OpenClaw Course
A beginner-friendly guide to OpenClaw: what it is, how to set it up, and how to put it to work.
22 lessons · about 5 hours of reading · Free
Start lesson 1Course syllabus22 Lessons
What Is OpenClaw, and Is It Right for You?
Understand what OpenClaw does, how it differs from a regular chat assistant, and the trade-offs of running an always-available agent.
OpenClaw vs Claude Code: Which Tool Fits the Task?
Compare an always-available assistant gateway, a coding agent, and an agent framework by where they run, what starts work, and what you must operate.
How OpenClaw Works: Gateway, Sessions, and Agents
Follow a request from its channel through the Gateway, session, agent, model, and tools to understand how OpenClaw responds.
OpenClaw Context and Memory: What Carries Forward?
Learn how OpenClaw's context window, daily notes, durable memory, and memory search differ, and how to protect private information.
OpenClaw Workspace Files: Shape Your Agent Safely
Learn what OpenClaw's workspace files do, how to write clear agent guidance, and how to protect secrets and private notes.
Where Should OpenClaw Run? Local, VPS, or Isolated
Choose a home for OpenClaw by comparing availability, isolation, network exposure, upkeep, backups, and cost.
Install OpenClaw and Start Its Gateway Safely
Follow a cautious OpenClaw install, onboarding, service setup, and health check on an isolated test host.
Choose an OpenClaw Model and Provider
Compare hosted and local models, choose a provider, protect credentials, and verify the model route before giving it tools.
Add Your First OpenClaw Channel Safely
Connect a new Telegram bot to an isolated OpenClaw Gateway, approve only your own sender, and verify or remove the channel.
Choose Another OpenClaw Chat Channel Carefully
Compare Slack, Discord, WhatsApp, Signal, and iMessage by account type, setup, group exposure, and the permissions each one needs.
Control OpenClaw Sessions and Commands
Understand what a session keeps, choose reset or compaction deliberately, and use the chat and CLI commands that help you operate OpenClaw.
Separate OpenClaw Agents and Route Messages
Decide when to use multiple agents, give each a clear workspace and tool policy, and map channel traffic with explicit routing rules.
Schedule OpenClaw Checks with Heartbeats and Automations
Choose between a lightweight heartbeat and a separate scheduled job, set time limits and active hours, and manage recurring work safely.
Secure OpenClaw Hooks and Webhooks
Learn how OpenClaw hooks differ from inbound webhooks, then design a signed event path with timestamp checks and replay protection.
Use and Create OpenClaw Skills
Find out what a skill can and cannot do, install it into the right workspace, and write a small reusable instruction pack.
Vet OpenClaw Skills and Plugins Before Installing
Review what a community skill or plugin can read, run, and send before granting it access, using a careful checklist and a small pattern scanner.
Extend OpenClaw with Plugins and MCP
Choose between a skill, a Gateway plugin, and an MCP server, then connect only the tools and permissions an agent needs.
Understand the OpenClaw Security Model
Map the trust boundaries around an always-on Gateway, from who can reach it to what an agent can do with untrusted content.
Secure an OpenClaw Gateway with Ten Checks
Apply ten practical security checks to your Gateway, verify each change, and use a short incident card if credentials or access may be exposed.
Back Up, Update, and Troubleshoot OpenClaw
Protect OpenClaw state, rehearse a restore, update carefully, and use a calm diagnostic sequence when the Gateway stops behaving as expected.
Control OpenClaw Costs and Improve Reliability
See where usage comes from, choose an appropriate model and thinking level, keep scheduled work bounded, and make failures visible without creating retry loops.
Capstone: Build a Safe OpenClaw Personal Assistant
Bring the course together in a fictional, isolated project with one model, a private Telegram bot, a morning briefing, a vetted skill, a signed event path, and a recovery drill.
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One lesson a week, in order. Free, and you can unsubscribe from any email.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the OpenClaw course for?
Developers and technically comfortable users who want a private, always-on assistant without exposing their accounts or machine.
What do I need before starting the OpenClaw course?
Comfort with a terminal, environment variables and basic networking. No agent-building experience is needed.
What will I learn in the OpenClaw course?
You will finish with a safe personal assistant that you set up, secured and tested yourself.
How long does the OpenClaw course take?
It has 22 lessons and about 5 hours of reading, before you spend time on the practice tasks. Go at your own pace; the lessons are written to be done in order.
Is the OpenClaw course free?
Yes. Every lesson is free to read, and you do not need to sign in.