Getting Started with Agent Bootstrapping

I hate when setting up a new tool feels like a guessing game. Usually, you install something and then spend an hour hunting for configuration files or trying to figure out where the data actually lives. I prefer tools that just tell me what they need right away so I can get to work.

OpenClaw handles this through a process called bootstrapping. It is a first-run ritual that prepares your workspace and gets to know who you are. Instead of making you manually create directories, it handles the heavy lifting the first time you start the agent.

What You’ll Need

• Completion of the initial Onboarding.
• Access to your Gateway host (either your local machine or a remote server).

Quick Start

The bootstrapping process happens automatically after onboarding when you start the agent for the first time. I recommend following these two steps to get your environment ready:

1. Complete the Q&A Ritual When the agent starts, it will ask you a series of questions, one at a time. This short ritual collects your identity details and preferences. The agent then writes these details into your workspace files.

2. Verify Your Workspace OpenClaw sets up a workspace folder at ~/.openclaw/workspace. You can check this directory to see the files created during the ritual:

   • AGENTS.md
   • IDENTITY.md
   • USER.md
   • SOUL.md
   • BOOTSTRAP.md (This file is removed automatically once the process is finished)

Troubleshooting

Cannot find workspace files on your local machine If you are using the macOS app but it connects to a remote Gateway, the workspace files do not live on your Mac. Bootstrapping always runs on the gateway host. You must check the files on the remote machine:

# Example of checking a remote gateway host
user@gateway-host:~/.openclaw/workspace

If you need help with a specific error during the ritual, ask the AI Setup Assistant.

What’s Next

• Onboarding
• Agent workspace