How to Run Claude Code on VPS: Complete OpenClaw Setup Guide (2026)

Want to run Claude Code (Anthropic's coding agent) on a VPS and access it from WhatsApp, Telegram, or Discord? This guide shows you how using OpenClaw — the open-source gateway that bridges AI agents to messaging platforms.

What is OpenClaw?

OpenClaw (formerly known as Clawdbot) is an open-source project that:

• Runs AI coding agents (Claude, GPT, etc.) on any server
• Bridges them to WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, iMessage, and more
• Provides a web dashboard for management
• Supports persistent sessions and workspaces
• Works 24/7 on a VPS

Think of it as your personal AI assistant that never sleeps — running in the cloud, accessible from your phone.

Prerequisites

Before we start, you'll need:

• VPS with at least 1GB RAM (Oracle Free Tier, Hetzner, or any Linux server)
• Node.js 22+ installed
• Anthropic API key (for Claude) — Get one at console.anthropic.com
• A messaging account to connect (WhatsApp, Telegram bot token, or Discord bot)

Step 1: Install OpenClaw on Your VPS

SSH into your VPS and run the quick installer:

# Quick install (recommended)
curl -fsSL https://openclaw.bot/install.sh | bash

# Or via npm
npm install -g openclaw@latest

Verify the installation:

openclaw --version

Step 2: Run the Onboarding Wizard

OpenClaw includes an interactive setup wizard that handles most configuration:

openclaw onboard --install-daemon

The wizard will ask you to configure:

1. Gateway settings — Where to run the server
2. Authentication — Your Anthropic API key
3. Channels — WhatsApp QR, Telegram token, Discord token
4. Daemon installation — Auto-start on boot

Setting Up Anthropic API Key

When prompted for authentication, choose API Key and enter your Anthropic key:

? Select auth method: API Key
? Enter Anthropic API key: sk-ant-api03-xxxxx...

This key is stored securely in ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json.

Step 3: Connect a Messaging Channel

Option A: WhatsApp (Most Popular)

openclaw channels login

This displays a QR code. Scan it with WhatsApp → Settings → Linked Devices.

Option B: Telegram Bot

1. Create a bot via @BotFather
2. Copy the bot token
3. Add it during onboarding or manually in config:

{
  "channels": {
    "telegram": {
      "token": "YOUR_BOT_TOKEN"
    }
  }
}

Option C: Discord Bot

1. Create a bot at Discord Developer Portal
2. Enable Message Content Intent
3. Add the bot token to config:

{
  "channels": {
    "discord": {
      "token": "YOUR_DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN"
    }
  }
}

Step 4: Start the Gateway

If you installed the daemon during onboarding, it's already running. Check status:

openclaw gateway status

To start manually:

openclaw gateway --port 18789 --verbose

Access the web dashboard at: http://YOUR_VPS_IP:18789/

Step 5: Secure Your Setup

Add Gateway Authentication

For production, always add a token:

openclaw gateway --bind lan --token YOUR_SECRET_TOKEN

Or in ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json:

{
  "gateway": {
    "auth": {
      "token": "YOUR_SECRET_TOKEN"
    }
  }
}

Restrict Access (Optional)

Limit who can message your bot:

{
  "channels": {
    "whatsapp": {
      "allowFrom": ["+1234567890", "+0987654321"]
    }
  }
}

Step 6: Test Your Setup

Send a message to your connected channel:

• WhatsApp: Send a message to yourself (linked device shows it)
• Telegram: DM your bot
• Discord: Message in a channel where your bot is present

You should get a response from Claude!

Verify from Command Line

openclaw message send --target +1234567890 --message "Hello from OpenClaw!"

Advanced Configuration

Custom Workspace

Your AI agent works in a persistent workspace. Default: ~/.openclaw/workspace/

Add custom files here that Claude can access:

mkdir -p ~/.openclaw/workspace
echo "# My Project Notes" > ~/.openclaw/workspace/NOTES.md

Model Selection

Change the default model:

{
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "provider": "anthropic",
      "model": "claude-sonnet-4-5"
    }
  }
}

Available models:

• claude-sonnet-4-5 (balanced, recommended)
• claude-opus-4-6 (most capable)
• claude-haiku-4-5 (fast, cheaper)

Enable Thinking Mode

For complex tasks, enable extended thinking:

{
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "thinking": "low"
    }
  }
}

Options: off, low, medium, high

VPS Provider Recommendations

Provider	Cost	Notes
Oracle Cloud	Free	Always Free tier, ARM instances
Hetzner	~$4/mo	Great performance, EU servers
Railway	$5/mo	One-click deploy, easy setup
Fly.io	~$5/mo	Global edge deployment
DigitalOcean	$6/mo	Reliable, good documentation

For the free option, see the Oracle Cloud guide.

Troubleshooting

"No auth configured"

Run openclaw health — if it shows no auth, re-run the wizard:

openclaw onboard

WhatsApp disconnects

This usually means the session expired. Re-link:

openclaw channels logout whatsapp
openclaw channels login

Gateway won't start

Check if the port is already in use:

lsof -i :18789

Kill the existing process or use a different port.

Permission denied

Make sure you're running as a user with write access to ~/.openclaw/.

Real-World Use Cases

Once running, here's what you can do:

1. Code assistance — Ask Claude to write, review, or debug code
2. File management — Claude can read/write files in your workspace
3. Web research — Enable Brave Search for real-time information
4. Automation — Set up cron jobs for periodic tasks
5. Multi-device access — Message from any device, anywhere

Example Conversation

You: Create a Python script that scrapes Hacker News top stories

Claude: I'll create that for you. Let me write the script...

[Claude writes hn_scraper.py to your workspace]

Claude: Done! I've created `hn_scraper.py` in your workspace. 
It fetches the top 30 stories from Hacker News and saves them 
to a JSON file. Run it with: python hn_scraper.py

Conclusion

Running Claude Code on a VPS with OpenClaw gives you:

• ✅ 24/7 availability
• ✅ Access from any messaging app
• ✅ Persistent workspace and sessions
• ✅ Full coding agent capabilities
• ✅ Privacy (your server, your data)

The setup takes about 15 minutes, and you get a personal AI assistant that's always available.

Ready to start? Visit docs.openclaw.ai for the full documentation.

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Resources:

• OpenClaw GitHub
• Official Documentation
• Discord Community
• VPS Hosting Guide

Last Updated: February 2026