Deploy OpenClaw on DigitalOcean

Create Your DigitalOcean Account

Sign up at digitalocean.com to claim your $200 free credit (valid for 60 days). You'll need a credit card or PayPal for verification, but you won't be charged until the credit runs out.

Create a Droplet

In the DigitalOcean dashboard, click "Create" → "Droplets":

• Region: Pick the closest to you (Amsterdam, Frankfurt, NYC, SFO, etc.)
• Image: Ubuntu 24.04 (LTS) x64
• Size: Basic → Regular (SSD) → $18/mo (2GB RAM) recommended
• Authentication: SSH Key (add your public key)
• Hostname: openclaw-prod

Click "Create Droplet". It'll be ready in about 30 seconds.

Connect & Create a User

# SSH into your new Droplet
ssh root@YOUR_DROPLET_IP

# Create a dedicated user
adduser openclaw
usermod -aG sudo openclaw
mkdir -p /home/openclaw/.ssh
cp /root/.ssh/authorized_keys /home/openclaw/.ssh/
chown -R openclaw:openclaw /home/openclaw/.ssh

# Switch to the new user
su - openclaw

Install Node.js & OpenClaw

# Install Node.js 22 LTS
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_22.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt-get install -y nodejs

# Install OpenClaw
sudo npm install -g openclaw

# Run setup wizard
openclaw init

Set Up Auto-Start

# Create systemd service
sudo tee /etc/systemd/system/openclaw.service > /dev/null <<'EOF'
[Unit]
Description=OpenClaw AI Agent
After=network-online.target
Wants=network-online.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=openclaw
WorkingDirectory=/home/openclaw
ExecStart=/usr/bin/openclaw gateway start --foreground
Restart=always
RestartSec=10
Environment=NODE_ENV=production

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
EOF

# Enable and start
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable openclaw
sudo systemctl start openclaw

Secure Your Droplet

# Enable DigitalOcean's free firewall (or use UFW)
sudo ufw allow ssh
sudo ufw allow 443/tcp
sudo ufw enable

# Disable root login
sudo sed -i 's/PermitRootLogin yes/PermitRootLogin no/' /etc/ssh/sshd_config
sudo systemctl restart sshd

# Enable automatic security updates
sudo apt install -y unattended-upgrades
sudo dpkg-reconfigure -plow unattended-upgrades