OpenClaw Online Platform Deployment

1. Registering on an Online Model Platform

OpenClaw supports many online large language model platforms. The registration method varies depending on the model. Here, we take the Deepseek model as an example. Open your browser and visit DeepSeek Open Platform, register and log in to your account, and follow the instructions to authorize and obtain an API Key. Models require payment; please recharge before use.

https://platform.deepseek.com/sign_in

Click 【API keys】-> 【Create new API Key】.

Enter a name, and then click 【Create API key】.

After creation, you must copy the API key. It's best to save it in a notepad, as you'll need it when filling in the API key later.

Click "Top up". If you haven't completed real-name authentication yet, you need to authenticate first before topping up.

Click [Docs] to navigate to the DeepSeek API documentation.

2. Configuring OpenClaw

Open your terminal and execute the OpenClaw configuration command:

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openclaw onboard  --install-daemon

You must select [Yes] to proceed with the configuration process. Press [Enter] to proceed to the next step.

Select [QuickStart] to begin the quick setup.

On the model selection screen, select the specific model platform you wish to use. This step is mandatory; otherwise, you will not be able to interact with the system properly. Taking the DeepSeek model as an example, you need to select [Custom Provider].

Set the API Base URL to:

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https://api.deepseek.com

Select [Paste API Key now] and enter the API Key you generated on DeepSeek.

Select [OpenAI-compatible].

For the [Model ID], enter:

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deepseek-chat

For the [Endpoint ID], enter:

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DeepSeek Chat (V3.2)

Model For the "alias" (optional) field, simply leave it blank; press Enter to skip it.

Skip the "Message Channels" section for now; you can configure this later.

Skip the "Search provider" section as well.

Skip "Skills" too; you can install these later as needed.

Skip "Hooks" as well. Select "Skip for now" by pressing the Spacebar, then press Enter to confirm.

If you are using a factory image, the gateway is already installed; you will need to select "[Reinstall]" to reinstall the gateway.

Wait for the gateway to finish installing and starting up.

You can choose the "TUI" interface (Terminal User Interface) or the "Web UI" (Web-based User Interface). In this example, we will proceed using the TUI.

Upon entering the TUI, you will be presented with an interactive interface where you can input your queries or commands.

If you wish to exit, press CTRL+D to leave the TUI interactive interface.

3. Enabling Tools

The default tools attribute in OpenClaw is set to coding; this must be changed to full in order to enable and utilize the tools.

Open a terminal and edit the openclaw.json configuration file.

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gedit ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json

Search for [tools] and modify the content within the tools section to match the following:

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"tools": {
    "profile": "full",
    "sessions": {
      "visibility": "all"
    }
  },

DeepSeek features a context window size of 128K; therefore, locate the contextWindow setting and change its value to 128000. After making the modification, press CTRL+S to save (alternatively, click the "Save" button in the top-right corner), and then exit the editor.

Restart the OpenClaw gateway service.

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openclaw gateway restart

Once the above steps are completed, you will be able to use the tools normally.