Deploy OpenClaw to production servers with openclaw-ansible -- an automated installer with security-first architecture.

Info

The openclaw-ansible repo is the source of truth for Ansible deployment. This page is a quick overview.

Prerequisites

Requirement	Details
OS	Debian 11+ or Ubuntu 20.04+
Access	Root or sudo privileges
Network	Internet connection for package installation
Ansible	2.14+ (installed automatically by the quick-start script)

What you get

• Firewall-first security -- UFW + Docker isolation (only SSH + Tailscale accessible)
• Tailscale VPN -- secure remote access without exposing services publicly
• Docker -- isolated sandbox containers, localhost-only bindings
• Defense in depth -- 4-layer security architecture
• Systemd integration -- auto-start on boot with hardening
• One-command setup -- complete deployment in minutes

Quick start

One-command install:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/openclaw/openclaw-ansible/main/install.sh | bash

What gets installed

The Ansible playbook installs and configures:

1. Tailscale -- mesh VPN for secure remote access
2. UFW firewall -- SSH + Tailscale ports only
3. Docker CE + Compose V2 -- for the default agent sandbox backend
4. Node.js 24 + pnpm -- runtime dependencies (Node 22 LTS, currently 22.19+, remains supported)
5. OpenClaw -- host-based, not containerized
6. Systemd service -- auto-start with security hardening

Note

The gateway runs directly on the host (not in Docker). Agent sandboxing is optional; this playbook installs Docker because it is the default sandbox backend. See Sandboxing for details and other backends.

Post-Install Setup

Switch to the openclaw user

```bash
sudo -i -u openclaw
```

Run the onboarding wizard

The post-install script guides you through configuring OpenClaw settings.

Connect messaging providers

Log in to WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, or Signal:
```bash
openclaw channels login
```

Verify the installation

```bash
sudo systemctl status openclaw
sudo journalctl -u openclaw -f
```

Connect to Tailscale

Join your VPN mesh for secure remote access.

Quick commands

# Check service status
sudo systemctl status openclaw

# View live logs
sudo journalctl -u openclaw -f

# Restart gateway
sudo systemctl restart openclaw

# Provider login (run as openclaw user)
sudo -i -u openclaw
openclaw channels login

Security architecture

The deployment uses a 4-layer defense model:

1. Firewall (UFW) -- only SSH (22) + Tailscale (41641/udp) exposed publicly
2. VPN (Tailscale) -- gateway accessible only via VPN mesh
3. Docker isolation -- DOCKER-USER iptables chain prevents external port exposure
4. Systemd hardening -- NoNewPrivileges, PrivateTmp, unprivileged user

To verify your external attack surface:

nmap -p- YOUR_SERVER_IP

Only port 22 (SSH) should be open. All other services (gateway, Docker) are locked down.

Docker is installed for agent sandboxes (isolated tool execution), not for running the gateway itself. See Multi-Agent Sandbox and Tools for sandbox configuration.

Manual installation

If you prefer manual control over the automation:

Install prerequisites

```bash
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y ansible git
```

Clone the repository

```bash
git clone https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw-ansible.git
cd openclaw-ansible
```

Install Ansible collections

```bash
ansible-galaxy collection install -r requirements.yml
```

Run the playbook

```bash
./run-playbook.sh
```

Alternatively, run directly and then manually execute the setup script afterward:
```bash
ansible-playbook playbook.yml --ask-become-pass
# Then run: /tmp/openclaw-setup.sh
```

Updating

The Ansible installer sets up OpenClaw for manual updates. See Updating for the standard update flow.

To re-run the Ansible playbook (for example, for configuration changes):

cd openclaw-ansible
./run-playbook.sh

This is idempotent and safe to run multiple times.

Troubleshooting

Firewall blocks my connection

- Ensure you can access via Tailscale VPN first
- SSH access (port 22) is always allowed
- The gateway is only accessible via Tailscale by design

Service will not start

```bash
# Check logs
sudo journalctl -u openclaw -n 100

# Verify permissions
sudo ls -la /opt/openclaw

# Test manual start
sudo -i -u openclaw
cd ~/openclaw
openclaw gateway run
```

Docker sandbox issues

```bash
# Verify Docker is running
sudo systemctl status docker

# Check sandbox image
sudo docker images | grep openclaw-sandbox

# Build sandbox image if missing (requires source checkout)
cd /opt/openclaw/openclaw
sudo -u openclaw ./scripts/sandbox-setup.sh
# For npm installs without a source checkout, see
# https://docs.openclaw.ai/gateway/sandboxing#images-and-setup
```

Provider login fails

Make sure you are running as the `openclaw` user:
```bash
sudo -i -u openclaw
openclaw channels login
```

Advanced configuration

For detailed security architecture and troubleshooting, see the openclaw-ansible repo:

• Security Architecture
• Technical Details
• Troubleshooting Guide

Related

• openclaw-ansible -- full deployment guide
• Docker -- containerized gateway setup
• Sandboxing -- agent sandbox configuration
• Multi-Agent Sandbox and Tools -- per-agent isolation