10 Things to Do After Installing OpenClaw
Just installed OpenClaw? Here are 10 essential setup steps to get the most out of your AI agent — from personality to automation.
1. Define Your Agent's Personality
Edit SOUL.md to set the tone. Are you looking for a professional assistant or a casual companion?
markdown## Vibe Direct and technical. Skip the fluff. Use code examples freely. Be opinionated about best practices.
2. Fill In USER.md
Help your agent help you:
markdown- Name: Luca - Timezone: CET (UTC+1) - Prefers: Concise responses, code-first - Projects: CopyPasteLearn, Ansible Pilot
3. Connect a Messaging Channel
Pick your favorite platform:
bash# Discord openclaw config set discord.token YOUR_TOKEN # Telegram openclaw config set telegram.token YOUR_TOKEN
4. Install Essential Skills
Browse ClawhHub for skills:
- Weather — instant forecasts
- Health Check — system security auditing
- Discord — advanced Discord management
5. Set Up Heartbeats
Configure HEARTBEAT.md for proactive monitoring:
markdown## Checks - Email inbox for urgent messages - Calendar for upcoming events - Website uptime for my domains
6. Create Your First Cron Job
Schedule a daily briefing:
bashopenclaw cron add \ --schedule "0 8 * * *" \ --task "Morning briefing: weather, calendar, emails"
7. Pair Your Phone
Install the companion app and pair your device for: - Camera access - Push notifications - Location services
8. Set Up Memory
Create your first memory entry:
bashmkdir -p ~/agent/memory echo "# $(date +%Y-%m-%d)" > ~/agent/memory/$(date +%Y-%m-%d).md
Your agent will take it from there.
9. Configure Safety Boundaries
Review AGENTS.md and customize:
- What the agent can do freely
- What requires permission
- External action rules
10. Run as a Service
Don't leave it in a terminal — make it a system service:
bashsudo systemctl enable --now openclaw
Now your agent survives reboots and runs 24/7.
Bonus: Make It Yours
The best OpenClaw agents are personalized. Over the next few weeks: - Let your agent learn your preferences - Review and refine SOUL.md - Check MEMORY.md for accuracy - Add project-specific context
Your agent gets better the more you use it.
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