:

                $ npm start

                🚀 OpenClaw starting...
✅ AI provider connected (OpenAI GPT-4)
✅ Database initialized
✅ Server listening on http://localhost:3000
🤖 Your AI assistant is ready!
            

Open your browser and go to http://localhost:3000. You should see the OpenClaw dashboard.

Test the basic chat interface by typing a message. If you get a response, your AI gateway is working!

Congratulations! Your personal AI assistant is now running. But we're just getting started.

Step 6

Connect to WhatsApp

The real power comes from connecting OpenClaw to your communication channels. Let's start with WhatsApp.

Install the WhatsApp Skill:

                $ npm run skill:install whatsapp

                📦 Installing WhatsApp skill...
✅ Skill installed successfully
            

Configure WhatsApp Business API:

You'll need a WhatsApp Business account. The easiest way is through a service like:

Twilio (most popular, $0.005/message)
360Dialog (Europe-friendly)
MessageBird (global coverage)

For this tutorial, we'll use Twilio:

Sign up at twilio.com/whatsapp
Get your Account SID and Auth Token
Set up a WhatsApp Business profile
Get your WhatsApp phone number

Configure the Connection:

                $ openclaw config whatsapp

                WhatsApp Configuration:
Account SID: ACxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

                Auth Token: your-auth-token

                Phone Number: +1234567890

                ✅ WhatsApp configured successfully

Test the connection by sending a message to your WhatsApp Business number. Your AI should respond!

The first message might take 30-60 seconds as OpenClaw initializes the WhatsApp session.

Step 7

Add Discord & Telegram

Why stop at WhatsApp? Let's connect your AI to Discord and Telegram too.

Discord Setup:

                $ npm run skill:install discord

                $ openclaw config discord

Go to discord.com/developers/applications
Create a new application
Go to "Bot" section and create a bot
Copy the bot token
Invite bot to your server with admin permissions

Telegram Setup:

                $ npm run skill:install telegram

                $ openclaw config telegram

Message @BotFather on Telegram
Type `/newbot` and follow instructions
Copy your bot token
Add token to OpenClaw config

Now you have one AI assistant responding across three platforms simultaneously!

Customize Your AI's Personality

Generic AI responses are boring. Let's give your assistant some personality:

$ nano config/personality.txt

Add your custom instructions:

You are a helpful AI assistant for [YOUR NAME], a [YOUR ROLE] working in [YOUR INDUSTRY].

Key traits:
- Direct and actionable advice
- Slightly sarcastic sense of humor  
- Expert in technology and business
- Always ask clarifying questions when requests are vague

You have access to:
- Email and calendar management
- Web search and research
- Code analysis and debugging
- Document creation and editing

Always end responses with a relevant emoji that matches the mood.
        

Restart OpenClaw to apply the changes:

$ npm restart

Install Useful Skills

OpenClaw's skill system lets you add capabilities on demand:

            # Email integration

            $ npm run skill:install gmail

            # Calendar management

            $ npm run skill:install calendar

            # Web scraping

            $ npm run skill:install web-scraper

            # Home automation

            $ npm run skill:install homeassistant

Set Up Automation

The real magic happens with automation. Here are some examples:

Daily Briefing (Cron Job):

$ openclaw cron add "0 8 * * *" "Send daily briefing to WhatsApp"

Heartbeat Monitoring:

            $ openclaw heartbeat enable
            ✅ Heartbeat enabled - checking every 30 minutes
        

Webhook Automation:

$ openclaw webhook create "/alert" "Send urgent notification"

Security & Best Practices

Your OpenClaw installation has access to your accounts and data. Follow these security practices:

Use environment variables for API keys, never hardcode them
Enable firewall rules if running on a server
Regular backups of your configuration and data
Monitor usage to detect unusual activity
Update regularly to get security patches

Production Deployment:

For production use, deploy to a reliable server:

            # Using PM2 for process management

            $ npm install -g pm2

            $ pm2 start npm --name "openclaw" -- start

            $ pm2 startup

            $ pm2 save

Troubleshooting Common Issues

AI Not Responding:

Check API key validity
Verify internet connection
Look at logs: `npm run logs`
Restart OpenClaw

WhatsApp Connection Failed:

Verify Twilio credentials
Check webhook URL configuration
Ensure phone number is verified

High API Costs:

Set usage limits in config
Use cheaper models for simple tasks
Implement response caching

Advanced Features

Once you're comfortable with the basics, explore these advanced capabilities:

Multi-Model Setup:

Use different models for different tasks - GPT-4 for complex reasoning, GPT-3.5 for simple responses:

{
  "ai": {
    "models": {
      "complex": {
        "provider": "openai",
        "model": "gpt-4-turbo"
      },
      "simple": {
        "provider": "openai", 
        "model": "gpt-3.5-turbo"
      }
    }
  }
}
        

Custom Skills:

Build your own skills for business-specific tasks:

            $ openclaw skill create my-crm-integration

            📦 Skill template created at ./skills/my-crm-integration/

Voice Integration:

Add text-to-speech and speech-to-text:

            $ npm run skill:install elevenlabs-tts

            $ npm run skill:install whisper-stt

What's Next?

You now have a fully functional AI assistant that:

✅ Responds on WhatsApp, Discord, and Telegram
✅ Has a custom personality
✅ Can automate tasks
✅ Integrates with your tools
✅ Runs completely under your control

This is just the beginning. OpenClaw is designed to grow with your needs. As you get comfortable with the platform, you can:

Build custom skills for your specific workflow
Create complex automation chains
Integrate with business systems (CRM, project management, etc.)
Deploy multiple AI agents for different purposes
Share skills with the OpenClaw community

The future of AI isn't about using someone else's assistant. It's about building your own.

"Give a person a chatbot, and they'll ask questions for a day. Teach them to build their own AI assistant, and they'll automate their entire life."

Welcome to the world of personal AI automation. You're now part of the 1% who actually control their AI instead of being controlled by it.