What is ClawMates and what does it do?

ClawMates is a managed hosting platform that deploys AI assistants to Telegram and WhatsApp in under 5 minutes. It wraps the open-source OpenClaw framework so you get a personal AI chatbot powered by GPT-4, Claude, or Gemini — without any coding, servers, or Docker setup.

OpenClaw is an open-source AI assistant framework that connects large language models like GPT-4, Claude, and Gemini to messaging platforms such as Telegram, WhatsApp, and Discord. ClawMates provides managed hosting for OpenClaw so you don't need to self-host.

How much does ClawMates cost?

ClawMates starts with a free 7-day trial. After the trial, plans start at $29.99 per month, which includes all AI API costs — no separate OpenAI or Anthropic bill required.

How long does it take to set up ClawMates?

Setup takes under 5 minutes. You choose an AI model, connect your messaging app (paste a Telegram bot token or scan a WhatsApp QR code), set your assistant's name and personality, and click deploy.

Which AI models does ClawMates support?

ClawMates supports three leading AI models: Claude by Anthropic, GPT-4 by OpenAI, and Gemini by Google. You can also bring your own API key if you prefer to use your own account with any of these providers.

How do I set up a Telegram bot with ClawMates?

Open Telegram, search for @BotFather, send /newbot, and follow the prompts to get a bot token. Then go to clawmates.net/setup, enable Telegram, paste your bot token, choose an AI model, and click deploy. Your bot will be live in under 5 minutes.

How do I set up WhatsApp with ClawMates?

ClawMates supports WhatsApp via two modes: self-chat mode (talk to AI in your own chat) and full bot mode. During setup, enable WhatsApp and scan a QR code — similar to linking WhatsApp Web. No business account or Meta approval needed.

Is there a free trial for ClawMates?

Yes, ClawMates offers a 7-day free trial with full access to all features. No credit card is required to start. You can cancel anytime during the trial without being charged.

Can I cancel my ClawMates subscription anytime?

Yes, you can cancel your ClawMates subscription at any time with no cancellation fees. Your bot will continue running until the end of your current billing period.

Is my data private and secure with ClawMates?

Yes. ClawMates never stores or reads your conversations. Messages go directly between you and the AI provider. Each bot runs in its own isolated container, and all connections are encrypted with TLS.

What happens if I self-host OpenClaw instead of using ClawMates?

Self-hosting OpenClaw requires a Linux server, Docker, SSL certificates, and ongoing maintenance. You'll need to handle updates, uptime monitoring, and troubleshooting yourself. ClawMates handles all of this automatically for $29.99/month.

What is the difference between ClawMates and ChatGPT?

ChatGPT runs on OpenAI's website or app. ClawMates deploys an AI assistant directly into your existing messaging apps like Telegram and WhatsApp. ClawMates also supports multiple AI models (Claude, GPT-4, Gemini), lets you customize the personality, and includes daily briefings and proactive features.

Can I use ClawMates on multiple platforms at the same time?

Yes. You can connect both Telegram and WhatsApp to the same ClawMates bot simultaneously. Your assistant will be available on all connected platforms with the same personality and capabilities.

Does ClawMates work 24/7?

Yes, your ClawMates assistant runs 24/7 on managed cloud infrastructure. If a container crashes, it automatically restarts. There is no downtime for updates or maintenance.

How do I customize my ClawMates assistant's personality?

During setup, you can write a system prompt that defines your assistant's personality, tone, areas of expertise, and behavior. For example, you can make it formal or casual, tell it to focus on specific topics, or give it a custom name and avatar.

OpenClaw Docker Setup Guide: Step-by-Step (2026)

OpenClaw Docker Setup: What You're Getting Into

Self-hosting OpenClaw with Docker is the most popular approach for developers who want full control. This guide covers the complete setup process step-by-step, including common errors and how to fix them. It also covers when you should skip Docker entirely and use a managed service instead.

Prerequisites before you start:

A Linux server (Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 recommended) with at least 2 GB RAM
SSH access to the server
A domain name or public IP for webhook configuration
A Telegram Bot Token (from @BotFather) or WhatsApp pairing access
An AI API key: OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, or Google Gemini

If you don't have a server, DigitalOcean's 2 GB Droplet at $14/month is a reliable choice. Hetzner offers similar specs for less in Europe.

Step 1: Install Docker

Connect to your server via SSH and install Docker using the official repository (the apt package is outdated):

# Remove any old Docker versions
sudo apt remove docker docker-engine docker.io containerd runc

# Install Docker's official repository
sudo apt update
sudo apt install ca-certificates curl gnupg
sudo install -m 0755 -d /etc/apt/keyrings
curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg
sudo chmod a+r /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg

echo "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu $(. /etc/os-release && echo "$VERSION_CODENAME") stable" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null

sudo apt update
sudo apt install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin

# Add your user to the docker group (avoid using sudo for every docker command)
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
newgrp docker

Verify Docker is working:

docker --version
docker compose version

Step 2: Clone the OpenClaw Repository

git clone https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw.git
cd openclaw

Check the latest stable release tag and checkout it:

git fetch --tags
git checkout $(git describe --tags $(git rev-list --tags --max-count=1))

Step 3: Configure Environment Variables

OpenClaw uses a .env file for all configuration. Copy the example:

cp .env.example .env
nano .env

Key variables to configure:

# AI Provider (choose one)
OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-your-openai-key-here
# OR
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-your-anthropic-key-here
# OR
GOOGLE_AI_API_KEY=your-gemini-key-here

# Default AI model
DEFAULT_MODEL=claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022
# OR: gpt-4o, gemini-2.0-flash-exp

# Telegram (if using Telegram)
TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=1234567890:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrsTUVwxyz

# WhatsApp (if using WhatsApp)
WHATSAPP_ENABLED=true

# Security
JWT_SECRET=generate-a-random-string-here
ADMIN_PASSWORD=your-admin-password

# Domain (for webhooks and SSL)
DOMAIN=yourdomain.com

Generate a random JWT secret:

openssl rand -base64 32

Step 4: Configure SSL with Nginx

OpenClaw needs HTTPS for Telegram webhooks. The easiest approach is to use the built-in Nginx + Certbot configuration:

# Install Certbot
sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx

# Get a certificate (replace with your domain)
sudo certbot --nginx -d yourdomain.com

# Verify auto-renewal
sudo certbot renew --dry-run

Update your .env with the SSL certificate paths if needed, or use the docker-compose configuration that mounts the Let's Encrypt certificates automatically.

Step 5: Start OpenClaw

docker compose up -d

This starts all containers in the background. Watch the logs to see if everything starts correctly:

docker compose logs -f

Wait for output like:

openclaw-core  | [OpenClaw] Telegram connector initialized
openclaw-core  | [OpenClaw] Listening on port 3000
openclaw-core  | [OpenClaw] Bot @your_bot_username is ready

Common Errors and Fixes

Error: "Cannot find module" or npm install failures

This usually means the Docker build failed. Try rebuilding:

docker compose build --no-cache
docker compose up -d

Error: "ECONNREFUSED" to AI API

Your API key is wrong or not being read. Double-check your .env file has no trailing spaces and the key format is correct. Run docker compose config to see the resolved configuration.

Error: Telegram webhook failed to set

Your domain is not publicly accessible or SSL is not configured. Verify your domain resolves to your server's IP and SSL is working:

curl -v https://yourdomain.com/health

Error: WhatsApp QR code not appearing

WhatsApp needs a persistent session storage. Check that the ./data volume is properly mounted in your docker-compose.yml and the container has write permissions.

Error: Container exits with OOM (Out of Memory)

Your server has insufficient RAM. OpenClaw needs at least 512 MB for the core process, plus the AI provider workers. Upgrade to a 2 GB server minimum.

Step 6: Test Your Bot

For Telegram: open your bot in the Telegram app and send "Hello". You should get a response within 5 seconds.

For WhatsApp: look for the QR code in the OpenClaw web dashboard (usually at http://localhost:3000 or your domain). Scan it with your phone.

Step 7: Set Up Automatic Restarts and Monitoring

Ensure your containers restart on server reboot:

# Already configured in docker-compose.yml with restart: unless-stopped
# But verify your Docker service starts on boot:
sudo systemctl enable docker
sudo systemctl start docker

Set up basic monitoring with a simple uptime check:

# Add to crontab (check every 5 minutes, restart if down)
crontab -e

# Add this line:
*/5 * * * * docker inspect openclaw-core --format='{{.State.Status}}' | grep -v running && docker compose -f /path/to/openclaw/docker-compose.yml up -d

Keeping OpenClaw Updated

OpenClaw releases updates frequently. To update:

cd openclaw
git fetch --tags
git checkout $(git describe --tags $(git rev-list --tags --max-count=1))
docker compose down
docker compose build --no-cache
docker compose up -d

Test your bot after each update to ensure nothing broke.

Estimated Total Time

If you've followed this guide step by step on a fresh server:

Docker install: 10 minutes
Repository setup: 5 minutes
Configuration: 20-45 minutes (first time)
SSL setup: 15-30 minutes
Troubleshooting: 30 minutes to 3 hours (varies)
Total: 1.5 to 5 hours

For experienced Linux admins, closer to 1.5-2 hours. For first-timers, budget 4-5 hours and expect to Google several errors.

The No-Docker Alternative: ClawMates

If you got through this guide and thought "I just want my AI assistant to work without all this" — that's completely valid. ClawMates is the managed alternative that handles everything in this guide automatically.

What ClawMates replaces:

All of the Docker configuration above
SSL certificate management
Nginx reverse proxy setup
Monitoring and automatic restarts
OpenClaw version updates
Server security hardening

What you do instead:

Go to clawmates.net/setup
Paste your bot token
Choose AI model
Click deploy

Your bot is live in 30 seconds. No server, no Docker, no SSL, no 3 AM debugging sessions.

Plans start at $9.99/month with AI API access included. For users who tried self-hosting and found the maintenance burden too high, ClawMates is the natural next step. Read the self-hosted vs managed comparison for a full cost analysis.