Creating a bot deploys a dedicated OpenClaw instance on MyClaw’s infrastructure. The process takes about 60 seconds end-to-end.
Before you start
- You need a MyClaw account (sign up free)
- You need an API key from your chosen AI provider
- Free plan supports 1 bot; upgrade to Pro for up to 10
Step 1 — Bot Basics
From the Dashboard, click New Bot.
| Field | Description |
|---|
| Name | Human-readable display name (1–64 chars) |
| URL Slug | Unique identifier for your bot’s URL: {slug}.myclaw.cc |
The slug cannot be changed after creation. Choose something short and meaningful — it’s part of your bot’s public URL.
Step 2 — AI Configuration
Choose your AI provider, model, and paste your API key.
Available providers
| Provider | Models available |
|---|
| Anthropic | claude-haiku-4-5-20251001, claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929 |
| OpenAI | gpt-4o, gpt-4o-mini, o1, o3-mini |
| Google | gemini-1.5-pro, gemini-1.5-flash, gemini-2.0-flash |
| Groq | llama-3.3-70b-versatile, mixtral-8x7b |
| OpenRouter | Any model available via OpenRouter |
The provider cannot be changed after bot creation because the API key is provider-specific. If you need a different provider, create a new bot.
API key security
Your API key is encrypted with AES-256-GCM immediately on receipt. The plaintext key is never persisted to disk or logs. Only the ciphertext, IV, and auth tag are stored in the database.
Step 3 — System Prompt (optional)
The system prompt defines your bot’s personality, knowledge, and behavior. Leave it blank to use OpenClaw’s default helpful assistant behavior.
Examples:
You are a concise technical assistant. Always respond in bullet points.You are an expert in Vietnamese cuisine. Answer only food-related questions.You are a friendly customer support agent for Acme Corp.
You can update the system prompt anytime from the bot’s Config tab — the change applies on the next restart.
Step 4 — Channels (optional)
Enable messaging channels so your bot can receive and respond to messages outside the OpenClaw UI.
| Channel | Description |
|---|
| Discord | Bot responds to slash commands or mentions in Discord servers |
| Telegram | Bot responds in Telegram chats via BotFather token |
| WhatsApp | Bot responds to WhatsApp messages via Meta Cloud API |
| Slack | Bot responds in Slack workspaces via Slack app |
Channel credentials (tokens, webhook URLs) are configured from the bot detail page after creation. You can enable channels now and configure them later.
Step 5 — Review & Create
Review the summary — name, URL, provider, model, and enabled channels — then click Create Bot.
MyClaw will:
- Encrypt and store your API key
- Generate a gateway token (32 random bytes)
- Build the OpenClaw config file
- Create Kubernetes resources (Secret, StatefulSet, Service, Ingress)
- Wait for the pod to become Ready
Time to first running status: typically 30–90 seconds.
After creation
Once the bot shows running in the dashboard, you can: