Select an external-use channel
Create a dedicated key in key management. For Claude, choose Claude Plus（精品）, Claude Max（外接版） or a suitable official direct group. For Codex, choose Codex Pro（外接版） or external-capable Lite. Neither Claude Max（仅限CC） nor Codex Pro（仅限Codex） allows OpenClaw. Lite has no free Fast tier. Review pricing before requests.
| Channel | Base | Example model | Required protocol |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude | https://monkeytheme.com | claude-opus-4-8 | Anthropic Messages |
| Codex | https://monkeytheme.com/v1 | gpt-6.1-sol | OpenAI Responses |
The models appear in the relevant groups in the current model listing. This does not establish compatibility with every OpenClaw release.
Installation
Prepare Node.js. OpenClaw requires Node 24.x at least 24.16, or 26.1+; security guidance recommends 24.22.1+ or 26.12.1+. Use npm 12 or 11.16+ for the commands below; omit --allow-scripts=openclaw on older npm. See the official installation guide. Native Windows and WSL are supported; WSL is optional.
Windows
npm install -g openclaw@latest --allow-scripts=openclaw
openclaw --version
openclaw onboardmacOS
npm install -g openclaw@latest --allow-scripts=openclaw
openclaw --version
openclaw onboardLinux
npm install -g openclaw@latest --allow-scripts=openclaw
openclaw --version
openclaw onboardManual interactive setup
Back up existing settings. Run openclaw onboard, choose Custom setup → More… / Custom Provider, and explicitly select custom access instead of reusing official OAuth. Enter the base, key, compatibility protocol and model from the table. Choose Anthropic Messages for Claude. Choose Responses for Codex only if your release offers it; Chat Completions cannot become Responses by changing a model ID. The wizard performs real model verification before saving, which may incur usage charges. See the official wizard guide. A visible text model does not establish tool compatibility.
Launch and permissions
Use the launch path shown by your release. Inspect openclaw --help first. Check the active default model and provider. Validate in an empty workspace before granting the file, tool and messaging permissions your task needs.
Verification, troubleshooting and recovery
A short user-run request may incur charges. Check the key for 401, external-use group for 403, protocol and base for 404, and exact model for model_not_found. Keep redacted errors and version information without sharing secret configuration. Restore the earlier provider or backup using supported client controls if necessary. See Hermes for another agent path.