A step-by-step guide for business owners and founders — no DevOps experience required

📋  What You’ll Learn•  How to choose the right CloudPe plan for Moltbot•  How to create your server and install Moltbot•  How to connect WhatsApp, Slack, and Gmail•  How to secure your AI assistant for production use•  Cost breakdown and what to budget for Estimated time: 20–30 minutes  |  Difficulty: Beginner-friendly

Overview

Moltbot (also known as OpenClaw, formerly Clawdbot) is a free, open-source AI assistant that connects to your everyday tools — WhatsApp, Slack, Gmail, Google Calendar, and more. Unlike cloud-based chatbot services, Moltbot runs on your own server, giving you full control over your data.

This guide walks you through deploying Moltbot on a CloudPe virtual machine with data hosted entirely in India. By the end, you’ll have a working AI assistant connected to your preferred messaging channels, secured for business use.

Step 1: Choose Your CloudPe Plan

System Requirements

Requirement	Minimum	Recommended
CPU	1 vCPU	2 vCPU
Memory (RAM)	1 GB	4–8 GB
Storage	500 MB	20–30 GB
Operating System	Linux (any)	Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 LTS
Runtime	Node.js 22+	Node.js 22 LTS
Network	Public IPv4	Public IPv4 + Firewall

Recommended CloudPe Plans

Plan	Specifications	Monthly Price
a.gp1.4g	1 vCPU  |  4 GB RAM  |  30 GB NVMe	₹930
a.gp1.8g	2 vCPU  |  8 GB RAM  |  30 GB NVMe	₹1,182
a.gp1.12g	3 vCPU  |  12 GB RAM  |  30 GB NVMe	₹1,630
a.gp1.16g	4 vCPU  |  16 GB RAM  |  30 GB NVMe	₹2,079
a.cpu1.4g	2 vCPU  |  4 GB RAM  |  30 GB NVMe (CPU-opt.)	₹931

💡  Which Plan Should You Pick?Single channel (WhatsApp only): a.gp1.4g (₹930/month) is sufficient.Multiple channels (WhatsApp + Slack + Gmail): a.gp1.8g (₹1,182/month) is recommended.Heavy automation with browser tasks: a.gp1.12g (₹1,630/month) or higher. All plans include 30 GB NVMe storage and free VPC networking.

Additional costs: IPv4 address at ₹200/month, automated backups at ₹2/GB/month, and block storage at ₹6.20/GB/month if you need extra disk space.

Step 2: Create Your CloudPe Server

1. Sign up at CloudPe.com — the 14-day free trial requires no credit card. You’ll get access to up to 20 vCPU, 64 GB RAM, and 1 TB NVMe during the trial period.
2. Navigate to Compute > Create VM in the CloudPe dashboard.
3. Select your plan — we recommend a.gp1.8g for most Moltbot deployments.
4. Choose Ubuntu 22.04 LTS or 24.04 LTS as your operating system.
5. Add your SSH key (recommended) or set a root password.
6. Click “Create” — your server will be ready in 30–60 seconds.

Once your server is provisioned, note the public IP address from the dashboard. You’ll use this to connect via SSH.

Step 3: Install 

Connect to your server via SSH and run the following commands. If you’re not familiar with SSH, CloudPe offers a browser-based console in the dashboard — click “Console” next to your VM.

Update Your System

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_24.x | sudo -E bash - && sudo apt install -y nodejs

corepack enable
corepack prepare pnpm@latest --activate
pnpm setup
source ~/.bashrc

npm install -g npm@11.8.0

Verify installation

node –version

Should show v24.x.x

npm --version 

 

Should show 10.x.x or higher

Install Node.js 22

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_24.x | sudo -E bash -sudo apt install -y nodejs

corepack enable
corepack prepare pnpm@latest --activate
pnpm setup
source ~/.bashrc

npm install -g npm@11.8.0

# Verify installation
node --version
# Should show v24.x.x
npm --version    
# Should show 10.x.x or higher

Install Docker (for Security Sandboxing)

curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sudo sh
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
# Log out and back in, then verify:
docker --version

Install OpenClaw, This installs OpenClaw globally.

curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash
# Verify installation
openclaw --version

Run Initial Setup

openclaw onboard

This interactive wizard will walk you through choosing your AI provider (Claude, GPT-4, etc.), setting your API key, and basic configuration. Follow the prompts on screen.

⚠️  Important: AI API Costs

Moltbot itself is free, but it needs an AI API key to function (e.g., Anthropic Claude or OpenAI GPT-4).

Typical cost for light business use: ₹800–2,500/month depending on usage volume.

You can set spending limits in your AI provider’s dashboard to control costs.

This steps: 
Connects OpenClaw to your AI provider
Creates config files
Sets up the gateway
Generates a secure token

Step 4: Connect Your Channels

How to connect from telegram.

• Open Telegram
• Search for @BotFather and start the chat
• Run /newbot
• Copy the bot token
• Move back to the terminal where Openclaw is prompting you to paste the token:

WhatsApp

openclaw connects to WhatsApp using the Web protocol. You’ll scan a QR code with your phone, similar to using WhatsApp Web on a computer.

1. Run: openclaw channels login whatsapp
2. A QR code will appear in your terminal.
3. Open WhatsApp on your phone > Linked Devices > Link a Device.
4. Scan the QR code. Your bot is now connected.

📱  Tip: Use a Dedicated Phone NumberWe strongly recommend using a separate SIM card / phone number for Moltbot rather than your personal number.This keeps your personal WhatsApp separate and allows you to revoke access without affecting your daily use.

Configure who can interact with the bot by editing the allowlist:

# In your openclaw configuration file:
channels:  
 whatsapp:    
 allowFrom:      
 - "+91XXXXXXXXXX"    # Your number      
 - "+91XXXXXXXXXX"    # Team member

Slack

1. Go to api.slack.com/apps and click “Create New App” > “From scratch.”
2. Enable Socket Mode under Settings > Socket Mode. Generate an App-Level Token with connections:write scope.
3. Add Bot Token Scopes under OAuth & Permissions: chat:write, channels:history, im:history, app_mentions:read.
4. Install the app to your workspace and copy the Bot User OAuth Token.
5. Add the tokens to your Moltbot configuration:

# In your openclaw configuration file:
channels:  
 slack:    
 botToken: "xoxb-your-bot-token-here"    
 appToken: "xapp-your-app-token-here"

Gmail

Gmail integration uses Google Cloud Pub/Sub for real-time email monitoring. This is slightly more involved but means Moltbot receives emails instantly without constantly polling Google’s servers.

1. Go to console.cloud.google.com and create a new project (or use an existing one).
2. Enable the Gmail API and Pub/Sub API under APIs & Services > Library.
3. Create a Service Account with Gmail API read/send scope. Download the JSON credentials file.
4. Create a Pub/Sub topic and subscription for Gmail notifications.
5. Add the credentials path to your Moltbot configuration.

For detailed Gmail setup instructions, refer to the official Moltbot documentation at docs.clawd.bot.

🚀  Need Help Setting Up? CloudPe Support Is Here for YouOur India-based support team can help you get Moltbot up and running. Start your free trial today.https://www.cloudpe.com/signup

Step 5: Secure Your Installation

Security is critical because Moltbot has access to your email, messaging apps, and potentially business-sensitive data. Follow these steps to harden your setup.

5a. Enable Docker Sandboxing

Docker sandboxing ensures that any code Moltbot executes runs inside an isolated container, protecting your server from unintended changes.

# In your openclaw configuration file:
agents:  
 defaults:    
 sandbox:      
 mode: "non-main"

5b. Configure CloudPe Firewall

In the CloudPe dashboard, go to Networking > Firewalls and create rules to restrict access:

• Allow SSH (port 22) only from your office IP address or VPN.
• Block the gateway port (18789) from public access. Use SSH tunnels to access it instead.
• Deny all other inbound traffic by default.

5c. Set Up UFW (On-Server Firewall)

sudo ufw default deny incoming
sudo ufw default allow outgoing
sudo ufw allow ssh
sudo ufw enable
# Verify status
sudo ufw status

5d. Access the Gateway Securely

How the OpenClaw Web Dashboard Works

This part confuses almost everyone.

Key facts:
The dashboard runs on localhost
default port is 18789
it is not public by default
it requires HTTPS or localhost for security
OpenClaw does this on purpose.

Accessing the Dashboard on a VPS (Correct Way)

You do not open it directly in your browser via the server IP.
You use an SSH tunnel.
On your local machine, run:

Instead of exposing the Moltbot gateway port to the internet, use an SSH tunnel:

# Run this from YOUR computer (not the server):
ssh -L 18789:localhost:18789 moltbot-user@your-server-ip
# Then open http://localhost:18789 in your browser

Keep this window open.

Then open in your browser:

http://localhost:18789/

Token Required (This Is Normal)

If you see:

unauthorized: gateway token missing

Run this on the server:

openclaw dashboard --no-open

Copy the tokenized URL and open it via localhost in your browser.

Tokens are a security feature, not a bug.

Common Beginner Mistakes (Avoid These)

Exposing it directly over HTTP

Disabling the firewall blindly

Killing the gateway accidentally

Closing the SSH tunnel

Ignoring tokens

Alternatively, you can use Tailscale (free for personal use) to create a private VPN between your devices and the server — no port forwarding required.

5e. Configure Contact Allowlists

Make sure every channel has an explicit allowlist so only authorised people can interact with your AI assistant:

channels:  
 whatsapp:    
 allowFrom:      
 - "+91XXXXXXXXXX"  
 slack:    
 allowUsers:      
 - "U01XXXXXXXX"    # Slack User ID

5f. Enable Automated Backups

In the CloudPe dashboard, navigate to your VM > Backups and enable automated backups. We recommend daily backups for production Moltbot deployments. At ₹2/GB/month, a 30 GB server backup costs approximately ₹60/month — a small price for peace of mind.

5g. Run the Health Check

moltbot doctor

This command audits your configuration for common security issues and misconfigurations. Run it after any changes to your setup.

Step 6: Run openclaw as a Background Service

To keep Moltbot running even after you disconnect from the server, set it up as a systemd service:

sudo tee /etc/systemd/system/openclaw.service > /dev/null << 'EOF'
[Unit]
Description=OpenClaw Service
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=openclaw-user
Group=openclaw-user
ExecStart=/usr/bin/openclaw start
Restart=always
RestartSec=5
Environment=NODE_ENV=production
WorkingDirectory=/home/openclaw-user

# Logs go to journalctl
StandardOutput=journal
StandardError=journal

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

EOF

sudo systemctl daemon-reexec
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable openclaw
sudo systemctl start openclaw

# Check status
sudo systemctl status openclaw

Live logs:
journalctl -u openclaw -f

Moltbot will now start automatically whenever your server reboots.

Cost Summary

Here’s what a typical Moltbot deployment costs on CloudPe:

Item	Monthly Cost
CloudPe a.gp1.8g VM (2 vCPU, 8 GB RAM, 30 GB NVMe)	₹1,182
IPv4 Address	₹200
Automated Backups (30 GB)	₹60
AI API Costs (Claude/GPT-4, light usage)	₹800–2,500
Estimated Total	₹2,242–3,942/month

That’s a fully functional, India-hosted, secure AI assistant for roughly ₹75–130 per day — less than the cost of a cup of coffee at most business meetings.

Troubleshooting

WhatsApp QR code not appearing

Ensure Node.js 22+ is installed. Older versions are not supported. Run node –version to verify.

Slack bot not responding

Check that Socket Mode is enabled in your Slack app settings, and verify both tokens (Bot Token and App Token) are correctly entered in the configuration.

High memory usage

If running multiple channels with browser automation, consider upgrading to the a.gp1.12g plan (₹1,630/month). You can resize your VM in the CloudPe dashboard without losing data.

moltbot doctor shows warnings

Review each warning carefully and apply the suggested fixes. Common issues include Docker not being available to the non-root user (check group membership) and missing firewall rules.

Useful Resources

• Moltbot Official Documentation: docs.clawd.bot
• Moltbot GitHub Repository: github.com/openclaw/openclaw
• CloudPe Pricing: cloudpe.com/pricing
• CloudPe Knowledgebase: cloudpe.com/knowledge-base
• CloudPe Support: Available 24/7 via the dashboard or email

✨  Start Your Free 14-Day Trial on CloudPe Deploy OpenClaw in under 30 minutes. Data stays in India. No credit card required. https://www.cloudpe.com/signup