Overview

This guide walks you through connecting OpenAI (Standard) to Nostr using OpenClaw. You'll learn how to configure authentication, set up the channel, and deploy your AI assistant.

OpenAI (Standard) Features

  • Standard OpenAI access
  • GPT-4o models
  • Simple setup
  • Wide compatibility

Nostr Capabilities

  • Direct messages
  • Reactions

Step 1: Configure OpenAI (Standard)

Standard API key only

  1. Create account at platform.openai.com
  2. Generate API key
  3. Set OPENAI_API_KEY environment variable

Environment variable: OPENAI_API_KEY

Step 2: Configure Nostr

  1. Generate a Nostr key pair
  2. Choose relay servers
  3. Configure nostr in openclaw.json
  4. Start the gateway
  5. Publish your public key

Step 3: Combined Configuration

Add both configurations to your openclaw.json:

{
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "model": {
        "primary": "openai/gpt-4o"
      }
    }
  },
  "models": {
    "providers": {
      "openai": {
  "models": {
    "providers": {
      "openai": {
        "apiKey": "${OPENAI_API_KEY}
    }
  },
  "channels": {
    "nostr": {
      "privateKey": "${NOSTR_PRIVATE_KEY}",
      "relays": ["wss://relay.damus.io", "wss://nos.lol"]
    }
  }
}
}

Step 4: Start the Gateway

# Start the gateway
openclaw gateway start

# Check status
openclaw status

# View logs
openclaw logs --follow

Access Control

Nostr supports the following access control policies:

DM Policies

Policy Description
allowlist Only senders in allowFrom list are processed
open All DMs are processed (requires allowFrom: ["*"])

Group Policies

Policy Description
open All groups are processed

Deploy Options

Choose how to deploy your OpenAI (Standard) + Nostr setup:

Local Deployment

Run on your personal machine with local-only access

View Guide →

VPS Deployment

Always-on deployment on a Linux VPS

View Guide →

Cloud Deployment

Managed container deployment on Fly.io or similar

View Guide →

Docker Deployment

Containerized deployment with Docker

View Guide →

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I set up OpenAI (Standard) with Nostr?
Configure OpenAI (Standard) as your AI provider and enable Nostr as a channel in openclaw.json. The gateway routes Nostr messages to OpenAI (Standard) for processing automatically.
Is OpenAI (Standard) a good choice for Nostr bots?
OpenAI (Standard) works great with Nostr. Simple setup and Well-documented make it well-suited for Decentralized AI and Public bot.