How to Run OpenClaw.app with a Remote Gateway

Ever found yourself needing to run a local app while the actual engine is humming away on a remote server? It is a classic developer hurdle: you want the local UI experience but need the remote horsepower.

Setting up a stable connection between your machine and a remote gateway shouldn’t feel like a chore. This guide helps you bridge that gap using a simple SSH tunnel so you can get back to work.

This content has been merged into Remote Access. See that page for the current guide.

Running OpenClaw.app with a Remote Gateway

OpenClaw.app uses SSH tunneling to connect to a remote gateway. This guide shows you how to set it up.

Overview

flowchart TB
    subgraph Client["Client Machine"]
        direction TB
        A["OpenClaw.app"]
        B["ws://127.0.0.1:18789\n(local port)"]
        T["SSH Tunnel"]

        A --> B
        B --> T
    end
    subgraph Remote["Remote Machine"]
        direction TB
        C["Gateway WebSocket"]
        D["ws://127.0.0.1:18789"]

        C --> D
    end
    T --> C

Quick Setup

Step 1: Add SSH Config

Edit ~/.ssh/config and add:

Host remote-gateway
    HostName <REMOTE_IP>          # e.g., 172.27.187.184
    User <REMOTE_USER>            # e.g., jefferson
    LocalForward 18789 127.0.0.1:18789
    IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_rsa

Replace <REMOTE_IP> and <REMOTE_USER> with your values.

Step 2: Copy SSH Key

Copy your public key to the remote machine (enter password once):

ssh-copy-id -i ~/.ssh/id_rsa <REMOTE_USER>@<REMOTE_IP>

Step 3: Set Gateway Token

launchctl setenv OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN "<your-token>"

Step 4: Start SSH Tunnel

ssh -N remote-gateway &

Step 5: Restart OpenClaw.app

# Quit OpenClaw.app (⌘Q), then reopen:
open /path/to/OpenClaw.app

The app will now connect to the remote gateway through the SSH tunnel.

---

Auto-Start Tunnel on Login

To have the SSH tunnel start automatically when you log in, create a Launch Agent.

Create the PLIST file

Save this as ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ai.openclaw.ssh-tunnel.plist:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
    <key>Label</key>
    <string>ai.openclaw.ssh-tunnel</string>
    <key>ProgramArguments</key>
    <array>
        <string>/usr/bin/ssh</string>
        <string>-N</string>
        <string>remote-gateway</string>
    </array>
    <key>KeepAlive</key>
    <true/>
    <key>RunAtLoad</key>
    <true/>
</dict>
</plist>

Load the Launch Agent

launchctl bootstrap gui/$UID ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ai.openclaw.ssh-tunnel.plist

The tunnel will now:

• Start automatically when you log in
• Restart if it crashes
• Keep running in the background
• Maintain the connection without manual intervention

Legacy note: remove any leftover com.openclaw.ssh-tunnel LaunchAgent if present.

---

Troubleshooting

Check if tunnel is running:

ps aux | grep "ssh -N remote-gateway" | grep -v grep
lsof -i :18789

Restart the tunnel:

launchctl kickstart -k gui/$UID/ai.openclaw.ssh-tunnel

Stop the tunnel:

launchctl bootout gui/$UID/ai.openclaw.ssh-tunnel

---

How It Works

Component	What It Does
LocalForward 18789 127.0.0.1:18789	Forwards local port 18789 to remote port 18789
ssh -N	SSH without executing remote commands (just port forwarding)
KeepAlive	Automatically restarts tunnel if it crashes
RunAtLoad	Starts tunnel when the agent loads

OpenClaw.app connects to ws://127.0.0.1:18789 on your client machine. The SSH tunnel forwards that connection to port 18789 on the remote machine where the Gateway is running.

Next Steps

• Explore the Remote Access guide for more details.
• Check out the Gateway configuration options.

Need more help? Try the AI Setup Assistant.