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WS3 · 3 hours · hands-on

OpenClaw Setup

Learn to run your own AI assistant on your own computer. What OpenClaw is, how to install it, how to connect it to Telegram so you can message it from your phone, how to give it memory, and how to keep it safe and cap what it costs. You end the day with an assistant that sends you a briefing every morning.

I’m interested
Who it's for

People already comfortable using AI day to day.

You'll need

A laptop you can install software on, and access to a model - an API key or a Claude subscription. Setup steps come by email a week before.

01 / Learn

Get the
idea.

Open a topic to see what we’ll cover.

01

Where it can live

Your own machine or a small VM in the cloud. The VM runs all day; your laptop doesn't have to.

02

How it thinks

It needs a model behind it, and there are options: an Anthropic API key, your Claude subscription, Codex, OpenRouter, and others. What each costs and when each fits.

03

How model choice sets your bill

A strong model for conversation, a cheap one for background jobs. This one setting is the difference between a small bill and a big one.

04

Where it can message you

Telegram is official and safe. WhatsApp works but carries ban risk. You choose with eyes open.

05

What memory is

Facts you teach once stay across chats. Next month it still knows.

06

What a scheduled task is

Work that runs on its own, without you asking.

07

What a tool is

A capability you hand it: web search through Brave, its own email address, a calendar. The assistant is as useful as the tools you give it.

08

Its own identity online

The assistant gets its own email account, not yours. It sends and receives as itself, and you read everything it does.

09

Where the real risks are

Configuration, not luck, is the protection. Every incident story starts with a setup that ignored the basics.

02 / Try it

Put it
to work.

Things you’ll practise during the workshop.

  1. 01

    Install OpenClaw and verify it's healthy.

  2. 02

    Connect a model - your choice of provider - and cap the spend.

  3. 03

    Route models so the bill stays small.

  4. 04

    Connect a messaging channel and pair it so only you can use it.

  5. 05

    Write the identity file: who you are, how to talk to you.

  6. 06

    Teach it a fact and confirm it remembers in a fresh chat.

  7. 07

    Use web search and image generation from your phone.

  8. 08

    Schedule a morning briefing.

  9. 09

    Give it a search tool with its own API key.

  10. 10

    Set up an email account for it and let it send and receive.

  11. 11

    Decide which tools it gets and which it doesn't.

  12. 12

    Run the security audit and pass it.

03 / Make it

Your laptop.
Your turn.

Work through these exercises using your own material.

  1. 01

    Install, then pass both health checks.

  2. 02

    Pair your bot and get an answer to a voice note.

  3. 03

    Teach it a fact, open a fresh chat, confirm it remembers.

  4. 04

    Have it make an offer poster for your shop from one voice note.

  5. 05

    Give it its own email and have it send you a mail.

  6. 06

    Schedule tomorrow's morning briefing.

  7. 07

    Run the security audit and pass it.

Questions, answered

What does it cost to run?

OpenClaw is free software. The model behind it is the cost: per use through an API key, or covered by a Claude subscription. You set spend caps in class, so a surprise bill is not possible.

Can it use WhatsApp?

Yes, but the connection is unofficial and accounts get banned for it. Telegram uses an official bot system with zero ban risk. We teach Telegram, show the WhatsApp option, and you choose with eyes open.

Is it safe?

Configured correctly, yes, and a third of the workshop is exactly that configuration. The incidents you may have read about all involved setups that ignored the basics: exposed dashboards, open pairing, unvetted skills. Your setup passes a security audit before you leave.

Do I need a powerful laptop?

No. OpenClaw is light, and it can also live on a small VM in the cloud so your laptop doesn't have to stay on. Windows machines need WSL2 installed first, and the pre-workshop email has the steps.

Do I need to have done AI for Your Business first?

No, every workshop stands alone. But you should be comfortable using AI day to day. If you are not, that workshop is the right place to start.

Interested in OpenClaw Setup?

Email us about this workshop. We’ll reply with the next dates and details.

Email us about this workshop ↗