Set up my OpenClaw AI assistant

OpenClaw is an open-source AI assistant that can run 24/7 on your GoDaddy VPS Hosting. Once deployed, chat with it from your browser or phone to handle tasks — competitor research, brand monitoring, report summaries, GitHub workflow management and more — while you focus on your website or business.

1. Sign in to OpenAI.com and create an API key (sometimes called a secret key). If you don't have an account, sign up and then sign in.
2. Go to your GoDaddy product page.
3. Scroll down, expand Servers and then select Manage next to the VPS Hosting you want to use.
4. In the top-right, select Launch OpenClaw. Your OpenClaw dashboard will open in a new browser tab.
5. In the left menu, select Config, and then select Environment.
6. Scroll down to Custom entries, and then under OPENAI_API_KEY, paste your API key. After saving, your token will appear as __OPENCLAW_REDACTED__.
7. In the left menu, select AI & Agents, and then select Agents.
8. Under Model, update your primary to openai/gpt-4.1:

   {
     "primary": "openai/gpt-4.1"
   }
   

9. In the top-right, select Save.
10. Return to your VPS Hosting dashboard, select Server Actions, and then select Stop OpenClaw.
11. Once OpenClaw has stopped, select Server Actions, and then select Start OpenClaw.

Select Chat and message OpenClaw to utilize its features.

Related steps

• If you want to chat with OpenClaw from your phone, connect your OpenClaw with Telegram.
• Learn about common OpenClaw tasks and fixes.
• You can extend OpenClaw's capabilities by installing skills, adding new features as your needs grow. Because skills are often built by third-party developers and not able to be supported directly by GoDaddy, we recommend downloading from reputable sources, reviewing requested permissions and checking user ratings before installing.

More info

• Get more info on OpenAI API keys from Openai.com.
• Get community support from the OpenClaw Discord.