Deploy OpenClaw to DigitalOcean
DigitalOcean offers three deployment paths depending on how much control you need. All three provide built-in security features including authenticated communication, hardened firewalls, Docker isolation, and DM pairing.
Which option is right for you?
1-Click App
Fast, self-contained deployment with maximal control. Best for solo developers and quick experimentation.
App Platform
Production-grade with auto-scaling, zero-downtime deploys, and automatic restarts. Best for teams.
Bare Droplet
Full server control. Only if you're comfortable managing security hardening manually.
Option 1: 1-Click Marketplace App
Create an OpenClaw Droplet
In the DigitalOcean dashboard, create a new Droplet. Under Choose an Image, select the Marketplace tab and search for "OpenClaw". Choose a plan with at least 4GB RAM (the s-2vcpu-4gb size is recommended). Use SSH key authentication.
# Or create via API
curl -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-H 'Authorization: Bearer '$TOKEN'' -d \
'"name":"openclaw-server","region":"nyc3","size":"s-2vcpu-4gb","image":"openclaw"' \
"https://api.digitalocean.com/v2/droplets"
Configure Your Instance
SSH into your Droplet. You'll see a welcome screen where you choose your AI provider (Anthropic or Gradient AI) and enter your API key. Note the Dashboard URL shown in the terminal.
ssh root@your_droplet_ip
# Follow the on-screen prompts to select provider and enter API key
Access the GUI or TUI
Open the Dashboard URL in your browser and add the gateway token to pair. You can also use the Text UI from the terminal. From here, install skills, manage channels, and schedule cron jobs.
# Launch the text-based UI
/opt/openclaw-tui.sh
Option 2: App Platform
Deploy from GitHub
Go to the OpenClaw App Platform repo and click Deploy to DigitalOcean. In the Environment Variables section, add your GRADIENT_API_KEY. Click Create App and wait roughly 5 minutes for the build to finish.
Connect a Channel
Open the Console tab, switch to the openclaw user, then add a messaging channel. For WhatsApp, scan the QR code that appears.
su openclaw
cd
openclaw channels add
Install Skills
Browse and install skills from the console. OpenClaw comes with 50+ skills in its registry covering calendars, web browsing, file management, and more.
openclaw skills
npx clawhub install <skill_name>
Option 3: Bare Droplet
If you need full control over server configuration, you can deploy OpenClaw manually on any Ubuntu Droplet (4GB+ RAM recommended). This gives you maximum flexibility but requires you to handle security hardening yourself. Follow the OpenClaw Quickstart Guide for manual installation steps.
For security hardening guidance regardless of your hosting platform, see our Security Best Practices guide.
Built-in Security Features
Both the 1-Click and App Platform deployments handle these automatically:
Authenticated Communication
Gateway token protects against unauthorized access.
Hardened Firewall
Rate-limited ports prevent DoS and unwanted traffic.
Non-Root Execution
OpenClaw runs as a non-root user, limiting blast radius.
Docker Isolation
Containerized sandbox prevents unintended system changes.
Private DM Pairing
Only paired devices can communicate with your agent.
This is a simplified summary. For the complete walkthrough with screenshots and troubleshooting, read the official guide.
Read the Full DigitalOcean Tutorial