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Set Up Your Own AI Agent

Heads up: This guide is more technical than the others. You don't need to be a programmer, but you should be comfortable typing commands into a computer. If the words "terminal" or "command line" make you nervous, that's okay -- read through this first, and then decide if you want to try it or ask a tech-savvy friend to help.

What You're Building

By the end of this guide, you'll have an AI agent running on your computer that you can text from your phone. It'll be able to:

  • Read and respond to messages via Telegram, Discord, or SMS
  • Check your email and summarize what's important
  • Post to social media on your behalf
  • Run on a schedule (check email every morning, post weekly, etc.)
  • Remember your business details across conversations

The agent is called OpenClaw. It's free, open-source software. You just pay for the AI brain behind it (Claude, ChatGPT, etc.) which is around $20/month.

What You'll Need

  1. A computer that stays on. Can be a laptop you leave open, a Mac Mini, or even a $35 Raspberry Pi. It needs to be running for the agent to work.
  2. An internet connection. Nothing special, your regular home internet is fine.
  3. A Claude or OpenAI API key. This is how you pay for the AI brain. Different from the $20/mo subscription -- API pricing is pay-per-use and usually costs $5-20/month for normal usage.
  4. About 30 minutes.

Option 1: The Easy Way (exe.new)

If you want the quickest possible setup with minimal terminal work:

  1. Go to exe.new
  2. Follow their setup wizard -- it handles most of the installation automatically
  3. Connect your Anthropic (Claude) or OpenAI API key when prompted
  4. Connect a messaging platform (Telegram is easiest)

This gets you running in about 10 minutes. If you want more control, keep reading for the manual setup.

Option 2: Manual Setup (Mac or Linux)

Step 1: Install Node.js

Node.js is the engine that runs OpenClaw. Think of it like the operating system for the agent.

On Mac:

  1. Open Terminal (search for "Terminal" in Spotlight -- press Cmd+Space and type "Terminal")
  2. Copy and paste this command, then press Enter:
curl -fsSL https://fnm.vercel.app/install | bash && fnm install --lts

Wait for it to finish. This installs Node.js on your computer.

On Linux (Ubuntu/Raspberry Pi):

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_lts.x | sudo -E bash - && sudo apt-get install -y nodejs

Step 2: Install OpenClaw

In the same Terminal window, paste this:

npm install -g openclaw

This downloads and installs OpenClaw. Takes about 30 seconds.

Step 3: Set Up Your AI Key

You need an API key from Anthropic (Claude) or OpenAI (ChatGPT). This is separate from a regular subscription.

To get a Claude API key:

  1. Go to console.anthropic.com
  2. Create an account (or sign in)
  3. Go to API Keys
  4. Click "Create Key"
  5. Copy the key (it starts with "sk-ant-")
  6. Add $10-20 in credits (pay-as-you-go)

Now set it in your terminal:

openclaw config set providers.anthropic.apiKey YOUR_KEY_HERE

Step 4: Connect a Messaging Platform

The easiest option is Telegram (free messaging app). This lets you text your agent from your phone.

  1. Download Telegram on your phone (App Store or Google Play)
  2. Open Telegram and search for @BotFather
  3. Send it the message: /newbot
  4. Follow the prompts to name your bot (anything you want)
  5. BotFather gives you a token (a long string of numbers and letters)
  6. Back in your terminal:
openclaw config set channels.telegram.botToken YOUR_BOT_TOKEN

Step 5: Start the Agent

openclaw gateway install && openclaw gateway start

That's it. Your agent is running. Open Telegram, find your bot, and send it a message. It should respond.

Step 6: Tell It About Your Business

OpenClaw uses files in a workspace directory to remember who it is and who you are. The most important ones:

  • SOUL.md -- The agent's personality. How it talks, what tone to use.
  • USER.md -- Info about you. Your name, business, services, location, preferences.
  • TOOLS.md -- Notes about what tools and accounts it has access to.

Open these files (they're in the OpenClaw workspace folder) and fill in your details. The more you tell it, the better it works.

What to Do If Something Goes Wrong

Most common issues:

  • "Command not found" -- Close your terminal and open a new one. The installation might need a fresh terminal to work.
  • Agent doesn't respond on Telegram -- Make sure the gateway is running: openclaw gateway status
  • Weird errors -- Run openclaw gateway restart first. Fixes most things.

The OpenClaw community on Discord is also very helpful for troubleshooting: discord.com/invite/clawd

Next Steps After Setup

Once your agent is running, explore these:

  • Install skills: Skills are like apps for your agent. Install the contractor marketing skill to get 12 ready-made commands.
  • Set up scheduled tasks: Have your agent check email every morning or post to social media weekly.
  • Connect more tools: Email (Gmail), calendar, CRM, social media accounts.

Start simple. Get it responding on Telegram first. Then add one thing at a time. Don't try to set up everything on day one.

Want the agent pre-configured for contractor marketing? Install our free Contractor Marketing Skill -- 12 slash commands for GBP posts, review responses, social media, ad copy, and more.