OpenClaw, the open-source AI Agent formerly known as Clawdbot/Moltbot, has rapidly become a favorite among developers and tech enthusiasts worldwide for its powerful automation capabilities—from managing inboxes and calendars to executing cross-platform tasks via popular chat apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Discord. What makes it stand out is its 100% AI-written code, ultra-long memory, and full operational permissions, all accessible through intuitive chat-based interactions. While it can run on local devices like Mac Mini, the safest and most efficient deployment method is on an isolated cloud server. This guide will walk you through how to install OpenClaw seamlessly on Tencent Cloud Lighthouse, a lightweight cloud server solution designed for quick, cost-effective, and 7×24/7 available AI application deployment.
OpenClaw’s high operational permissions mean it poses potential risks if deployed on your primary personal computer—mixing personal data with the AI’s runtime environment can lead to unintended data exposure. Tencent Cloud Lighthouse solves this core problem with security isolation, creating a separate runtime environment that protects your local data while ensuring OpenClaw is always online. Beyond security, Lighthouse offers unbeatable advantages for OpenClaw installation:
One-click deployment template: Preconfigured with OpenClaw and all its underlying dependencies—no manual environment setup or code compilation required, ready to use out of the box.
Cost-efficiency: Affordable pricing starting from just a few dollars per month, with flexible plans for personal testing and business-scale deployment.
Global regional support: Both domestic and overseas regions are available, optimized for low-latency connections to global IM platforms and AI models.
7×24/7 uptime: Cloud-based hosting ensures your OpenClaw AI assistant is responsive anytime, anywhere, without local device limitations.
Visual configuration panel: A user-friendly web interface for AI model and chat channel setup, eliminating complex command-line operations for beginners.
Tencent Cloud Lighthouse is the official recommended deployment platform for OpenClaw, with exclusive optimizations for the AI Agent’s runtime performance and seamless integration with mainstream domestic and international AI models and IM apps.
Installing OpenClaw on Tencent Cloud Lighthouse is a straightforward process with two options: purchasing a new Lighthouse instance (for first-time users) or reinstalling an existing instance (for current Tencent Cloud users). Both methods use the prebuilt OpenClaw application template, ensuring a 30-second startup time.
A Tencent Cloud account (register for free on the official Tencent Cloud website).
Basic account verification (to enable cloud server purchasing and payment).
Select a region based on your usage scenario: overseas regions (e.g., Singapore, Hong Kong) for WhatsApp/Telegram/Discord integration; domestic regions for QQ/WeCom/DingTalk and Chinese AI model access.
This is the recommended method for new users, with exclusive discount plans for OpenClaw deployment:
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Navigate to the Tencent Cloud Lighthouse purchase page via the exclusive link above.
Under Application Creation Method, select Application Template > AI Agent > OpenClaw (Clawdbot).
Choose your preferred region (follow the pre-install preparation guidelines for regional selection).
Select a server plan:
2C2G (2 vCPUs, 2GB RAM): Entry-level plan for personal testing and lightweight AI assistant use.
2C4G (2 vCPUs, 4GB RAM) [Recommended]: Stable performance for daily use, supporting multi-channel and multi-skill deployment.
4C8G (4 vCPUs, 8GB RAM): Business-level plan for multi-Agent management and large-scale task automation.
Configure basic server settings (server name, login method) and complete payment.
Wait 30 seconds for the instance to be created—Tencent Cloud will automatically install OpenClaw and its dependencies.
For current Tencent Cloud Lighthouse users who want to repurpose an existing instance (note: this will erase all system disk data—back up important files first):
Log in to the Tencent Cloud Lighthouse Console and locate the instance you want to reinstall.
Click More > Reinstall System on the instance details page.
Select Use Application Template > AI Agent > OpenClaw (Clawdbot) and set your login credentials (recommend "Set after reinstallation").
Confirm the reinstallation (check the data erasure warning) and wait for the process to complete.
After reinstallation, verify that the 18789 TCP port is open (critical for OpenClaw’s runtime):
Navigate to the instance’s Firewall page.
Click Add Rule, set Protocol = TCP, Port = 18789, Policy = Allow, and save.
Once OpenClaw is installed on Tencent Cloud Lighthouse, the final step is to configure its "brain" (AI models) and "communication channels" (chat apps). Tencent Cloud provides a visual configuration panel to simplify this process, with support for over 10 mainstream AI models and global IM platforms.
Log in to the Tencent Cloud Lighthouse Console and select your OpenClaw instance.
Click the Application Management tab—you will see the OpenClaw control panel with three core sections: Models, Channels, and Skills.
Models power OpenClaw’s reasoning and automation capabilities—Tencent Cloud Lighthouse supports one-click configuration for both Chinese and international AI models:
Chinese models: Tencent Hunyuan, DeepSeek, Kimi, Zhipu GLM, Doubao, Tongyi Qianwen, Wenxin Yiyan (all with API Key one-click input).
International models: OpenAI GPT, Gemini, Claude (custom model configuration supported).
Key Tips:
Use a domestic Lighthouse instance for Chinese models to ensure low latency and stable connections.
Protect your API Key at all times—leakage may result in unauthorized usage and additional costs.
OpenClaw uses more tokens due to context retention; monitor your token usage via the model provider’s console.
Connect OpenClaw to your favorite chat apps to interact with the AI assistant—Tencent Cloud Lighthouse exclusively supports one-click configuration for Chinese mainstream IM apps (QQ/WeCom/DingTalk/Lark) and provides detailed tutorials for international platforms:
One-click configuration (Chinese IMs): Enter the app’s App ID/Secret in the Channels panel and click Add and Apply.
Command-line configuration (international IMs): For WhatsApp/Telegram/Discord/Slack, use Tencent Cloud’s built-in OrcaTerm terminal:
Click Login on the Lighthouse instance page and select Password-free Connection (TAT) to access OrcaTerm.
Run the command openclaw onboard and follow the on-screen prompts to select and configure your desired channel.
Verify your model and channel configuration with the OpenClaw TUI—a command-line tool for direct AI interaction (no chat app required):
Access the Lighthouse instance via OrcaTerm.
Run the command openclaw tui.
Send a test message (e.g., "Hello")—a normal AI response confirms successful configuration.
Troubleshooting "no output" errors:
Invalid AI model API Key (check for Coding Plan/regular plan mix-ups).
Expired free tokens or unpaid model provider accounts.
Network latency (switch to a region matching your AI model).
For power users, Tencent Cloud Lighthouse supports full OpenClaw command-line control:
openclaw config: Modify OpenClaw’s core settings (model, channel, skills).
openclaw onboard: Reconfigure chat channels and AI models.
openclaw tui: Launch the terminal AI interaction tool.
Local deployment (e.g., Mac Mini) is popular among early OpenClaw adopters, but cloud deployment on Tencent Cloud Lighthouse offers clear advantages:
| Aspect | Local Deployment (Mac Mini) | Tencent Cloud Lighthouse Deployment |
|---|---|---|
| Security | High risk (data mixing) | Security isolation (local data safe) |
| Uptime | Dependent on local device | 7×24/7 online (cloud hosting) |
| Deployment | Manual environment setup | One-click template (30s startup) |
| Global Access | Limited by local network | Low-latency global regions |
| Cost | High upfront hardware cost | Low monthly subscription (pay-as-you-go) |
| Scalability | Fixed hardware performance | On-demand plan upgrades |
OpenClaw is in beta: As a hobby project, it may have minor bugs—always upgrade to the latest version via the Tencent Cloud Lighthouse template.
Skill expansion: Install additional OpenClaw skills (e.g., tavily-search, agent-browser) via the Skills panel for enhanced automation.
Developer support: Join the official OpenClaw Discord community for advanced tutorials, plugin templates, and deployment tips.
Tencent Cloud exclusive support: Access dedicated technical support via WeCom/WhatsApp for Tencent Cloud Lighthouse + OpenClaw deployment issues.
Installing OpenClaw on Tencent Cloud Lighthouse is the most efficient, secure, and cost-effective way to deploy this powerful AI Agent. With one-click template deployment, global regional support, and a user-friendly visual configuration panel, even beginners can have a fully functional OpenClaw AI assistant up and running in minutes—no complex cloud computing knowledge required. Whether you need a personal AI assistant for daily task automation or a business-scale multi-Agent system, Tencent Cloud Lighthouse provides the perfect runtime environment for OpenClaw.
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Start your OpenClaw cloud deployment journey today and unlock the full potential of AI automation!