ClawdBot Beginner Guide: Secure Deployment with Docker + OpenRouter

This tutorial is based on minimum privilege and environment isolation principles to fully protect host security. Build a trustworthy personal AI assistant through Docker isolation, API configuration, platform integration, and scheduled tasks.

Preface

ClawdBot is a powerful AI automation agent with capabilities to access systems, networks, and messages. Installing directly on the host poses security risks — if compromised, attackers could gain complete control.

This tutorial adopts a triple protection strategy of Docker isolation + minimal privileges + external API management to ensure that even if ClawdBot is breached, it won't compromise host security.

Step 1: Docker Isolation Environment ✅

Why Use Docker?

Permission Isolation: ClawdBot cannot directly access host file system
Controllable Environment: Independent Node.js environment, avoiding global dependency pollution
Quick Destruction: Delete container with one command if issues arise, leaving no backdoors
Cross-Platform Compatibility: Linux/macOS/Windows all unified to Linux containers

Install Docker (All Platforms)

Linux (Ubuntu/Debian)

sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y docker.io docker-compose
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

macOS

Download Docker Desktop: https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop
Install and start, ensure "Start Docker Desktop when you log in" is enabled
Log in

Windows

Install Docker Desktop for Windows https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop
Log in

Create Isolated Ubuntu Container

Windows and macOS users, please use Docker Desktop terminal:

Click "Start new terminal", copy and execute the following commands to create and start the container:

macOS/Linux terminal users execute directly:

docker rm -f clawdbot 2>/dev/null || true
mkdir -p ~/clawdbot/data
docker run -d --name clawdbot \
  -p 18789:18789 \
  -p 18791:18791 \
  -v ~/clawdbot/data:/root/clawd \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  ubuntu:22.04 tail -f /dev/null
docker exec -it clawdbot bash

Windows:

docker rm -f clawdbot 2>$null
mkdir -Force ~/clawdbot/data
docker run -d --name clawdbot `
  -p 18789:18789 `
  -p 18791:18791 `
  -v ~/clawdbot/data:/root/clawd `
  --restart unless-stopped `
  ubuntu:22.04 tail -f /dev/null
docker exec -it clawdbot bash

📌 Tip: Point /path/to/clawdbot/data to a dedicated directory for persistent configuration and logs.

At this point, you've entered a clean Ubuntu container environment terminal, and you can see a command prompt root@<container_id>:/#. Enter commands to execute operations within the container, completely isolated from the host system.

Install Base Environment in Container

Copy and execute the following commands sequentially to install Node.js 22+ and Git, don't copy comment lines:

# Replace with Aliyun mirror (for 22.04 only, skip if outside China)
sed -i 's#http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu#http://mirrors.aliyun.com/ubuntu#g' /etc/apt/sources.list
sed -i 's#http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu#http://mirrors.aliyun.com/ubuntu#g' /etc/apt/sources.list

# Update package manager
apt update && apt install -y curl git wget sudo

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

# Verify
node -v
git --version

After entering the commands sequentially, you'll see the version numbers of Node.js and Git, indicating successful installation.

Step 2: One-Command ClawdBot Installation ✅

curl -fsSL https://molt.bot/install.sh | bash

The installation script will automatically download ClawdBot.

After downloading, enter the configuration directory:

The first question must be answered Yes!

For the second, choose quick start; for the third, choose openrouter ClawdBot Configuring

Then it will ask you to fill in the API Key. Here you need to register an OpenRouter account, then click settings

Select API Keys on the left side, then create a new Key. Leave options as default, copy the generated Key and paste it into ClawdBot's dialog box.

You can choose deepseek model, which is relatively much cheaper.

This next step is very important, choose Telegram

Then go to Telegram and find @BotFather, send /newbot in the dialog, then enter a name and username (must end with _bot). It will give you a Token (the masked part at the end), copy and paste it into ClawdBot's dialog box.

Leave all remaining options as default, and ClawdBot installation and configuration is complete. But manually run the following command:

nohup clawdbot gateway --port 18789 --bind lan > gateway.log 2>&1 &

To persistently run ClawdBot's gateway service.

Then send a /start message to your Telegram Bot (search by the username you set) to see if you get a reply.

You should receive a pairing code, indicating ClawdBot is running successfully. ClawdBot Running

In the terminal, enter the command:

clawdbot pairing approve telegram pairing_code

Approve the pairing code, and you can start using ClawdBot. Try sending messages in Telegram!

Next, enter:

clawdbot dashboard

It will print a link, open it in your browser, with an address like http://localhost:18789/?token=xxxxxx

Then after entering, it will show not yet paired.

Enter command:

clawdbot devices list

Under "pending", find the device ID waiting to be paired (the string in the first cell), then enter command:

clawdbot devices approve device_id

Then refresh the webpage, and you'll see pairing is successful. You can now manage ClawdBot and chat on the webpage.