OpenClaw + Kimi K2.5 Setup Guide (EASY)

A simple guide to get OpenClaw running with Kimi K2.5 as your AI model. This is probably the most cost effective way to play around with it (and i highly recommend it, even if it is just to organise your Downloads folder! I did in 5 minutes what I wasn't gonna do in a million years!)

What is OpenClaw?

OpenClaw (formerly Moltbot/Clawdbot) is an open-source AI assistant that:

• Runs on your own server 24/7

• Connects to messaging apps (Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal)

• Has persistent memory across conversations

• Can proactively message you (not just respond)

• Executes real actions: browser automation, file management, API calls

Key difference from ChatGPT/Claude web apps: OpenClaw doesn't just chat, it does things autonomously.

Cheapest Deployment Options

If any of the above scare you, don't let it, install OpenClaw and then just copy and paste this whole thing in the chat and say "Go!" lol

Quick Setup (5 Minutes)

Prerequisites

• A VPS with 2GB RAM minimum (DigitalOcean, Hetzner, etc.) or Cloudflare account for Moltworker (this is what I am using and he set it up himself)

• Kimi API key from platform.moonshot.ai

Step 1: Get Your Kimi API Key

1. Create an account at platform.moonshot.ai

2. Top up your balance ($20+ recommended for tier2 access)

3. Go to API Keys and create a new key

4. Copy and save the key

Step 2: Install OpenClaw

SSH into your server and run:

curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash

When prompted, select Yes to continue, then choose QuickStart.

Step 3: Configure Kimi K2.5

During setup, select these options:

For remaining options:

• Chat tool: Skip for now

• Gateway Port: Keep default (18789)

• Skills: Select what you need or skip

• Other API keys: Select "No" if you don't have them

Step 4: Start Using OpenClaw

After installation, access the chat interface at:

http://127.0.0.1:18789

Or connect via your configured messaging app (Telegram, Discord, etc.).

Running 24/7

To keep OpenClaw running as a background service:

moltbot service install

Installing Marketing Skills (Optional)

If you want to use OpenClaw for marketing automation:

npx clawdhub@latest install marketing-skills
npx clawdhub@latest install octolens
npx clawdhub@latest install late-api
npx clawdhub@latest install bird

Then start the bot:

moltbot start

Security Best Practices

OpenClaw has full access to your server. Be smart:

• Use a dedicated VPS, not your main machine

• Create automation-specific accounts for services (don't use your main Twitter/email)

• Start with read-only permissions, expand gradually

• Review skills before installing (check source code)

• Use API keys with limited scopes

• Monitor logs regularly

Example Use Cases

Once running, you can tell OpenClaw things like:

• "Monitor my brand mentions on Twitter and summarize them every morning"

• "Submit my SaaS to these 50 launch directories over the next month"

• "Alert me when competitors update their pricing pages"

• "Find broken links on sites in my niche and draft outreach emails"

OpenClaw will handle these tasks continuously without further prompting.

Troubleshooting

Can't connect to chat interface?

• Check firewall allows port 18789

• Verify the service is running: moltbot status

API errors?

• Confirm your Kimi API key is valid

• Check your Moonshot account has sufficient balance

Need help?

• OpenClaw docs: openclaw.ai

• Moonshot forum: forum.moonshot.ai

• Discord: discord.com/invite/TYU2fdJykW

Quick Reference