Most OpenClaw installation failures are not package-level issues. They come from missing environment boundaries: unclear ownership, weak secret handling, and no rollback plan.
Before installing OpenClaw
- Define deployment target: local, staging, and production separation
- Name one owner: one person accountable for final go-live
- Prepare secrets: never inline keys in config or scripts
- Set observability first: logs, alerts, and failure notifications
Environment checklist
Infrastructure
- Version-pinned runtime dependencies
- Network access rules documented before first deploy
- Storage and backup policy defined
Security
- Secrets manager in place (not plain .env in shared repos)
- Read/write scope minimized for integrations
- Audit log enabled for critical actions
Delivery
- Staging verification workflow with sample data
- Rollback command tested before production cutover
- Post-deploy smoke tests written and automated
Deployment targets this playbook supports
This guide is platform-agnostic. The same installation sequence applies whether you deploy OpenClaw on a VPS or a managed platform.
- Self-hosted servers (VPS, bare metal)
- Kubernetes (including Helm chart-based installs)
- Railway, Dokploy, or Coolify deployments
Teams integration notes
If you are deploying OpenClaw for Microsoft Teams or similar chat integrations, include OAuth scopes, app permissions, and callback URLs in your pre-install checklist. Treat chat integrations as production-critical dependencies with their own rollback plan.
Recommended install sequence
- Install in a disposable staging environment.
- Connect one low-risk integration and validate full roundtrip.
- Add permissions incrementally; do not grant broad scopes by default.
- Run load and failure-path tests.
- Promote to production with rollback command prepared.
Common OpenClaw install mistakes
- Installing directly in production as first run
- Skipping identity/permission review for connected tools
- Assuming defaults are safe for enterprise environments
- Launching without alerting on failed background jobs
Post-install validation
Installation is not complete when services are "up." It is complete when you can prove reliability in normal and failure conditions.
- Verify successful task execution across each integration
- Trigger one controlled failure and confirm alerting path
- Review logs for permission errors and retry loops
- Document operator runbook for daily use
Who this guide is for
Founders, engineering leads, and operators rolling out OpenClaw in production teams. If you need hands-on help, I can handle setup, hardening, and team onboarding end-to-end.
Need OpenClaw installation support?
Send your stack and deployment target. I will reply with a practical implementation scope and timeline.
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