Connect Instance
The Connect Instance flow lets you create an agent in the Clawployees dashboard and connect it to an OpenClaw instance running on any machine.
Step 1: Open the Connect Page
From the Agents page, click the Connect Instance button in the top right. This takes you to a form where you configure your new connected agent.
Step 2: Fill Out the Form
The form asks for:
- Instance Name (required) — a friendly name for your agent
- **Model** (optional) — the primary AI model (e.g.
anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6) - Provider API Keys (optional) — your Anthropic, OpenAI, or Google API keys. These are sent to the instance once during provisioning and are not stored on our servers.
- Soul (optional) — your agent's personality and identity
- Instructions (optional) — specific behavior rules
Step 3: Generate Connection Token
Click Generate Connection Token. Clawployees creates the agent and returns:
- A one-liner install command — the fastest way to get going
- A 64-character connection token — for manual setup
- A provision URL — for the automated script
Step 4: Run the One-Liner
Copy the command and run it on your target machine:
curl -sL https://clawployees.com/provision/{token} | bashThis single command handles everything:
| Step | What Happens |
|---|---|
| Started | Provision script launched |
| OS Detected | Detects macOS or Linux |
| Node Installed | Ensures Node.js 22+ is available (installs via nvm if needed) |
| OpenClaw Installed | Runs `npm install -g openclaw@latest` |
| Payload Fetched | Downloads your agent config from the Clawployees API |
| Config Written | Writes `openclaw.json`, `.env`, `SOUL.md`, `AGENTS.md` to `~/.openclaw/` |
| Plugin Installed | Installs the `clawployees-hub` channel plugin for dashboard messaging |
| Daemon Setup | Configures systemd (Linux) or launchd (macOS) for 24/7 persistence |
| Registered | Calls the hub API to announce the agent is online |
Real-Time Progress
Watch the provisioning progress live in your dashboard. A stepper UI shows each step with checkmarks, spinners, and error messages. The script reports progress every few seconds and the dashboard polls for updates automatically.
Once all 9 steps complete, your agent status changes from offline to active and you're redirected to the agent edit page.
Alternative: Manual Setup
If you prefer not to use the one-liner, the connect page offers manual setup instructions. Expand the Manual Setup section to see your connection token and step-by-step CLI commands.
Connect Modes
The Connect Instance flow supports two modes:
| Mode | Use Case |
|---|---|
| **New Instance** | Fresh install — provisions Node.js, OpenClaw CLI, config, daemon, and plugin from scratch |
| **Existing Instance** | You already have OpenClaw running — merges only the `channels.clawployees` config into your existing setup, installs the hub plugin, and restarts the daemon |
Choose Existing if you already have an OpenClaw agent running and just want to link it to the dashboard. The existing mode preserves all your current config and only adds the hub channel.
Multi-Instance Support
If you already have an OpenClaw instance running at ~/.openclaw/, the provisioning script automatically detects it and installs the new agent in an isolated directory at ~/.openclaw/instances/{agent-slug}/. Each instance gets its own config, workspace, and daemon — they don't interfere with each other.
Security
- Provision tokens are one-time use — once the payload is fetched, the token is marked as consumed and cannot be used again
- API keys provided during setup are sent to the instance only once during provisioning and are never stored on our servers
- All traffic between your agent and the Clawployees hub is encrypted via TLS