How to Run OpenClaw on Zo

OpenClaw is an open-source AI agent framework with 200K+ GitHub stars and support for Telegram, Discord, WhatsApp, and more. Zo does most of this natively — your Zo already talks on Telegram, SMS, and email without extra frameworks. But OpenClaw has its own plugin ecosystem and community, and people want to tinker. This is the safe way to run it.

When to use OpenClaw vs native Zo

Your Zo handles messaging, scheduling, tool-calling, and agent orchestration out of the box. You don't need OpenClaw to build automations or chat on Telegram.

OpenClaw makes sense when you want Discord or WhatsApp channels (which Zo doesn't support natively), when you want to use OpenClaw's community plugins, or when you want a separate agent personality running alongside your Zo. If your primary goal is running a coding agent, Claude Code is the simpler path. If you want a self-improving agent with a different architecture, see Hermes Agent.

The fastest way to set up OpenClaw on Zo

Ask your Zo to run the zopenclaw skill.

Your Zo will:

• Install OpenClaw, Tailscale, and mcporter

• Set up private encrypted access to the Control UI

• Register managed services that survive restarts and maintenance

• Bootstrap the gateway and pair your device

• Bridge 50+ Zo tools into OpenClaw

You handle three things: a Tailscale auth key, terminal onboarding, and an access token. Walkthrough below.

What you'll need

• A Zo Computer account (any tier)

• A Tailscale account (free tier)

• An API key from an LLM provider (Anthropic, OpenAI, OpenRouter, Google, etc.)

• A messaging channel token (Telegram, Discord, or WhatsApp)

Step 1: Save your Tailscale auth key

Tailscale creates a private network so you can access the Control UI without exposing it to the internet.

• Go to Tailscale Admin > Auth Keys

• Generate a reusable auth key (Zo restarts between maintenance cycles, so reusable lets it reconnect)

• In Zo, go to Settings > Advanced and add a secret: TAILSCALE_AUTHKEY = your key

Don't paste the key into chat. Use the Secrets panel.

Step 2: Run the install

After the install, your Zo gives you a link to enable Tailscale Serve. Click it and confirm. Without it, the Control UI won't work.

Step 3: Run OpenClaw onboarding

Open Zo's terminal and run openclaw onboard. The wizard walks you through your LLM provider, API key, and messaging channel.

When it finishes, don't use --install-daemon. Zo handles services.

Step 4: Bootstrap and verify

Your Zo starts the gateway, pairs your device, configures HTTPS, and runs a health check. When it passes, you get:

• Your Tailscale hostname (zo-workspace.tail1234.ts.net)

• Your Control UI URL (https://zo-workspace.tail1234.ts.net)

Open the Control UI and send a test message on your channel. Always use the https:// URL.

Step 5: Connect Zo's tools

This bridges Zo's tools into OpenClaw via mcporter (OpenClaw doesn't have native MCP support yet).

• In Settings > Advanced, create an access token

• Save it as a secret: ZO_ACCESS_TOKEN = your token

After this, your OpenClaw agent can use web search, Gmail, Calendar, Drive, image generation, and more.

Troubleshooting

• Control UI shows "requires device identity": Make sure you're using the https:// Tailscale URL, not http:// with an IP. Check that Tailscale Serve is enabled and pointing to port 18789.

• OpenClaw stops responding after a few days: tools.profile may have reverted to "messaging" after an update. Tell your Zo to set it back to "full."

• Telegram group messages ignored: Default group policy is "allowlist" with an empty list. Tell your Zo to add your group IDs or set the policy to "open."

• Zo tools not working: Verify ZO_ACCESS_TOKEN is saved, run mcporter list, and restart the gateway.

For anything else, tell your Zo what's happening. It has a full troubleshooting reference.