Deploy OpenClaw Full‑Stack Demo with One‑Click on UBOS

Why the AI‑Agent Hype Matters for Developers and Founders

AI agents have moved from research labs to the front page of tech news, promising to automate complex workflows, accelerate product development, and lower the barrier to building intelligent applications. For developers, this means a new class of tools that can orchestrate LLMs, retrieve data, and act autonomously. For startup founders, AI agents represent a rapid path to market‑ready MVPs that can showcase cutting‑edge capabilities without a massive engineering team.

According to a recent TechCrunch analysis, investment in AI‑agent platforms grew by 250 % in the last year, and the trend shows no sign of slowing. This surge creates a perfect window for developers to experiment with open‑source demos like OpenClaw, which bundles a full‑stack AI‑agent architecture ready for production.

OpenClaw and Its One‑Click‑Deploy GitHub Template

OpenClaw is a reference implementation of an AI‑agent powered SaaS platform. It combines:

• ChatGPT‑style conversational UI
• Vector store powered by Chroma DB integration
• Workflow automation via UBOS’s Workflow automation studio
• Voice interaction through ElevenLabs AI voice integration

The GitHub repository ships a Docker‑Compose stack and a UBOS‑specific manifest that lets you spin up the entire environment with a single command or via the UBOS web UI. This eliminates the “it works on my machine” problem and gives founders a production‑grade demo they can showcase to investors.

Prerequisites – What You Need Before You Start

Cloning the Repository – Git Commands and Branch Selection

OpenClaw’s source lives in the official UBOS GitHub organization. Follow these steps:

git clone https://github.com/UBOS-Community/openclaw-demo.git
cd openclaw-demo
# List available branches
git branch -a
# Switch to the stable production branch
git checkout -b production origin/production

The production branch contains the vetted Docker images and the UBOS manifest file (ubos.yaml) that powers the one‑click deployment.

Configuring Environment Variables – .env File and Secret Handling

OpenClaw reads its configuration from a .env file placed at the repository root. Create the file and populate the required keys:

# .env
# -------------------------------------------------
# UBOS credentials
UBOS_API_KEY=your_ubos_api_key_here

# OpenAI (or Anthropic) credentials
OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
# If you use Anthropic, set ANTHROPIC_API_KEY instead

# Database connection (PostgreSQL)
POSTGRES_USER=postgres
POSTGRES_PASSWORD=securepassword
POSTGRES_DB=openclaw

# Vector store (Chroma DB) settings
CHROMA_DB_PATH=/data/chroma

# Application secret (used for JWT signing)
APP_SECRET=super_secret_random_string

# Optional: Telegram bot token for real‑time notifications
TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=123456:ABC-DEF1234ghIkl-zyx57W2v1u123ew11

**Security tip:** Never commit .env to version control. UBOS automatically masks secrets when you upload the file via the UI, and you can also store them in the platform’s secret manager.

Running the Stack – Docker Compose & UBOS One‑Click Deployment

docker compose up -d
# Verify containers are healthy
docker compose ps

Verifying the Demo – Accessing the UI and Testing AI‑Agent Functionality

Once the URL is live, perform the following checks:

• Login screen – Use the default credentials (admin / admin123) or the credentials you set in .env.
• Chat interface – Type a natural‑language query like “Summarize the latest AI‑agent trends.” The response should be generated by the configured LLM.
• Vector search – Upload a small PDF (e.g., a product spec) and ask the agent to “Find the pricing section.” The answer should be retrieved from the Chroma DB store.
• Workflow trigger – Click the “Create Report” button, which launches a background workflow that stores a PDF in the /reports bucket. Verify the file appears in the UI’s file manager.
• Telegram notifications (if you set TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN) – Send a message to your bot and confirm you receive a notification when a new report is generated.

If all steps succeed, you have a fully functional AI‑agent demo ready for stakeholder presentations.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

If problems persist, consult the UBOS support page or open an issue on the GitHub repository.

Next Steps – From Demo to Real‑World Product

Now that you have a working OpenClaw demo, you can start iterating:

• Replace the default ChatGPT model with a domain‑specific LLM to improve relevance.
• Integrate additional UBOS ChatGPT and Telegram integration for multi‑channel support.
• Leverage the Workflow automation studio to build complex pipelines (e.g., data enrichment, automated reporting).
• Scale the stack horizontally by enabling UBOS auto‑scaling in the dashboard.

Ready to host your own instance of OpenClaw on UBOS? Explore the dedicated hosting guide and turn this demo into a production service that showcases the power of AI agents to investors, customers, and your development team.