How to install on Contabo VPS on OpenClaw

intermediate 20 min read Updated 2026-03-14

Quick Answer

Purchase a Contabo Cloud VPS 10 (€4.50/mo), connect via SSH, install Docker, deploy OpenClaw with Docker Compose, run the onboarding wizard to set up AI provider keys and messaging apps. Contabo also offers a one-click OpenClaw add-on that automates the entire process. Total setup: ~10 minutes.

Prerequisites

Contabo VPS plan (Cloud VPS 10 or higher — minimum 4 vCPU, 8 GB RAM)
SSH client (Terminal on Linux/macOS, PuTTY or Windows Terminal on Windows)
API key from Anthropic (Claude) or OpenAI
Basic command-line knowledge

Step-by-Step Instructions

Select a Contabo VPS plan

Contabo offers some of the best value VPS plans for self-hosting OpenClaw:

Cloud VPS 10 (€4.50/mo): 4 vCPU, 8 GB RAM, 75 GB NVMe — great for personal use
Cloud VPS 20 (€7.00/mo): 6 vCPU, 12 GB RAM, 100 GB NVMe — recommended for heavy multi-platform usage
Cloud VPS 40 (€25.00/mo): 12 vCPU, 48 GB RAM, 250 GB NVMe — team deployments

During checkout, select Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 as the operating system. Contabo also offers a one-click OpenClaw add-on — select it to skip manual Docker setup entirely.

Contabo's Cloud VPS 10 already exceeds OpenClaw's minimum requirements (2 GB RAM), giving you plenty of headroom for running local AI models alongside.

Connect via SSH and update the system

Contabo sends your server IP and root password via email after provisioning (usually within minutes). Connect:

ssh root@YOUR_CONTABO_IP

Update the system packages:

apt update && apt upgrade -y

If using the one-click add-on, OpenClaw is already installed — skip to Step 5 to run the onboarding wizard.

Check your spam folder if you don't see the Contabo credentials email.

Install Docker and Docker Compose

Install Docker using the official convenience script:

curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh
usermod -aG docker $USER
newgrp docker

Verify both are installed:

docker --version
docker compose version

Deploy OpenClaw with Docker Compose

Create the project directory and configuration:

mkdir -p ~/openclaw && cd ~/openclaw

Generate a secure gateway secret:

echo "OPENCLAW_SECRET=$(openssl rand -base64 32)" > .env

Create docker-compose.yml:

cat > docker-compose.yml << 'EOF'
version: '3.8'
services:
  openclaw:
    image: openclaw/gateway:latest
    container_name: openclaw
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "127.0.0.1:3000:3000"
    volumes:
      - ./data:/app/data
    env_file: .env
    environment:
      - NODE_ENV=production
EOF

Launch OpenClaw:

docker compose up -d

Verify the container is running:

docker ps

Contabo's NVMe storage provides fast I/O for OpenClaw's data operations.

Run the onboarding wizard

Open an SSH tunnel to access the Control UI securely:

ssh -L 3000:localhost:3000 root@YOUR_CONTABO_IP

Visit http://localhost:3000 in your browser. The wizard walks you through:

AI Provider: Enter your Anthropic or OpenAI API key
Messaging: Connect WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, or Slack
Security: Set a gateway authentication password
Preferences: Language, timezone, default agent behaviors

If you used the Contabo one-click add-on, the wizard runs automatically on first SSH connection.

Secure the server

Configure the firewall — OpenClaw only needs SSH access since it binds to loopback:

ufw allow 22/tcp
ufw enable

Harden SSH:

nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config
# Set: PasswordAuthentication no
# Set: Port 2222
systemctl restart sshd

Install Fail2Ban:

apt install fail2ban -y
systemctl enable fail2ban

Contabo includes basic DDoS protection, but server-level hardening is still essential.

Set up automatic updates and backups

Create an update script:

cat > ~/openclaw/update.sh << 'EOF'
#!/bin/bash
cd ~/openclaw
docker compose pull
docker compose up -d
docker image prune -f
EOF
chmod +x ~/openclaw/update.sh

Schedule weekly updates:

crontab -e
# Add: 0 4 * * 0 /root/openclaw/update.sh >> /root/openclaw/update.log 2>&1

Enable Contabo's snapshot feature from the control panel for full-server backups (1 snapshot included with Cloud VPS 10, 2 with Cloud VPS 20).

Take a snapshot before major OpenClaw updates so you can roll back instantly.

Common Issues & Troubleshooting

SSH connection refused after provisioning

Contabo VPS provisioning can take 5-15 minutes. Wait and retry. If the issue persists, check the Contabo control panel for the VPS status and ensure it's marked as 'Running'.

Docker compose up fails with permission errors

Run newgrp docker or log out and back in after adding your user to the docker group. Alternatively, prefix commands with sudo.

Container starts but Control UI is inaccessible

Verify the SSH tunnel is active: ssh -L 3000:localhost:3000 root@IP. Check container logs: docker logs openclaw. Ensure no other service occupies port 3000: ss -tlnp | grep 3000.

High CPU usage after starting OpenClaw

Initial startup compiles assets and may spike CPU. Wait 2-3 minutes for it to settle. If persistent, check if Ollama is pulling a large model in the background: docker logs openclaw.

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