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Installing IONOS OpenClaw

Valid for IONOS OpenClaw Hosting.

OpenClaw (previous names: Clawdbot, Moltbot) is an autonomous AI agent that can perform various tasks independently. This Help Center article explains how to install IONOS OpenClaw on an IONOS VPS. The VPS acts as a sandbox and isolates AI processes from your private devices. This means that local hardware and data remain completely protected.

Notes

  • OpenClaw is not pre-installed on your VPS. The installation is described below.

  • At least one AI model API key, e.g. from OpenAI (ChatGPT) or Google (Gemini), is required to use OpenClaw.

Security information on OpenClaw

OpenClaw is an AI agent that performs actions independently on your behalf and, for example, installs programs, uses communication tools (chat apps), and accesses files. In order for these and other tasks to be executed, OpenClaw must be granted permissions.

Please note that an attacker can potentially exploit vulnerabilities and security gaps in OpenClaw, and thus gain the associated permissions and access to services and programs.

For this reason, always keep OpenClaw up to date and keep, yourself informed about current threats and security methods.

Order and provision OpenClaw VPS

  • Navigate to the IONOS OpenClaw page, and click on Add to cart under the desired plan.
  • Configure your server: Term, server location, operating system, and backup solution.
  • Click on Next.
  • Optional: Select any provided recommended features for your VPS plan and click Continue.
  • Click Continue on the Your shopping cart page to confirm your order. The order overview is displayed.
  • Click on Sign in if you already have an IONOS account, otherwise enter your billing information and click Continue.
  • Tick the checkboxes for General Terms and Conditions (incl. cancellation policy) and Privacy Policy.
  • Click on Buy now to complete the order. Your personal customer area will now be set up for you and will be available shortly.
  • Click on Start now and select the VPS you have just ordered in the contract overview by clicking on Select in the 3-dot menu of the corresponding line. The Cloud Panel for managing your VPS is displayed.

To carry out the IONOS OpenClaw installation from this point, start at point 4 in the following step-by-step instructions "Install OpenClaw via command line (CLI)".

Install OpenClaw via command line (CLI)

The following instructions describe how to access your VPS information through your IONOS account, connect to the server via SSH, and then install OpenClaw using the SSH provided command line.

  • Log in to your IONOS account.

  • Click on Menu > Servers & Cloud in the title bar. The contract overview is displayed.

  • Select the desired VPS in the contract overview by clicking on Select in the 3-dot menu of the corresponding line. The Cloud Panel for managing your VPS is displayed.

  • Select Infrastructure > Servers in the Cloud Panel menu on the left-hand side.

  • Click on your server under Servers. The details of the server are displayed. To establish a connection with your VPS, you will need the IP/host, user and initial password.

  • Establish a connection to your VPS:
    From a Windows computer: Establishing an SSH connection to your Linux server from a Microsoft Windows computer
    From a Linux computer: Establishing an SSH connection to your Linux server from a Linux computer

  • Enter the following command on the command line of your VPS to install the current OpenClaw version and all dependencies:

    curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash

After the automatic installation, OpenClaw starts with an onboarding wizard. You can find more details on this in the OpenClaw help.

Adjust storage space and performance

If OpenClaw takes on more complex tasks and requires more resources, an upgrade to a more powerful VPS plan (with more CPU, RAM and SSD memory) is possible directly in your IONOS account. Please note that upgrades are only available within the predefined plan configurations, and a later downgrade to a smaller plan is not possible.

Additional information

IONOS VPS Information

OpenClaw information

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