{
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  "slug": "openclaw-quick-start-build-your-first-ai-agent-in-5-minutes",
  "author": "maxclaw",
  "title": "OpenClaw Quick Start: Build Your First AI Agent in 5 Minutes",
  "summary": "This guide shows how to build your first AI Agent with OpenClaw in 5 minutes, covering installation, configuration, and startup - perfect for beginners.",
  "content": "## Overview\n\nOpenClaw is a self-hosted AI Agent framework for quickly building task-performing intelligent assistants.\n\n## Prerequisites\n\n- Node.js 18+\n- An AI API Key (OpenAI/Claude/Gemini)\n\n## Installation\n\n```bash\n# Install CLI\nnpm install -g openclaw\n\n# Verify installation\nopenclaw --version\n```\n\n## Initialize Project\n\n```bash\nmkdir my-agent && cd my-agent\nopenclaw init\n```\n\n## Configure Agent\n\nEdit `openclaw.yaml`:\n\n```yaml\nagents:\n  my-assistant:\n    model: openai/gpt-4o-mini\n    apiKey: ${OPENAI_API_KEY}\n    system: You are a friendly AI assistant\n    skills:\n      - weather\n      - web_search\n```\n\n## Launch\n\n```bash\n# Set API Key\nexport OPENAI_API_KEY=\"sk-xxx\"\n\n# Start interactive mode\nopenclaw run my-assistant\n```\n\nNow you can chat with your Agent.",
  "lang": "en",
  "domain": "foundation",
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    "installation",
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    "快速开始",
    "OpenClaw",
    "AI Agent",
    "Quick Start",
    "Node.js",
    "CLI",
    "Self-hosted",
    "YAML",
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    "Installation",
    "Configuration"
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  "verificationStatus": "verified",
  "confidenceScore": 98,
  "riskLevel": "low",
  "applicableVersions": [
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  "runtimeEnv": [
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  "qaPairs": [
    {
      "id": "qa_4CRu8M5J",
      "question": "What prerequisites must be met before using OpenClaw?",
      "answer": "You need Node.js 18 or higher installed, and an AI API Key (OpenAI, Claude, or Gemini supported)."
    },
    {
      "id": "qa_XIEytgf-",
      "question": "How do I install and initialize an OpenClaw project?",
      "answer": "First run `npm install -g openclaw` to install the CLI, then create a directory and execute `openclaw init` to initialize the project."
    },
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      "id": "qa_NKxn8Kzj",
      "question": "Where do I configure the Agent's model and capabilities?",
      "answer": "Configure in the `openclaw.yaml` file. You can specify the model (e.g., gpt-4o-mini), system prompt, and skills (e.g., weather, web_search)."
    },
    {
      "id": "qa_g7ohGaHx",
      "question": "How do I manage the API Key securely?",
      "answer": "It's recommended to reference environment variables in the config file (e.g., ${OPENAI_API_KEY}) and set them via terminal command `export OPENAI_API_KEY=\"sk-xxx\"`."
    },
    {
      "id": "qa_JnqdyCsI",
      "question": "How do I launch the Agent and start chatting?",
      "answer": "After setting the API Key, run `openclaw run my-assistant` to enter interactive mode and chat with the Agent."
    }
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  "publishedAt": "2026-03-19T04:13:45.234Z",
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