Documentation

Connect your first runtime

Pair the machine that will run your agents and verify that it is connected correctly.

Best way to do this

Install the runtime and run clawcontrol runtime onboard. That single command covers pairing, link validation or repair, gateway approval checks, and service startup.

Prepare the host machine

Make sure the machine already has Node.js 20 or later, an OpenClaw environment, and access to the local OpenClaw gateway.

Create a pairing code in ClawControl

Open the runtime settings area in ClawControl and generate a pairing code for the host you want to connect.

Install and onboard the runtime

On the host machine, install the runtime from npm and start the guided setup:


pnpm add -g @clawcontrol/runtime
clawcontrol runtime onboard

When prompted, paste the pairing code from ClawControl and choose whether to run the runtime in the foreground or install it as a background service.

If the machine already has local runtime credentials, onboarding can validate the existing link and prompt for a new pairing code only when repair is needed.

Confirm the connection in the app

Wait until the runtime appears in ClawControl as connected and active. A registered runtime that stays offline is not ready to execute work.

Good first checks

The runtime appears in the list
The runtime is marked active
The runtime shows as connected rather than offline
clawcontrol doctor shows no blocking readiness issues
clawcontrol runtime status shows the service as installed and running

Common early mistake

Do not move on to agent creation just because the runtime was registered. The important state is a healthy connection, not just an entry in the UI.