The most comprehensive reference manual for OpenClaw — the open-source AI Agent framework that went from 0 to 330,000+ GitHub stars in under 5 months.
This is the OpenClaw Orange Paper (v1.4.0), a one-stop reference guide covering everything you need to know about OpenClaw:
| Part | Topics |
|---|---|
| Part 1: Meet OpenClaw | What it is, history, creator story, why it went viral |
| Part 2: Architecture | Gateway-Node-Channel architecture, memory system, workspace, sessions |
| Part 3: Deployment | Local install, Docker, Chinese cloud providers, Railway, Zeabur |
| Part 4: Channel Integration | 20+ platforms: Telegram, Discord, WhatsApp, Slack, WeChat, Feishu, DingTalk, QQ |
| Part 5: Skills System | How Skills work, ClawHub ecosystem, creating custom Skills, security |
| Part 6: Model Configuration | Claude, GPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, GLM, Qwen, local models via Ollama |
| Part 7: Security & Cost | Security model, known incidents (CVE-2026-25253, ClawHavoc), cost control |
| Part 8: Ecosystem | Lobster culture, Moltbook, alternatives, comparison with Claude Code, China ecosystem |
| Appendix | FAQ, command cheat sheet, resource links |
| Language | Pages | |
|---|---|---|
| English | OpenClaw-The-Complete-Guide-v260411.pdf | ~80 |
| Chinese | OpenClaw-Complete-Guide-zh-v1.4.0.pdf | ~80 |
💡 Download the PDF for the best reading experience. GitHub's online preview may not render properly.
- 330,000+ GitHub Stars — surpassed both React and Linux to become the most-starred project in GitHub history
- Created in November 2025 by Peter Steinberger as a weekend project
- MIT License — fully open source
- 20+ messaging channels — WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Slack, WeChat, Feishu, DingTalk, QQ, and more
- 13,700+ community Skills on ClawHub
- Multi-model support — Claude, GPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, GLM, Qwen, Ollama local models
- Self-hosted — your data stays on your server
Huashu is an AI Native Coder, indie developer, and AI content creator with 300,000+ followers across platforms. Creator of "Kitty Ring Light" (#1 Paid App on China App Store) and author of multiple books on AI programming.
- X/Twitter: @AlchainHust
- YouTube: @Alchain
- Bilibili: Huashu
- WeChat Official Account: Huashu
- Website: huasheng.ai
This book is part of the Orange Paper Series — a collection of comprehensive guides on AI programming tools:
- Claude Code: From Beginner to Pro
- Claude Code: Source Code Analysis
- Harness Engineering
- Agent Skills
- OpenClaw: The Complete Guide (this book)
- Polymarket Guide
- Gemma 4 (in progress)
All available on WeChat Reading (Chinese) and as free PDF downloads.
The content of this book is provided for educational purposes. OpenClaw is a trademark of the OpenClaw project. All other trademarks belong to their respective owners.
Written with the assistance of Claude Code. Published April 2026.