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Follow the steps below or watch the video walkthrough:

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Video walkthrough

Prerequisites:

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Step 1: Create your OpenAI API key

  1. Go to the OpenAI API keys page and sign in.
  2. Click Create new secret key.
  3. Enter a name for the key so you can identify it later.
  4. If prompted, choose the project or permissions you want to use.
  5. Copy the generated key and store it somewhere safe.
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OpenAI API keys typically start with: 
sk-...
Keep this key private. OpenAI recommends treating API keys as secrets and not exposing them in client-side apps or public repos.

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Step 2: Open your Agent 37 instance

  1. Go to the Agent 37 dashboard and sign in.
  2. Open an existing instance, or create a new one.
  3. Open Terminal.

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Step 3: Configure OpenClaw to use OpenAI

In Terminal, run: 
openclaw configure
When prompted, choose the following:
  1. Where will the gateway run? → Local
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  2. Select Section to Configure? → Model
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  3. Model / Auth Provider → OpenAI
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  4. OpenAI Auth Model → OpenAI API Key
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  5. How do you want to provide this API key now? → Paste API key now
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  6. Enter OpenAI API key → paste the key you copied in Step 1
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  7. Models in /models picker → choose the model you want to use, for example openai/gpt-5.4
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  8. After selecting the model, choose Continue
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If you want a simple default, start with a general-purpose GPT model that matches your latency and cost needs, then adjust later after real usage.

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Step 4: Verify the configured model

Run: 
openclaw models list
You should see the model you selected marked as the default in the output.
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If you want to make that model the default, run: Execute: 
openclaw models set openai-codex/gpt-5.4
You have successfully configured OpenClaw with your OpenAI API key inside Agent 37. Your instance is now ready to use the selected OpenAI model for future tasks.

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What to do next

Once OpenAI is configured, you can:
  • connect a channel like WhatsApp or Telegram
  • test your bot in Web Chat
  • compare OpenAI and Anthropic for your workflow

Documentation home

Browse the available channels, models, and networking guides.

Claude API

Compare the Anthropic setup flow with the OpenAI flow.