Deploy OpenRouter - Local Deployment

Overview

This guide walks you through deploying an AI assistant powered by OpenRouter using Local Deployment. You'll configure the provider, set up the deployment environment, and get your assistant running.

Requirements

• Node.js 22+: Node.js version 22 or higher is required
• macOS, Linux, or WSL2: Supported operating systems
• npm or pnpm: Package manager for installation
• OpenRouter credentials: API key or authentication

Step 1: Configure OpenRouter

OpenRouter API key

1. Create account at openrouter.ai
2. Generate API key
3. Set OPENROUTER_API_KEY environment variable

Step 2: Prepare Local Deployment Environment

1. Install OpenClaw: Install OpenClaw globally via npm or the installer script

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

2. Run Onboarding: Complete the setup wizard

   openclaw onboard --install-daemon

3. Configure Providers: Add your AI provider credentials during onboarding or manually
4. Start Gateway: Start the Gateway service

   openclaw gateway start

5. Verify Status: Check that everything is running correctly

   openclaw status

Step 3: Configuration

Create your openclaw.json configuration:

{
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "model": {
        "primary": "openrouter/anthropic/claude-sonnet-4"
      }
    }
  },
  "models": {
    "providers": {
      "openrouter": {
  "models": {
    "providers": {
      "openrouter": {
        "apiKey": "${OPENROUTER_API_KEY}
    }
  }
}

Step 4: Deploy

{
  "gateway": {
    "mode": "local",
    "bind": "loopback",
    "port": 18789,
    "auth": {
      "mode": "token",
      "allowTailscale": false
    }
  }
}

Step 5: Verify

# Check deployment status
openclaw status

# View logs
openclaw logs --follow

# Test with a message
openclaw test "Hello, are you working?"

Connect to Channels

Now connect your deployed OpenRouter assistant to messaging channels: