What is the original name of OpenClaw

If you search for OpenClaw today, you will still see older docs, commands, and community posts that mention Clawdbot (and sometimes Moltbot). That naming drift is normal in fast-moving tooling—but it can be confusing when you are trying to deploy an agent quickly and safely.

Here is the clean story you can operationalize:

• OpenClaw’s earlier name was Clawdbot (and it is also referenced historically as Moltbot).
• In the Lighthouse application template update timeline, the project is recorded as being officially renamed to OpenClaw in late January 2026.

If your goal is installation, the more important takeaway is: the template and tooling are designed to keep legacy commands compatible, so you can follow modern deployment guidance without getting stuck on naming.

Why the name change matters for deployment

A rename is not just branding—it often signals:

• a new packaging standard (templates, panels, lifecycle management),
• a more stable operational interface,
• and a cleaner “entry point” for first-time users.

In the OpenClaw template update log, the rename is paired with improvements like initial configuration being handled within the template (reducing how much you need to do in the CLI), plus better gateway lifecycle controls.

For a developer, this means fewer moving parts on day one.

What you might still see in the wild

Even after a rename, three things tend to linger:

1. Commands: you may still run clawdbot onboard for interactive setup.
2. Template naming: you may see “OpenClaw (Clawdbot)” in application template catalogs.
3. Community references: people keep using the old name because it is what they installed first.

Treat these as aliases, not contradictions.

The safest default: do not deploy on your primary machine

Regardless of name, the security posture is consistent: the official community discourages deploying a high-privilege agent on your primary personal computer. OpenClaw can execute commands, automate actions, and touch data. Isolation is the baseline.

A dedicated cloud instance gives you:

• blast-radius control (your laptop stays separate),
• 24/7 uptime without keeping your personal device online,
• and clean rollback via snapshots.

One-click deployment that avoids naming confusion

If you want to skip the “is it Clawdbot or OpenClaw?” rabbit hole, deploy from the official Lighthouse template where the naming is already normalized.

Use this three-step path:

1. Visit: Go to https://www.tencentcloud.com/act/pro/intl-openclaw
2. Select: Under AI Agents, choose OpenClaw (Clawdbot)
3. Deploy: Click Buy Now to launch your always-on agent

This gets you into the configuration panel immediately, with the template handling the messy setup details.

Deployment guide: https://www.tencentcloud.com/techpedia/139184

How to recognize you are on the “new” side of the rename

You do not need to memorize versions, but it helps to know what modern templates typically provide:

• a configuration panel for models and channels,
• safer onboarding defaults,
• and pre-installed skills in some releases.

If you care about exact version history, the Lighthouse OpenClaw feature update log is the canonical timeline.

Update log: https://www.tencentcloud.com/techpedia/139191

The practical checklist (so you can deploy in minutes)

Here is the operator-friendly flow that works whether the ecosystem calls it OpenClaw or Clawdbot:

1. Deploy the template.
2. Configure your model API key.
3. Connect one channel.
4. Install one skill.
5. Keep the agent running 24/7.

The last step is where “framework” becomes “service.” If you need CLI control, this is the minimal set:

# Interactive onboarding (models/channels)
clawdbot onboard

# Install and run as a daemon
loginctl enable-linger $(whoami)
export XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=/run/user/$(id -u)
clawdbot daemon install
clawdbot daemon start
clawdbot daemon status

Skills and Clawhub: the ecosystem that outlived the name

The power of OpenClaw is not the name—it is the ecosystem.

Skills are distributed via Clawhub/Skills. You can install skills through chat prompts, and some skills may be flagged high-risk, triggering warnings and confirmation. That mechanism is your friend: it prevents “plugin convenience” from becoming a security incident.

Skills guide: https://www.tencentcloud.com/techpedia/139672

Next step: deploy under the current name, then learn the aliases

If you are new, start with the current, supported path: deploy OpenClaw via Lighthouse. Then learn the legacy aliases (Clawdbot/Moltbot) only as needed to read older posts.

To get a clean deployment in minutes:

1. Visit: https://www.tencentcloud.com/act/pro/intl-openclaw
2. Select: OpenClaw (Clawdbot) under AI Agents
3. Deploy: Click Buy Now and run your agent 24/7 in an isolated environment