Quick Start FAQ

What should I verify first?

Open the Control UI:

openclaw dashboard

If it loads, your Gateway baseline is good.

Do I need a channel (Telegram/WhatsApp) to test?

No. The fastest verification path is Control UI + Gateway. Once that works, add a channel (or webhooks/cron) later.

What port is the Control UI on?

By default, the Gateway listens on 18789, and the Control UI is served at:

• http://127.0.0.1:18789/

My channel doesn’t reply — what should I check?

Start with the “is the gateway healthy?” checks:

openclaw gateway status
openclaw health

Then check pairing/allowlists (DM safety):

• Pairing

And finally follow the channel playbook:

• Channel troubleshooting

Where are config and workspace stored?

• Config: ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
• Workspace: ~/.openclaw/workspace

See: Agent workspace