OpenClaw is an AI agent that connects to your messaging apps and takes real action on your behalf. It manages your email, browses the web, controls your smart home, checks in for flights, orders groceries, and runs thousands of other automations. It works around the clock, even while your phone is off.

Core capabilities

OpenClaw comes with over 3,400 community-built skills and can learn new ones on the fly. Here are the main categories of what it can do:

Email and calendar

OpenClaw connects to your email and calendar accounts. It can triage your inbox by importance, draft replies in your voice, file messages into folders, schedule meetings, send calendar reminders, and resolve scheduling conflicts. Users have reported clearing thousands of unread emails on their first day.

Web browsing

Your OpenClaw agent can browse the internet like a human. It reads articles, checks prices across multiple websites, tracks packages, fills out forms, and performs research. One user had their agent negotiate a car purchase by emailing dealers and playing their offers against each other.

Messaging channels

You interact with OpenClaw through the apps you already use. It supports Telegram, Discord, WhatsApp, and Signal. You send a message, your agent handles it. No separate app to download, no dashboard to learn.

Smart home

OpenClaw integrates with smart home platforms to control lights, thermostats, locks, cameras, and other devices. You can ask it to turn off the lights, set the temperature, or create complex automations in natural language.

Flight and travel

OpenClaw can find flight confirmation emails in your inbox, check in automatically when the window opens, select seats, and send you the boarding pass. It handles hotel bookings, rental car reservations, and itinerary management.

Shopping and ordering

Your agent can log into delivery services, browse products, fill a shopping cart, and place orders. It handles multi-factor authentication, applies coupons, and can do weekly grocery runs from a simple text message.

How it runs

OpenClaw runs as a persistent service, not a temporary chat session. Once deployed, it stays online 24/7. It is always connected to your accounts and can act proactively.

On OpenClaw.rocks, your agent runs on dedicated EU infrastructure. Setup takes under 60 seconds: pick a plan, connect a messaging channel, and start chatting.

If you prefer to self-host, OpenClaw runs on Docker or Kubernetes. The full source code is available on GitHub.

Real examples from users

The OpenClaw community shares their use cases regularly. Some highlights:

  • Saved $4,200 negotiating a car purchase via email
  • Cleared 10,000 unread emails and filed insurance claims on day one
  • Built a fitness dashboard connected to Garmin data in two prompts
  • Automated weekly meal planning with shopping lists sorted by store aisle
  • Replaced a dozen daily apps with one personal bot
  • Debugged a software deployment by voice while walking the dog

How it compares

FeatureOpenClawChatGPTTraditional assistants
Always runningYesNoNo
Takes real actionYesLimitedYes
Open sourceYesNoNo
Self-hostableYesNoNo
Messaging appsYesNoSome
3,400+ skillsYesNoNo

Getting started

The fastest way to see what OpenClaw can do is to try it. Visit OpenClaw.rocks to deploy your agent in under a minute. Check the pricing page to compare plans.

For more background, read about what OpenClaw is, whether OpenClaw is safe, or browse all our frequently asked questions.

Dive deeper on our blog: AI skills are the new apps and why OpenClaw is always on.