OpenClaw Docker Desktop 2026: Run AI Agent in Container

Who This Guide Is For: Developers and technically-minded users on Windows 11 or macOS who prefer running OpenClaw in a Docker container. Running OpenClaw in Docker Desktop offers perfect isolation from your host system, reproducible deployments, easy version management, and the same environment regardless of whether you use Windows or Mac. Your AI agent, its memory, and all its skills live inside a container that can be started, stopped, backed up, and migrated with a single command. Estimated setup time: 20–30 minutes (after Docker Desktop is installed).

Why Run OpenClaw in Docker? The Key Benefits

Docker Desktop is available for both Windows 11 and macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon), making it the most cross-platform way to run OpenClaw. Unlike native installations that tie you to specific Node.js versions and OS-specific configurations, a Docker container packages OpenClaw with all its dependencies into a self-contained unit that runs identically everywhere.

🔒

Isolation

OpenClaw's processes, files, and network are completely isolated from your host system. A misbehaving skill cannot affect your main OS.

📦

Portability

Export your OpenClaw container and import it on any machine. Perfect for migrating between computers or backing up your entire AI setup.

🔄

Reproducibility

Your docker-compose.yml file is the complete specification of your OpenClaw setup. Share it with teammates and everyone gets identical environments.

Windows

11 + Docker Desktop

macOS

Intel + M-series

20 min

Total setup

1 file

docker-compose.yml

Step 1: Install Docker Desktop

Download Docker Desktop from docker.com. The installation is straightforward — a standard .exe installer on Windows or a .dmg on macOS. Accept all default settings. Docker Desktop installs the Docker Engine, Docker CLI, Docker Compose, and the Docker Desktop GUI application.

Windows 11 Requirements

WSL2 backend (recommended) or Hyper-V. Windows 11 Home: WSL2 only. Windows 11 Pro/Enterprise: both options. Docker Desktop installer automatically configures WSL2 if it's not already set up. After installation, Windows may require a restart.

macOS Requirements

macOS 12 (Monterey) or later. Two versions available: Docker Desktop for Mac with Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4) and Docker Desktop for Mac with Intel chip — download the correct one for your Mac. Both work identically for OpenClaw.

# After installation, verify Docker is working:
docker --version      # Docker version 27.x.x
docker compose version  # Docker Compose version v2.x.x

# Start Docker Desktop if not already running:
# Windows: Docker Desktop shortcut in Start menu
# macOS: Docker Desktop in Applications folder

# Test with hello-world:
docker run hello-world

Step 2: Create Your OpenClaw Docker Project Folder

Create a dedicated folder for your OpenClaw Docker setup. This folder will contain your docker-compose.yml file and a persistent volume for OpenClaw's data (memory, skills, configuration). All your agent's learned knowledge and skills persist in this folder even when the container is stopped or restarted.

# On Windows (PowerShell):
mkdir C:\openclaw-docker
cd C:\openclaw-docker

# On macOS (Terminal):
mkdir ~/openclaw-docker
cd ~/openclaw-docker

# Create the data directory for persistent storage:
mkdir openclaw-data

Step 3: The docker-compose.yml — Your Complete Setup File

The docker-compose.yml file is the heart of your containerized OpenClaw setup. It defines the container image, environment variables, volume mounts for persistence, port exposure, and restart policies. Create this file in your openclaw-docker folder:

version: '3.8'

services:
  openclaw:
    image: node:22-alpine
    container_name: openclaw-agent
    restart: unless-stopped
    working_dir: /agent
    volumes:
      - ./openclaw-data:/root/.openclaw
    environment:
      - NODE_ENV=production
      - TZ=America/New_York  # Set your timezone
    command: sh -c "npm install -g openclaw && openclaw gateway start"
    networks:
      - openclaw-net

networks:
  openclaw-net:
    driver: bridge

Pre-configured Image (Recommended for First Run)

The above uses the official Node.js Alpine image and installs OpenClaw at container startup. For faster restarts, create a custom Dockerfile that pre-bakes OpenClaw into the image:

FROM node:22-alpine
RUN npm install -g openclaw
WORKDIR /agent
CMD ["openclaw", "gateway", "start"]

Build with: docker build -t openclaw-custom . then update the image field in docker-compose.yml to openclaw-custom.

Step 4: First-Time Setup — Run OpenClaw Onboarding in Container

Before starting the container in background mode, run the OpenClaw onboarding wizard interactively inside the container. This sets up your AI model API key, Telegram bot, and agent configuration:

# Start an interactive container for onboarding:
docker run -it --rm \
  -v "$(pwd)/openclaw-data:/root/.openclaw" \
  node:22-alpine \
  sh -c "npm install -g openclaw && openclaw onboard"

# On Windows PowerShell, replace $(pwd) with ${PWD}:
docker run -it --rm `
  -v "${PWD}/openclaw-data:/root/.openclaw" `
  node:22-alpine `
  sh -c "npm install -g openclaw && openclaw onboard"

Follow the onboarding wizard as usual: choose your AI model, enter your API key, name your agent, and connect Telegram. The configuration is saved to the openclaw-data folder on your host machine — it persists forever regardless of container restarts.

🤖

Choose Claude / GPT

🔑

Enter API key

✈️

Connect Telegram

🎉

Agent is ready

Step 5: Launch OpenClaw Container Permanently

With onboarding complete, start your OpenClaw container in daemon mode. The restart: unless-stopped policy in docker-compose.yml ensures the container automatically restarts whenever Docker Desktop starts — which happens on every system boot if Docker Desktop is configured to start on login.

# Launch the container in background:
docker compose up -d

# Check it's running:
docker compose ps

# View live logs:
docker compose logs -f openclaw

# Test: send a message to your Telegram bot!
# Expected: Agent responds within a few seconds

Configure Docker Desktop to Start on Login

For truly automatic startup on every boot: Docker Desktop → Settings → General → check "Start Docker Desktop when you log in". With this enabled and your docker-compose.yml using restart: unless-stopped, OpenClaw will automatically start whenever you log into your Windows or macOS account — no manual action needed.

Essential Docker Management Commands

These are the core commands you will use daily to manage your OpenClaw Docker container. Run them from the openclaw-docker folder:

# View container status
docker compose ps

# View logs (last 50 lines)
docker compose logs --tail=50 openclaw

# Follow live logs
docker compose logs -f openclaw

# Restart the container (after config changes)
docker compose restart openclaw

# Stop the container
docker compose stop openclaw

# Stop and remove container (keeps data in openclaw-data/)
docker compose down

# Upgrade OpenClaw to latest version:
docker compose down
docker pull node:22-alpine
docker compose up -d
# Or if using custom Dockerfile:
docker build -t openclaw-custom . && docker compose up -d

# Access a shell inside the running container:
docker exec -it openclaw-agent sh

# Check OpenClaw status from inside the container:
docker exec openclaw-agent openclaw doctor

Data Persistence: Backup and Migration

All of OpenClaw's persistent data — your agent's memory, installed skills, SOUL.md personality file, and configuration — is stored in the openclaw-data/ folder on your host machine. This design means your data survives container restarts, image updates, and even complete Docker reinstallations.

# Backup your entire OpenClaw setup:
# Windows:
Compress-Archive -Path "C:\openclaw-docker\openclaw-data" -DestinationPath "C:\openclaw-backup-$(Get-Date -Format 'yyyyMMdd').zip"

# macOS:
tar -czf ~/openclaw-backup-$(date +%Y%m%d).tar.gz ~/openclaw-docker/openclaw-data/

# Migrate to a new machine:
# 1. Copy your docker-compose.yml and openclaw-data/ to the new machine
# 2. Install Docker Desktop on the new machine
# 3. Run: docker compose up -d
# Your agent will start exactly where you left off on the old machine!

Running Multiple OpenClaw Agents with Docker

Docker makes it trivial to run multiple OpenClaw agents simultaneously — for example, one personal agent and one work agent, each with different personas, memories, and Telegram bots. Simply duplicate the service definition in docker-compose.yml with different container names and volume paths. Each agent runs in complete isolation from the others.

VPN07 + Docker Desktop: Global AI Access

Docker Desktop uses the host machine's network stack for all outbound connections. This means your VPN07 client installed on Windows or macOS automatically protects and accelerates all Docker container network traffic — including your OpenClaw agent's calls to Anthropic and OpenAI APIs. No special Docker networking configuration needed.

This seamless VPN integration is particularly valuable for developers who work from multiple locations. Whether you are coding at home, in a hotel, at a client's office, or at a coworking space, VPN07 ensures your Docker-based OpenClaw agent maintains consistent, fast API connectivity. VPN07's 1000Mbps bandwidth handles even the most demanding multi-agent Docker setups without any bottlenecks.

VPN07 + Docker Desktop Integration

Automatic protection: VPN07 on host → all Docker container traffic is protected

1000Mbps bandwidth: Handles multiple parallel OpenClaw API calls without throttling

70+ countries: Always a fast nearby server wherever you are working

10 years reliability: No connection drops that would interrupt your agent's running tasks

VPN07 has been the trusted network partner for thousands of developers and AI enthusiasts for over a decade. At just $1.5/month with a 30-day money-back guarantee, it delivers enterprise-grade network performance at personal pricing — making it the obvious choice for serious OpenClaw users running Docker-based AI agent stacks.

Troubleshooting: Docker Desktop + OpenClaw Issues

Issue: Container starts but OpenClaw doesn't respond in Telegram

Fix: Check logs: docker compose logs openclaw. Common causes: (1) The onboarding config wasn't saved to the volume correctly — re-run the interactive onboarding step; (2) Wrong volume mount path — verify openclaw-data folder contains config files; (3) API key expired — check logs for "Authentication failed" errors and update your key inside the container: docker exec -it openclaw-agent openclaw config set api_key YOUR_KEY.

Issue: "Docker Desktop cannot start" after Windows update

Fix: Windows updates sometimes disable WSL2 or reset Hyper-V settings. Open PowerShell as Admin and run: wsl --update && wsl --shutdown. Then restart Docker Desktop. If the issue persists, open Docker Desktop → Settings → Reset to factory defaults, then reconfigure. Your OpenClaw data in openclaw-data/ is safe on your host filesystem.

Issue: Container uses too much disk space over time

Fix: Docker accumulates unused images, containers, and build cache. Clean periodically: docker system prune -a removes all unused images. In Docker Desktop GUI: Dashboard → Troubleshoot → Clean / Purge data. OpenClaw's persistent data in openclaw-data/ is never affected by Docker cleanup operations.

Issue: OpenClaw cannot access files on the host machine

Fix: By default, Docker containers can only access files in mounted volumes. To give OpenClaw access to specific host directories (e.g., your Documents folder), add additional volume mounts in docker-compose.yml: - ~/Documents:/host-documents:ro (the :ro means read-only, safer for file access). Then tell your agent "my documents are in /host-documents".

VPN07 — Power Your Docker OpenClaw Setup

1000Mbps on Windows & macOS — your containers stay fast everywhere

VPN07 seamlessly integrates with Docker Desktop — install it on your host machine and all your OpenClaw container traffic is automatically protected and accelerated through VPN07's 1000Mbps global network. Whether you are running a single OpenClaw container or an entire multi-agent Docker stack, VPN07 ensures consistent, fast access to AI APIs from anywhere. With 70+ server locations, 10 years of proven uptime, and a 30-day money-back guarantee at $1.5/month, VPN07 is the network upgrade every serious Docker + OpenClaw user needs.

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