The easiest and fastest way to install OpenClaw is by using the Portainer template prepared by our team. This method minimizes manual configuration and allows you to deploy a stable, ready-to-use knowledge base in just a few minutes.
Requirements:
-
A VPS with Portainer installed using the Unihost script
-
A deployed NPM (Nginx Proxy Manager)
- Registered and configured domain name
After connecting to Portainer, go to the Application section, select OpenClaw, and fill in the required fields.
You can generate Gateway token in server console, if run openssl rand -hex 32
Go to NPM and create a proxy for your OpenClaw.
In NPM set SSL certificate to your domain name or request certificate from Lets Encrypt and open your website URL. (in this example we use openclaw.unihost.link)
In first login, you need to pairing your device from witch you open OpenClaw website.
Connect to you server and open OpenClaw container console by run:
docker exec -it openclaw-gateway-basic bash
Or use container GUI console in portainer:
Then run:
openclaw device list , to show unpaired devices. To pair your device, run approve command with your request id, by run:
openclaw devices approve <request id from device list>
After pairing the device you can try to login again and successfully connect to OpenClaw management GUI.
Alternatively, you can use the official documentation if you want to install OpenClaw on a host without using Docker.
Conclusion
Integrating OpenClaw with Nginx Proxy Manager transforms your server into a fully-fledged business control center, completely independent of third-party cloud services. NPM elegantly handles external access via a reverse proxy, while OpenClaw automates routine tasks—from managing your customer base to in-depth task analytics. This is a reliable choice for those who value data privacy and want a professional infrastructure without the cost of licenses.