Setting up OpenClaw on your Mac is surprisingly straightforward — even if you’ve never touched a command line before. This guide walks you through every step, from installing the prerequisites to running your first AI agent conversation.

What You’ll Need

Before we start, make sure you have:

  • A Mac running macOS Ventura (13) or later
  • About 15 minutes of free time
  • An internet connection
  • An Anthropic API key (we’ll show you how to get one)

Step 1: Install Homebrew (The Easy Way)

Homebrew is like an app store for developer tools. If you don’t have it yet, open Terminal (press Cmd+Space, type “Terminal”) and paste this command:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Follow the prompts. When it’s done, close and reopen Terminal.

Already have Homebrew? Run brew update to make sure it’s current.

Step 2: Install Node.js

OpenClaw runs on Node.js. Install it with Homebrew:

brew install node

Verify the installation:

node --version

You should see something like v20.x.x or higher. Perfect!

Step 3: Install OpenClaw

Now the main event. Install OpenClaw globally:

npm install -g openclaw

This downloads OpenClaw and makes the openclaw command available anywhere on your Mac.

Step 4: Get Your Anthropic API Key

OpenClaw uses Claude (Anthropic’s AI) under the hood. You’ll need an API key:

  1. Go to console.anthropic.com
  2. Create an account or sign in
  3. Navigate to “API Keys”
  4. Click “Create Key” and copy it somewhere safe

Pro tip: Never share your API key or commit it to public repositories.

Step 5: Configure OpenClaw

Run the setup wizard:

openclaw init

This creates a configuration file and prompts you for your API key. Paste it when asked.

Alternatively, set it as an environment variable in your ~/.zshrc:

export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="your-key-here"

Then reload your terminal: source ~/.zshrc

Step 6: Run Your First Agent

Time for the magic. Start a conversation:

openclaw

You should see a prompt. Try asking it something:

> What files are in my current directory?

Watch as OpenClaw reads your filesystem and responds intelligently. That’s an AI agent in action!

Common Mac-Specific Issues

“Permission denied” errors

If you see permission issues, you might need to give Terminal full disk access:

  1. Open System Preferences → Privacy & Security → Full Disk Access
  2. Click the + button and add Terminal

“command not found: openclaw”

Your PATH might not include npm global binaries. Add this to your ~/.zshrc:

export PATH="$PATH:$(npm config get prefix)/bin"

Slow performance on older Macs

OpenClaw is lightweight, but if you’re on an older Intel Mac, responses might feel slower. That’s the API, not your machine.

What’s Next?

Now that OpenClaw is running, here are some things to try:

  • Read files: “What’s in my Downloads folder?”
  • Write code: “Create a Python script that converts CSV to JSON”
  • Automate tasks: “Set up a cron job that backs up my Documents folder”

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Questions about Mac setup? Drop us a line at [email protected]