OpenClaw on Mac: Complete Setup Guide

Mac is the ideal platform for OpenClaw. Apple Silicon makes local AI fast enough to be genuinely useful. macOS has excellent support for background processes. And DenchClaw's browser agent works perfectly with the Chrome profile that's already on your machine. This guide walks through everything from installation to a fully configured local AI workspace.

Prerequisites#

Before you start, make sure you have:

• Node.js 18+ — check with node --version. Install via nodejs.org or brew install node
• Git — usually pre-installed on Mac; check with git --version
• 4GB+ free disk space — for the workspace and database
• Chrome or Chromium — for the browser agent (optional but recommended)

That's it. No Docker, no databases to install, no server setup. DenchClaw bundles everything it needs.

Installation#

Open Terminal and run:

npx denchclaw

This command:

1. Downloads and runs the DenchClaw installer
2. Creates a new OpenClaw profile called dench
3. Initializes a DuckDB workspace at ~/.openclaw-dench/workspace/
4. Starts the gateway on port 19001
5. Opens the web interface at localhost:3100

First run takes 2–3 minutes. Subsequent starts are instant.

If you'd prefer a global install:

npm install -g denchclaw
denchclaw

Understanding the Directory Structure#

After installation, your DenchClaw workspace lives at:

~/.openclaw-dench/workspace/
├── workspace.duckdb          # Your entire CRM database
├── SOUL.md                   # Agent personality and behavior
├── USER.md                   # Information about you
├── MEMORY.md                 # Agent's long-term memory
├── memory/                   # Daily memory logs
│   └── YYYY-MM-DD.md
├── skills/                   # Installed skills (plugins)
│   ├── crm/
│   ├── browser/
│   └── app-builder/
├── apps/                     # Custom Dench Apps you've built
└── docs/                     # Documents and knowledge base

This is all plain files on your filesystem. You can open any of these in your text editor, version control them with git, back them up with Time Machine, or inspect them with any tool you like.

Starting and Stopping the Gateway#

The OpenClaw gateway is the background process that runs your agent. Basic controls:

# Check if the gateway is running
openclaw gateway status
 
# Start the gateway
openclaw gateway start
 
# Stop the gateway
openclaw gateway stop
 
# Restart (after config changes)
openclaw gateway restart

The web interface is at localhost:3100. The gateway API is at localhost:19001.

Adding OpenClaw to Your Dock#

The web interface is a PWA (Progressive Web App) that you can add to your Mac Dock:

1. Open localhost:3100 in Safari
2. Click File → Add to Dock
3. Name it "DenchClaw" and click Add

On Chrome:

1. Open localhost:3100
2. Click the install icon in the address bar (desktop computer icon)
3. Click "Install"

Once added, it launches like a native app with its own icon, no browser chrome.

Configuring Your AI Model#

DenchClaw works with any OpenClaw-compatible AI provider. The default uses Dench Cloud (which proxies to Anthropic Claude). To configure:

1. Open ~/.openclaw-dench/config.yaml in a text editor
2. Find the model section
3. Add your API key

For Anthropic directly:

model:
  provider: anthropic
  apiKey: "sk-ant-..."
  model: "claude-sonnet-4-5"

For OpenAI:

model:
  provider: openai
  apiKey: "sk-..."
  model: "gpt-4o"

For local models via Ollama:

model:
  provider: ollama
  baseUrl: "http://localhost:11434"
  model: "llama3.2"

Restart the gateway after changing the model config.

Setting Up the Browser Agent#

DenchClaw's browser agent is one of its most powerful features. It copies your Chrome profile so the agent is already logged into every site you use.

1. Make sure Chrome is installed and you're logged into your key sites (Gmail, LinkedIn, Notion, etc.)
2. The gateway automatically finds your Chrome profile at ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Default
3. It creates a copy at ~/.openclaw-dench/browser-profile/

To test the browser agent:

• Open web chat at localhost:3100
• Type: "Open LinkedIn and tell me who I'm logged in as"

If it works, you'll see the agent navigate to LinkedIn and return your name.

Connecting Telegram (Recommended)#

The fastest way to use DenchClaw on mobile is via Telegram:

1. Open Telegram and message @BotFather
2. Send /newbot, follow prompts, and copy your bot token
3. Add to your DenchClaw config:

plugins:
  - name: telegram
    config:
      token: "YOUR_BOT_TOKEN"

4. Run openclaw gateway restart
5. Find your bot in Telegram and start chatting

See openclaw-telegram-setup for the full walkthrough.

Running DenchClaw at Login#

To have the gateway start automatically when you log in to your Mac:

openclaw gateway install-service

This installs a Launch Agent that starts the gateway on login and restarts it if it crashes. To remove it:

openclaw gateway uninstall-service

Troubleshooting Common Issues#

Port 19001 already in use:

lsof -ti :19001 | xargs kill
openclaw gateway start

Gateway won't start after update:

cd ~/.openclaw-dench && rm -rf .gateway
openclaw gateway start

Web interface shows blank page:

• Hard refresh with Cmd+Shift+R
• Check gateway status: openclaw gateway status
• Look for errors: openclaw gateway logs

Browser agent can't find Chrome profile:

• Make sure Chrome is installed (not just Chromium)
• Check the profile path: ls ~/Library/Application\ Support/Google/Chrome/Default
• If using a different browser, see the config docs for custom profile paths

Performance Tips for Mac#

DenchClaw runs well on any modern Mac, but there are a few things that help:

Give it enough memory. The gateway, DuckDB, and browser agent together use about 500MB–1GB of RAM. On Macs with 8GB, close Chrome tabs you're not using.

Use Apple Silicon if you can. M1 and later Macs handle the local AI inference significantly better than Intel Macs. If you're on an Intel Mac, point DenchClaw at an API-based model rather than trying to run models locally.

Keep your workspace on the internal SSD. DuckDB performance drops significantly on external drives or network shares. Keep ~/.openclaw-dench/ on your main drive.

Next Steps After Setup#

Once OpenClaw is running on your Mac:

1. Initialize your CRM: Say "Set up a CRM with people, companies, and deals"
2. Connect messaging: Follow the openclaw-messaging-channels guide
3. Install skills: Browse clawhub.ai for available skills
4. Build your first app: Follow the app builder guide to create a custom dashboard

The what-is-denchclaw guide covers everything DenchClaw can do once it's running.

Frequently Asked Questions#

Does OpenClaw work on older Intel Macs?#

Yes. The core functionality works on Intel Macs. The main difference is that local AI model inference (Ollama, LMStudio) is slower — you'll want to use API-based models (Anthropic, OpenAI) for good performance on Intel.

Can I run multiple OpenClaw profiles on the same Mac?#

Yes. OpenClaw supports multiple profiles, each with their own gateway port, workspace, and configuration. Run openclaw --profile work and openclaw --profile personal for separate instances.

How do I update DenchClaw?#

npm update -g denchclaw
openclaw gateway restart

Your workspace data is preserved — updates only change the code, not your database or workspace files.

Can I use DenchClaw offline?#

The database, file operations, and local AI models work offline. API-based AI models (Claude, GPT-4) require internet access. Core CRM functionality is fully offline.

Ready to try DenchClaw? Install in one command: npx denchclaw. Full setup guide →