Deploy OpenClaw in 15 Minutes: Railway Template Guide

By Irfad Imtiaz, Director of Technology at My Legal Academy

This is the article I wish existed when I first discovered OpenClaw.

Most OpenClaw tutorials assume you're comfortable with a terminal, that you know what npm install means, that you can debug Node.js errors, and that you have a development environment set up on your machine.

That's fine for developers. It's useless for law firm owners who just want the thing working.

This guide is different. You will not open a terminal. You will not type commands. You will not write code. Everything happens through web interfaces with buttons you click.

By the end of this article, you'll have a fully deployed OpenClaw instance running 24/7, connected to your AI provider of choice, ready to configure for your law firm.

TL;DR: Create a Railway account, click the OpenClaw template, add your AI provider API key, and you're live. Total time: 15-20 minutes. No terminal required.

What You'll Need Before Starting

Let's gather everything before we begin:

1. A GitHub Account (Free)

Railway uses GitHub for authentication. If you don't have one:

1. Go to github.com
2. Click "Sign up"
3. Follow the prompts (email, password, username)
4. Verify your email

Time: 2-3 minutes if you don't have one

2. An AI Provider Account

You need an account with an AI provider. I recommend OpenRouter for flexibility:

1. Go to openrouter.ai
2. Create an account
3. Add credits ($10-20 to start)
4. Navigate to API Keys and create a new key
5. Copy the key somewhere safe (you'll need it later)

Alternative providers: Anthropic direct (best quality), Kimi/Moonshot (cheapest). See Article 9 for cost comparison.

Time: 2-3 minutes

3. A Railway Account (Free)

This is where OpenClaw will run:

1. Go to railway.app
2. Click "Login" then "Login with GitHub"
3. Authorize Railway to access your GitHub
4. Complete any verification steps

Time: 2-3 minutes

That's it. No software to install. No development environment. Just three accounts.

Step 1: Deploy the OpenClaw Template

Railway has pre-built templates for popular applications. OpenClaw has one.

Find the Template

1. Log into railway.app
2. Click "New Project" (top right)
3. Select "Deploy a Template"
4. In the search box, type "OpenClaw"
5. Click the official OpenClaw template

Alternatively, go directly to: railway.app/template/openclaw (Railway maintains an official template).

Deploy

1. Click "Deploy Now" or "Use Template"
2. Railway will ask you to configure some variables — skip this for now (we'll set them up properly in the next step)
3. Click "Deploy"

Railway will now build and deploy OpenClaw. You'll see a progress indicator. This takes 2-3 minutes.

While you wait, you'll see logs scrolling by. Don't worry about understanding them — they're just the build process running.

When deployment completes, you'll see a green checkmark and "Deployed" status.

What just happened: Railway created a server, downloaded OpenClaw, installed all its dependencies, and started it running. You didn't touch a terminal once.

Step 2: Configure Your AI Provider

Your OpenClaw is running, but it doesn't know how to talk to AI yet. Let's fix that.

Access Environment Variables

1. In your Railway dashboard, click on your OpenClaw service
2. Click the "Variables" tab
3. You'll see a list of configuration options

Add AI Provider Configuration

Add these environment variables (click "New Variable" for each):

For OpenRouter (Recommended):

Variable 1: AI Provider

• Name: AI_PROVIDER
• Value: openrouter

Variable 2: API Key

• Name: OPENROUTER_API_KEY
• Value: [paste your API key from OpenRouter]

Variable 3: AI Model

• Name: AI_MODEL
• Value: anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.5

(You can also use anthropic/claude-opus-4.5 for best quality, or moonshot/kimi-k2.5 for lowest cost. See Article 9 for model comparison.)

Save and Redeploy

1. After adding variables, Railway will prompt you to redeploy
2. Click "Redeploy" or wait for automatic redeploy
3. Another 1-2 minute wait while OpenClaw restarts with new settings

Your OpenClaw can now think. It has access to your chosen AI model through your provider.

Step 3: Access Your OpenClaw Web Interface

OpenClaw includes a web-based configuration wizard. Let's access it.

Get Your URL

1. In Railway, click on your OpenClaw service
2. Look for "Domains" or "Settings" → "Networking"
3. You'll see a URL like your-project-name.up.railway.app
4. Click the URL or copy it to your browser

First-Time Setup Wizard

When you access the URL for the first time, OpenClaw runs a setup wizard:

1. Welcome Screen: Click "Get Started"
2. Admin Password: Create a password for your OpenClaw admin panel. Use something strong — this controls your entire AI assistant. Save this password somewhere secure.
3. AI Configuration: The wizard will confirm your AI provider settings. Since we already configured Antigravity via environment variables, this should show "Antigravity" as active.
4. Test Connection: The wizard will send a test message to verify AI is working. You should see a response within a few seconds.

If the test works, your OpenClaw is alive and thinking.

Step 4: Basic SOUL.md Configuration

SOUL.md is the file that tells OpenClaw how to behave. Think of it as the employee handbook for your AI.

For now, let's set up a minimal configuration. We'll go deep on SOUL.md in Article 6.

Access the SOUL.md Editor

1. In the OpenClaw web interface, navigate to "Configuration" or "Settings"
2. Find "SOUL.md" or "Personality Configuration"
3. Click to edit

Paste This Starter Template

Copy and paste this basic SOUL.md for a law firm:

# SOUL.md — Law Firm Intake Assistant

## Who You Are
You are an AI assistant for [YOUR FIRM NAME], a law firm. Your job is to help potential clients get the information they need and connect them with an attorney.

## Your Personality
- Professional but warm
- Helpful and patient
- Clear and direct
- Never condescending

## What You Do
1. Answer questions about the firm and services
2. Qualify potential clients by asking relevant questions
3. Book consultations on the attorney's calendar
4. Provide general information (NOT legal advice)

## What You NEVER Do
- Give legal advice or legal opinions
- Predict case outcomes
- Discuss fees without attorney approval
- Share confidential information about other clients
- Pretend to be a human (always clarify you're an AI assistant if asked)

## Practice Areas
[LIST YOUR PRACTICE AREAS — e.g., Personal Injury, Family Law, Immigration]

## Intake Questions
When someone reaches out about a potential case:
1. What happened? (Let them tell their story)
2. When did this happen?
3. Where did this happen?
4. Were there injuries or damages?
5. Do they have existing legal representation?

## Escalation
If the matter seems urgent or if the person is in distress, say:
"I want to make sure you get the help you need quickly. Let me connect you with our team directly."
Then alert the appropriate staff member.

## Contact Information
Phone: [YOUR PHONE]
Email: [YOUR EMAIL]
Address: [YOUR ADDRESS]
Hours: [YOUR HOURS]

Replace the bracketed items with your firm's information.

Save and Test

1. Save the SOUL.md
2. Use the "Test" feature in OpenClaw to send a sample message
3. Verify the response matches your expectations

Your OpenClaw now has a personality. It knows what it should and shouldn't do. We'll refine this significantly in Article 6.

Step 5: Set Up the Heartbeat

The Heartbeat is what makes OpenClaw proactive instead of reactive. It runs on a schedule, checking for tasks and taking action without being asked.

Access Heartbeat Configuration

1. In the OpenClaw web interface, find "Heartbeat" or "Scheduled Tasks"
2. Enable the Heartbeat toggle

Set the Interval

For a law firm, I recommend:

• 15 minutes for high-urgency practices (PI, criminal defense)
• 30 minutes for standard practices (family law, immigration)
• 60 minutes for low-urgency practices (estate planning, business law)

The more frequently the Heartbeat runs, the more API calls you make. With most AI providers, the cost difference is minimal — but monitor your usage the first month to calibrate.

Configure Heartbeat Tasks

Add these basic tasks (you'll expand these later):

Task 1: Check for Unread Messages

• Description: "Check all connected channels for messages that haven't been responded to"
• Action: "Respond to any unaddressed messages"

Task 2: Daily Summary (Optional)

• Schedule: Once daily at 8 AM
• Description: "Prepare a summary of yesterday's activity"
• Action: "Send summary to admin email"

Save your Heartbeat configuration.

Your OpenClaw is now proactive. It will wake up at your configured interval and look for work to do.

Step 6: Verify Everything Works

Before we celebrate, let's verify the complete setup.

Test 1: Manual Conversation

1. In the OpenClaw interface, find "Test" or "Chat"
2. Type: "Hi, I was in a car accident last week and I think I need a lawyer"
3. Verify you get a response that:
   • Acknowledges their situation
   • Asks relevant follow-up questions
   • Sounds professional and helpful
   • Doesn't give legal advice

Test 2: Heartbeat Execution

1. In the Heartbeat configuration, look for "Run Now" or "Force Run"
2. Trigger a manual Heartbeat execution
3. Check the logs to verify it ran successfully

Test 3: Uptime Check

1. Wait 30 minutes
2. Send another test message
3. Verify OpenClaw responds (proving it stays running)

If all three tests pass, your OpenClaw deployment is complete.

What You've Built

Let's recap what you now have:

This is a foundation. You have a working OpenClaw, but it's not connected to any communication channels yet — that's Article 5.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

"Deployment Failed"

Likely cause: Railway quota exceeded or temporary GitHub issue.

Fix: Wait 5 minutes, then try deploying again. If it persists, check Railway's status page at status.railway.app.

"AI Test Failed"

Likely cause: API key is wrong or not set.

Fix:

1. Double-check your API key in your provider's dashboard (OpenRouter, Anthropic, etc.)
2. Verify the API key variable in Railway matches exactly
3. Make sure you have credits/balance in your provider account
4. Redeploy after fixing

"Heartbeat Not Running"

Likely cause: OpenClaw is sleeping (free tier limitation).

Fix: Upgrade to Railway's $5/month hobby tier, which keeps your app always-on. Or send a message to wake it up — the Heartbeat will run on the next interval.

"Slow Responses"

Likely cause: Cold start after sleep, or rate limiting.

Fix: The first response after sleep is slow (5-10 seconds) while OpenClaw wakes up. Subsequent responses should be fast (1-3 seconds). If consistently slow, check your AI provider's status page or consider switching to a faster model.

"Can't Access Web Interface"

Likely cause: Railway domain not set up or deployment still in progress.

Fix:

1. In Railway, go to Settings → Networking
2. Click "Generate Domain" if no domain exists
3. Wait for SSL certificate (can take 1-2 minutes)
4. Try the URL again

Next Steps

You have a working OpenClaw deployment. But right now, it only responds to tests you send through the web interface.

In Article 5, we'll connect OpenClaw to the channels your clients actually use:

• WhatsApp (probably your most important channel)
• Email
• Slack (for internal team)
• Website chat widget

Once channels are connected, OpenClaw becomes truly useful — answering client inquiries automatically, 24/7.

What's in This Series

This is Article 4 of The Zero-Terminal OpenClaw Framework.

1. What Is OpenClaw? — The complete introduction
2. OpenClaw vs ChatGPT vs Copilot — Which AI for your firm
3. The Easiest OpenClaw Setup — Zero-terminal deployment with Antigravity
4. Deploy in 15 Minutes — You just read this (manual method)
5. Connect Your Channels — WhatsApp, email, Slack (next)
6. SOUL.md Mastery — Legal compliance templates
7. 20 Automations Every Firm Needs — Practical use cases
8. The MCP Playbook — CRM and tool integrations
9. Token Optimization — Running efficiently with Kimi K2.5
10. Security Done Right — Attorney-client privilege considerations

Next up: Connect Your Channels — WhatsApp, email, and everything else.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I really not need to use a terminal at all? Correct. Everything in this guide happens through web interfaces — GitHub, Railway, Antigravity, and OpenClaw's own web UI. No command line, no code.

What if I mess something up? Railway makes it easy to redeploy. In the worst case, delete the project and start fresh — the whole process takes 15 minutes. Your Antigravity account and API keys remain intact.

Can I run multiple OpenClaw instances? Yes. Each instance needs its own Railway project. Some firms run separate instances for different practice areas or offices. Each additional instance adds ~$25-85/month (hosting + AI costs), though you can share an AI provider API key across instances.

Is Railway the only hosting option? No. OpenClaw can run on DigitalOcean, AWS, Google Cloud, Heroku, or even your own server. But Railway has the best balance of simplicity and cost for this use case. Other options require more technical knowledge.

How do I update OpenClaw when new versions come out? Railway can be configured to auto-update from the OpenClaw repository. In your project settings, look for "Auto-deploy" options. Or manually trigger a redeploy when you want to update.

What happens if Railway goes down? Railway runs on Google Cloud Platform, which is extremely reliable. In three years of using Railway, I've seen maybe 2 hours of total downtime. But no service is 100%. If uptime is critical, consider their paid tier which includes SLA.

Can I see what OpenClaw is doing? Yes. Railway provides logs for every action. OpenClaw's web interface shows conversation history and Heartbeat execution logs. You have full visibility into what's happening.

Is my admin password secure? Your password is stored encrypted. But use a strong, unique password anyway. And don't share your Railway URL publicly — anyone with the URL can access the web interface if they guess your password.

Series Navigation

This is Article 4 of The Zero-Terminal OpenClaw Framework.

1. What Is OpenClaw? — The complete introduction
2. OpenClaw vs ChatGPT vs Copilot — Which AI for your firm
3. The Easiest OpenClaw Setup — Zero-terminal deployment with Antigravity
4. Deploy in 15 Minutes — You are here (manual method)
5. Connect Your Channels — WhatsApp, email, Slack
6. SOUL.md Mastery — Legal compliance templates
7. 20 Automations Every Firm Needs — Practical use cases
8. The MCP Playbook — CRM and tool integrations
9. Token Optimization — Running efficiently with Kimi K2.5
10. Security Done Right — Attorney-client privilege

← Previous: The Easiest OpenClaw Setup

Next →: Connect Your Channels