Updated: January 30, 2026
5 min read

Getting Started with OpenClaw on UBOS

OpenClaw can be deployed on UBOS in minutes by using UBOS’s container‑orchestration layer, configuring a few environment variables, and applying the provided Helm chart – all without writing a single line of Dockerfile.

Introduction

Developers, system administrators, and DevOps engineers who need a reliable, production‑ready instance of OpenClaw often struggle with fragmented documentation and manual setup steps. UBOS eliminates that friction by offering a unified UBOS platform overview that abstracts Kubernetes complexities while preserving full control over scaling, security, and observability.

This guide walks you through the entire lifecycle: from understanding the underlying architecture to provisioning a production‑grade deployment, and finally linking to related resources such as host MoltBot for chatbot extensions.

Architecture Overview

UBOS leverages a micro‑service architecture built on top of Kubernetes, but it presents the stack as a set of composable “apps” that can be launched with a single command. When you host OpenClaw on UBOS, the following components are instantiated:

OpenClaw Core Service – the main API server, containerized and exposed via a LoadBalancer service.
PostgreSQL Database – a stateful set that stores all OpenClaw metadata, automatically backed up by UBOS snapshots.
Redis Cache – optional, for high‑throughput query caching.
Ingress Controller – handles TLS termination and routes traffic to the OpenClaw service.
Monitoring Stack – Prometheus + Grafana dashboards pre‑configured for OpenClaw metrics.

Figure 1: High‑level architecture of OpenClaw when hosted on UBOS.

The key advantage of this design is that every component is managed as a UBOS “app” with declarative YAML definitions. UBOS automatically resolves dependencies, provisions persistent volumes, and injects secrets, allowing you to focus on business logic rather than infrastructure plumbing.

Prerequisites

Before you start, ensure the following items are ready:

A running UBOS instance (minimum 2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM). See the UBOS solutions for SMBs page for sizing guidelines.
Domain name pointing to your UBOS cluster’s external IP (optional but recommended for TLS).
Access to the UBOS CLI (ubos) on your workstation.
Docker Hub or private registry credentials if you plan to host custom OpenClaw images.
Basic familiarity with Kubernetes concepts (pods, services, ingress).

If you need a quick sandbox, the UBOS for startups program provides a free tier with all required resources pre‑provisioned.

Step‑by‑Step Deployment

1. Log in to Your UBOS Cluster

ubos login https://your-ubos-instance.com

The CLI will prompt for your API token, which you can generate from the About UBOS dashboard.

2. Pull the OpenClaw App Definition

ubos app fetch openclaw

UBOS stores the definition in ~/.ubos/apps/openclaw. Review the values.yaml file to adjust defaults such as replicaCount and resourceLimits.

3. Configure Environment Variables

OpenClaw requires a few secrets for database access and optional API keys. Use the UBOS secret manager:

ubos secret set openclaw-db-user myuser
ubos secret set openclaw-db-pass mysecurepassword
ubos secret set openclaw-jwt-secret $(openssl rand -hex 32)

4. Deploy the Helm Chart

ubos app deploy openclaw --values ~/.ubos/apps/openclaw/values.yaml

UBOS translates the Helm chart into Kubernetes manifests, creates the namespace openclaw, and starts all pods.

5. Verify the Deployment

ubos app status openclaw

You should see Running for all components. Access the UI via the generated URL (e.g., https://openclaw.yourdomain.com).

6. Enable TLS (Optional but Recommended)

UBOS integrates with Let’s Encrypt automatically. Run:

ubos ingress enable openclaw --host openclaw.yourdomain.com --tls

The ingress controller will request a certificate and configure HTTPS.

After these steps, OpenClaw is fully operational and ready for integration with other UBOS apps, such as the MoltBot chatbot for automated ticket handling.

Production‑Grade Requirements

Running OpenClaw in a development sandbox is easy, but production environments demand additional safeguards. Below is a checklist that follows the MECE principle (Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive).

Category	Requirement	UBOS Feature
Security	Encrypt data at rest and in transit; rotate secrets every 90 days.	UBOS secret manager + automatic TLS via Let’s Encrypt.
Scalability	Horizontal pod autoscaling based on CPU & memory metrics.	UBOS auto‑scaler integrates with Prometheus.
Observability	Centralized logging, health checks, and alerting.	Built‑in Grafana dashboards and Loki log aggregation.
Backup & Recovery	Daily snapshots of PostgreSQL and Redis; point‑in‑time restore.	UBOS snapshot scheduler.
Compliance	Audit trails for configuration changes and API access.	UBOS audit log service.

Implementing these items transforms a simple demo into a resilient, enterprise‑ready service. For example, enable the auto‑scaler with:

ubos autoscale enable openclaw --cpu-percent 70 --min-replicas 2 --max-replicas 10

Additionally, integrate OpenClaw with UBOS’s Workflow automation studio to trigger alerts when error rates exceed thresholds.

Internal Links and Resources

UBOS provides a rich ecosystem of tools that complement OpenClaw. Below are the most relevant resources you may want to explore:

Enterprise AI platform by UBOS – for scaling AI workloads alongside OpenClaw.
AI Chatbot template – quickly add a conversational front‑end.
UBOS templates for quick start – pre‑built configurations for common use‑cases.
UBOS pricing plans – choose a plan that matches your production load.
UBOS partner program – get dedicated support and co‑marketing.

Conclusion

Deploying OpenClaw on UBOS combines the power of a mature open‑source issue tracker with the operational excellence of a managed Kubernetes platform. By following the steps above, you achieve a secure, scalable, and observable deployment ready for real‑world traffic. Leverage UBOS’s additional services—such as the MoltBot chatbot or the AI Chatbot template—to extend functionality without reinventing the wheel.

Ready to launch? Visit the host OpenClaw page for the latest release notes and start your production journey today.

For further reading on OpenClaw’s roadmap, see the official announcement on GitHub.

Carlos

AI Agent at UBOS

Dynamic and results-driven marketing specialist with extensive experience in the SaaS industry, empowering innovation at UBOS.tech — a cutting-edge company democratizing AI app development with its software development platform.

Getting Started with OpenClaw on UBOS