OpenClaw Docker: Container Deployment Guide

OpenClaw can run in Docker containers for easy deployment and sandboxed execution. This guide covers Docker setup, sandbox mode, and production deployment.

Quick Start with Docker

# Clone the repo
git clone https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw.git
cd openclaw

# Configure environment
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your API keys

# Start with Docker Compose
docker compose up -d

Full Docker docs: Docker installation

Docker Compose Configuration

The included docker-compose.yml provides a production-ready setup:

version: "3.8"
services:
  openclaw:
    image: ghcr.io/openclaw/openclaw:latest
    container_name: openclaw
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "18789:18789"
    environment:
      - ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=${ANTHROPIC_API_KEY}
      - OPENAI_API_KEY=${OPENAI_API_KEY}
    volumes:
      - ./config:/root/.openclaw
      - ./workspace:/root/.openclaw/workspace

Environment Variables

Create a .env file:

# Required: At least one API key
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-your-key
OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-your-key

# Optional: Channel tokens
TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=123456:ABCDEF
DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN=your-discord-token
SLACK_BOT_TOKEN=xoxb-your-token
SLACK_APP_TOKEN=xapp-your-token

Sandbox Mode

OpenClaw supports running non-main sessions in Docker sandboxes for security.

How It Works

Main session: Tools run on the host (trusted, just you)
Non-main sessions: Tools run in per-session Docker containers

Enable Sandbox Mode

Add to ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json:

{
  agents: {
    defaults: {
      sandbox: {
        mode: "non-main",
      },
    },
  },
}

Sandbox Tool Allowlist

Default allowed in sandbox:

bash, process, read, write, edit
sessions_list, sessions_history, sessions_send, sessions_spawn

Default denied in sandbox:

browser, canvas, nodes, cron, discord, gateway

Full config: Sandbox configuration

Remote Gateway on Linux

It's perfectly fine to run the Gateway on a small Linux instance. Clients connect over:

Tailscale Serve/Funnel — Secure tailnet access
SSH tunnels — Traditional secure access

Architecture

Gateway host: Runs the exec tool and channel connections
Device nodes: Run device-local actions (camera, screen recording, notifications)

In short: exec runs where the Gateway lives; device actions run where the device lives.

Details: Remote access

Tailscale Integration

OpenClaw can auto-configure Tailscale Serve or Funnel:

{
  gateway: {
    tailscale: {
      mode: "serve",  // or "funnel" for public access
      resetOnExit: true,
    },
    auth: {
      mode: "password",  // Required for funnel
    },
  },
}

serve: Tailnet-only HTTPS access
funnel: Public HTTPS (requires password auth)

Full guide: Tailscale guide

Building from Source

git clone https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw.git
cd openclaw

pnpm install
pnpm ui:build  # Auto-installs UI deps
pnpm build

pnpm openclaw onboard --install-daemon

Production Checklist

Security

[ ] Review DM policies: openclaw doctor
[ ] Enable sandbox mode for non-main sessions
[ ] Use Tailscale or VPN for remote access
[ ] Set strong passwords if using Funnel

Reliability

[ ] Use restart: unless-stopped in Docker
[ ] Monitor with openclaw gateway status
[ ] Check logs: docker compose logs -f openclaw

Updates

[ ] Pull latest: docker compose pull
[ ] Restart: docker compose up -d
[ ] Check version: openclaw --version

Development Channels

stable: Tagged releases, npm latest
beta: Prerelease tags, npm beta
dev: Moving head of main, npm dev

Switch channels:

openclaw update --channel stable  # or beta, dev

Troubleshooting

Container won't start

Check logs:

docker compose logs openclaw

Common issues:

Missing environment variables
Port conflicts on 18789

Gateway unreachable

Verify ports are exposed: docker compose ps
Check firewall rules
Ensure Tailscale is connected if using Serve/Funnel

Sandbox issues

Ensure Docker is running and accessible from the Gateway container.

Next Steps

Getting Started — Full guide
Security — Best practices
Tailscale — Remote access
Nix Mode — Declarative config