> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.evolink.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# OpenClaw Manual Installation - Smart Model Routing

> Manually install and configure OpenClaw Gateway with Smart Model Routing support

## Overview

OpenClaw is an open-source AI agent Gateway that acts as a bridge between chat applications and AI agents. Through a centralized Gateway process, it can connect chat platforms like Telegram, WhatsApp, Discord, and Feishu to AI programming agents.

This document describes how to manually install OpenClaw and configure **EvoLink API** as a model provider. After completing this document, you can continue to configure specific chat channels (such as Telegram or Feishu).

**This guide covers:**

* Installing and configuring OpenClaw Gateway
* Configuring EvoLink API as a custom model provider
* Verifying the installation

## System Environment Check (Optional)

Before starting the installation, it's recommended to run the environment check tool to ensure your system meets OpenClaw's requirements.

### Download the Check Tool

Download the check tool for your platform from [GitHub Releases](https://github.com/suuuuuu-1/openclaw-env-checker/releases):

| Platform              | Filename                       |
| --------------------- | ------------------------------ |
| Windows               | `openclaw-checker-win-x64.exe` |
| macOS (Intel)         | `openclaw-checker-macos-x64`   |
| macOS (Apple Silicon) | `openclaw-checker-macos-arm64` |
| Linux                 | `openclaw-checker-linux-x64`   |

### Check Items

The tool will automatically check the following:

* ✅ Node.js version (requires >= 22.12.0)
* ✅ npm available
* ✅ Git available
* ✅ Network connectivity (github.com, npmjs.org, evolink.ai)

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/muyutechnology/nIFIx0gxdF53THw8/images/OpenClaw-Checker/check-success.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=nIFIx0gxdF53THw8&q=85&s=46f1fdbec3263845e35158b104fa5091" alt="Check Success Example" width="1778" height="1742" data-path="images/OpenClaw-Checker/check-success.png" />

If the check fails, the tool will provide specific fix suggestions.

## Prerequisites

Before starting configuration, ensure you have completed the following:

### 1. Install Node.js

OpenClaw is installed via npm and requires Node.js 22 or higher.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Windows">
    Visit [Node.js official website](https://nodejs.org/en/download), download the Windows installer (.msi file), and run the installation program.

    After installation, open PowerShell to verify:

    ```bash theme={null}
    node --version
    npm --version
    ```

    <Note>
      It's recommended to run PowerShell as administrator to avoid permission issues during installation.
    </Note>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="macOS">
    **Method 1: Using Installer**

    Visit [Node.js official website](https://nodejs.org/en/download), download the macOS installer (.pkg file), and run the installation program.

    **Method 2: Using Homebrew**

    ```bash theme={null}
    brew install node
    ```

    After installation, open Terminal to verify:

    ```bash theme={null}
    node --version
    npm --version
    ```

    <Note>
      If you encounter permission issues during installation, you may need to add `sudo` before the command.
    </Note>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

### 2. Get EvoLink API Key

* Log in to [EvoLink Console](https://evolink.ai/dashboard)
* Find API Keys in the console, click "Create New Key", then copy the generated Key
* API Key usually starts with `sk-`, please keep it safe

## Step 1: Install OpenClaw

Execute in terminal:

```bash theme={null}
npm install -g openclaw@latest
```

Verify after installation:

```bash theme={null}
openclaw --version
```

## Step 2: Initialize Setup

Run the onboarding command, OpenClaw will guide you through initial configuration and install the daemon service:

```bash theme={null}
openclaw onboard --install-daemon
```

### 1. Confirm Installation

The system will prompt installation risk notice, confirm to continue:

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/muyutechnology/9zwrwFbHVtE0nZ-d/images/OpenClaw-Telegram/ScreenShot_2026-02-08_011629_241.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=9zwrwFbHVtE0nZ-d&q=85&s=fce0ba49fe04129dc943e6f63353595e" alt="Confirm Installation" width="1488" height="1420" data-path="images/OpenClaw-Telegram/ScreenShot_2026-02-08_011629_241.png" />

### 2. Select Installation Mode

The system will prompt to select installation mode, choose **Quickstart**:

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/muyutechnology/9zwrwFbHVtE0nZ-d/images/OpenClaw-Telegram/ScreenShot_2026-02-08_011705_241.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=9zwrwFbHVtE0nZ-d&q=85&s=24fbf84b590649d1fc1d515d2ee50609" alt="Select Quickstart" width="1738" height="1540" data-path="images/OpenClaw-Telegram/ScreenShot_2026-02-08_011705_241.png" />

### 3. Select Provider

The system will prompt to select model provider, choose **Skip** here, we will manually configure EvoLink as a custom provider later:

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/muyutechnology/9zwrwFbHVtE0nZ-d/images/OpenClaw-Telegram/ScreenShot_2026-02-08_011742_033.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=9zwrwFbHVtE0nZ-d&q=85&s=a4f74b3bb72312ba426ea37179232576" alt="Skip Provider Selection" width="1398" height="1272" data-path="images/OpenClaw-Telegram/ScreenShot_2026-02-08_011742_033.png" />

### 4. Select Models

The system will prompt to select models to enable, choose **All**:

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/muyutechnology/9zwrwFbHVtE0nZ-d/images/OpenClaw-Telegram/ScreenShot_2026-02-08_011808_857.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=9zwrwFbHVtE0nZ-d&q=85&s=701f58ca7164b7830cef3bfb713d911b" alt="Select All Models" width="1380" height="1528" data-path="images/OpenClaw-Telegram/ScreenShot_2026-02-08_011808_857.png" />

### 5. Select Default Model

The system will prompt to select default model, choose **Keep current**:

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/muyutechnology/9zwrwFbHVtE0nZ-d/images/OpenClaw-Telegram/ScreenShot_2026-02-08_011825_375.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=9zwrwFbHVtE0nZ-d&q=85&s=5ded0a9c44fd991865dbe84195862563" alt="Keep Current Model" width="1334" height="1792" data-path="images/OpenClaw-Telegram/ScreenShot_2026-02-08_011825_375.png" />

### 6. Select Channel

The system will prompt to select a chat channel. It's recommended to choose **Skip for now**, you can add channels later:

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/muyutechnology/NlmbcWype-ERs65V/images/OpenClaw-Telegram/%E9%80%89%E6%8B%A9%E6%B8%A0%E9%81%93.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=NlmbcWype-ERs65V&q=85&s=15c688d8a70b5f8ae165dd2cd86882c7" alt="Select Channel" width="1328" height="700" data-path="images/OpenClaw-Telegram/选择渠道.png" />

### 7. Configure Skills

The system will prompt whether to configure Skills. It's recommended to choose **No**, you can add them later:

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/muyutechnology/NlmbcWype-ERs65V/images/OpenClaw-Telegram/%E9%85%8D%E7%BD%AESkills.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=NlmbcWype-ERs65V&q=85&s=5edf42414955f53d15cee1be85331183" alt="Configure Skills" width="672" height="355" data-path="images/OpenClaw-Telegram/配置Skills.png" />

### 8. Enable Hooks

The system will prompt whether to enable Hooks. It's recommended to choose **session-memory**:

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/muyutechnology/JJmr3OHsJ7C2UIEk/images/OpenClaw-Telegram/%E5%90%AF%E5%8A%A8%E6%9C%BA%E5%99%A8%E4%BA%BA.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=JJmr3OHsJ7C2UIEk&q=85&s=c7cd5c913d22a3ac5a7985055d6d60dd" alt="Enable Hooks" width="1325" height="534" data-path="images/OpenClaw-Telegram/启动机器人.png" />

### 9. Restart Gateway Service

The system will prompt that the gateway service is already installed, choose **Restart**:

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/muyutechnology/NlmbcWype-ERs65V/images/OpenClaw-Telegram/%E9%87%8D%E5%90%AF%E7%BD%91%E5%85%B3.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=NlmbcWype-ERs65V&q=85&s=42712c7e9dbe454441e005d2275e8d3d" alt="Restart Gateway" width="1129" height="327" data-path="images/OpenClaw-Telegram/重启网关.png" />

### 10. Launch Bot

The system will prompt how to launch the bot. It's recommended to choose **Do this later**:

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/muyutechnology/JJmr3OHsJ7C2UIEk/images/OpenClaw-Telegram/%E5%90%AF%E7%94%A8Hooks.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=JJmr3OHsJ7C2UIEk&q=85&s=91d5235d050ce3ef829d16de768237a4" alt="Launch Bot" width="1227" height="459" data-path="images/OpenClaw-Telegram/启用Hooks.png" />

## Step 3: Configure EvoLink API & Model Switching

### 1. Locate Two Configuration Files (Important)

OpenClaw model configuration typically involves two files:

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Windows">
    * `openclaw.json`: `%USERPROFILE%\.openclaw\openclaw.json`
    * `models.json`: `%USERPROFILE%\.openclaw\agents\main\agent\models.json`
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="macOS">
    * `openclaw.json`: `~/.openclaw/openclaw.json`
    * `models.json`: `~/.openclaw/agents/main/agent/models.json`

    Open directly:

    ```bash theme={null}
    open ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
    open ~/.openclaw/agents/main/agent/models.json
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

<Warning>
  If a provider's `apiKey` / `baseUrl` in `models.json` is non-empty, it will override the corresponding values in `openclaw.json`. It's recommended to keep both consistent.
</Warning>

### 2. Configure Model Providers

It's recommended to configure the following providers in `openclaw.json` (and sync to `models.json`):

```json theme={null}
"models": {
  "providers": {
    "evolink-anthropic": {
      "api": "anthropic-messages",
      "baseUrl": "https://direct.evolink.ai",
      "apiKey": "Your EvoLink API Key",
      "models": [
        { "id": "evolink/auto", "name": "EvoLink Auto" },
        { "id": "claude-opus-4-7", "name": "Claude Opus 4.7" },
        { "id": "claude-opus-4-6", "name": "Claude Opus 4.6" },
        { "id": "claude-sonnet-4-6", "name": "Claude Sonnet 4.6" },
        { "id": "claude-opus-4-5-20251101", "name": "Claude Opus 4.5" },
        { "id": "claude-opus-4-1-20250805", "name": "Claude Opus 4.1" },
        { "id": "claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929", "name": "Claude Sonnet 4.5" },
        { "id": "claude-sonnet-4-20250514", "name": "Claude Sonnet 4" },
        { "id": "claude-haiku-4-5-20251001", "name": "Claude Haiku 4.5" }
      ]
    },
    "evolink-google": {
      "api": "google-generative-ai",
      "baseUrl": "https://direct.evolink.ai/v1beta",
      "apiKey": "Your EvoLink API Key",
      "models": [
        { "id": "evolink/auto", "name": "EvoLink Auto" },
        { "id": "gemini-3.1-flash-lite-preview", "name": "Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite" },
        { "id": "gemini-3.1-pro-preview", "name": "Gemini 3.1 Pro" },
        { "id": "gemini-2.5-pro", "name": "Gemini 2.5 Pro" },
        { "id": "gemini-2.5-flash", "name": "Gemini 2.5 Flash" },
        { "id": "gemini-3-pro-preview", "name": "Gemini 3.0 Pro" },
        { "id": "gemini-3-flash-preview", "name": "Gemini 3.0 Flash" }
      ]
    },
    "evolink-openai": {
      "api": "openai-completions",
      "baseUrl": "https://direct.evolink.ai/v1",
      "apiKey": "Your EvoLink API Key",
      "models": [
        { "id": "gpt-5.4", "name": "GPT-5.4" },
        { "id": "gpt-5.2", "name": "GPT-5.2" },
        { "id": "gpt-5.1", "name": "GPT-5.1" },
        { "id": "gpt-5.1-chat", "name": "GPT-5.1 Chat" },
        { "id": "gpt-5.1-thinking", "name": "GPT-5.1 Thinking" },
        { "id": "gemini-2.5-pro", "name": "Gemini 2.5 Pro (OpenAI SDK)" },
        { "id": "gemini-2.5-flash", "name": "Gemini 2.5 Flash (OpenAI SDK)" },
        { "id": "gemini-3-pro-preview", "name": "Gemini 3.0 Pro (OpenAI SDK)" },
        { "id": "gemini-3-flash-preview", "name": "Gemini 3.0 Flash (OpenAI SDK)" },
        { "id": "doubao-seed-2.0-pro", "name": "Doubao Seed 2.0 Pro" },
        { "id": "doubao-seed-2.0-lite", "name": "Doubao Seed 2.0 Lite" },
        { "id": "doubao-seed-2.0-mini", "name": "Doubao Seed 2.0 Mini" },
        { "id": "doubao-seed-2.0-code", "name": "Doubao Seed 2.0 Code" },
        { "id": "kimi-k2-thinking", "name": "Kimi K2 Thinking" },
        { "id": "kimi-k2-thinking-turbo", "name": "Kimi K2 Thinking Turbo" }
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

<Note>
  The model IDs above are examples. Please use the models actually available in your EvoLink account.
</Note>

<Warning>
  For Gemini scenarios, `evolink-google.baseUrl` must include `/v1beta`, i.e., `https://direct.evolink.ai/v1beta`. Without this suffix, you may encounter `Forbidden (403)` errors.
</Warning>

### 3. Configure Default Model (Supports Quick Switching)

Set the default model in `agents.defaults`. We recommend using Smart Model Routing `evolink/auto`, which automatically selects a suitable model based on your request:

```json theme={null}
"agents": {
  "defaults": {
    "model": {
      "primary": "evolink-anthropic/evolink/auto"
    }
  }
}
```

<Tip>
  **Smart Model Routing (EvoLink Auto)**: Use `evolink/auto` as the model ID, and the system will automatically select a suitable model from the model pool based on request complexity, length, and type. No manual switching needed — ideal for most general-purpose scenarios. See [EvoLink Auto Documentation](/en/api-manual/language-series/evolink-auto/evolink-auto-quickstart) for details.
</Tip>

To specify a particular model, you can also switch manually:

* Smart Routing: `evolink-anthropic/evolink/auto` (Recommended)
* Claude: `evolink-anthropic/claude-opus-4-6`
* GPT: `evolink-openai/gpt-5.2`
* Gemini: `evolink-google/gemini-3.1-pro-preview`
* Doubao: `evolink-openai/doubao-seed-2.0-mini`

### 4. Quick Switch to EvoLink Models (Recommended)

After completing provider configuration, it's recommended to use CLI commands for model switching instead of manually editing JSON:

```bash theme={null}
# View configured EvoLink OpenAI-compatible models
openclaw models list --provider evolink-openai --plain

# Switch default model (example: gpt-5.4)
openclaw models set evolink-openai/gpt-5.4

# View current active model
openclaw models status --plain
```

<Note>
  If `models list --provider evolink-openai` doesn't show your expected models, check whether both `openclaw.json` and `models.json` have the corresponding provider configured.
</Note>

### 5. Restart and Verify

Restart the gateway after configuration:

```bash theme={null}
openclaw gateway restart
```

Check status:

```bash theme={null}
openclaw gateway status
```

Send a test message to verify the model is working:

```bash theme={null}
openclaw agent --agent main -m "hi" --json
```

## Common Commands

| Command                    | Description                    |
| -------------------------- | ------------------------------ |
| `openclaw gateway status`  | Check gateway running status   |
| `openclaw gateway restart` | Restart gateway service        |
| `openclaw gateway stop`    | Stop gateway service           |
| `openclaw gateway start`   | Start gateway service          |
| `openclaw logs --follow`   | View gateway logs in real-time |
| `openclaw plugins list`    | View installed plugins         |

## Troubleshooting

| Issue                                | Solution                                                                                                            |
| ------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| npm installation fails               | Windows: Run PowerShell as administrator; macOS: Add `sudo` before command                                          |
| Configuration file not found         | Confirm onboard process is complete, check if `~/.openclaw/` directory exists                                       |
| Gateway fails to start               | Check if port is occupied, use `openclaw gateway status` to view detailed errors                                    |
| Invalid API Key                      | Confirm API Key is copied correctly, check for extra spaces or quotes                                               |
| Model configuration not effective    | Check both `openclaw.json` and `models.json` for consistency (`models.json` may override)                           |
| Gemini returns `Forbidden (403)`     | Check if `models.providers.evolink-google.baseUrl` is `https://direct.evolink.ai/v1beta` (must include `/v1beta`)   |
| Old model still used after switching | Run `openclaw models status --plain` to confirm current model, restart with `openclaw gateway restart` if necessary |

## Next Steps

OpenClaw installation and EvoLink API configuration are complete. Next you can:

* **Configure Telegram Channel**: Refer to [OpenClaw + Telegram](/en/integration-guide/openclaw-telegram) documentation
* **Configure Feishu Channel**: Refer to [OpenClaw + Feishu](/en/integration-guide/openclaw-feishu) documentation
* **Use Auto-Installation Tool**: Refer to [OpenClaw Auto Installation](/en/integration-guide/openclaw-auto) documentation