Using Claude Models with OpenClaw: Complete Setup Guide

Introduction

OpenClaw is model-agnostic—it can work with various AI models, but Anthropic Claude is the default and most popular choice. Claude’s combination of intelligence, safety, and long context windows makes it ideal for personal AI assistants. This guide covers everything you need to know about using Claude with OpenClaw, plus alternatives for different use cases.

Whether you’re setting up OpenClaw for the first time or optimizing your Claude usage, this guide will help you get the most out of your AI assistant.

Why Claude for OpenClaw?

Claude excels as a backend for personal AI assistants because:

Long Context Windows

Claude 3.5 Sonnet and Claude 3.7 Sonnet support up to 200K tokens of context. This means OpenClaw can:

• Remember extensive conversation history
• Process long documents and emails
• Maintain context across multiple sessions
• Reference detailed user preferences

Safety and Reliability

Claude is designed with safety in mind, making it suitable for:

• Handling personal data
• Managing sensitive communications
• Automating important tasks
• Processing private information

Natural Language Understanding

Claude’s strong language understanding enables OpenClaw to:

• Interpret complex requests accurately
• Handle ambiguous instructions
• Understand context and nuance
• Generate natural, helpful responses

Function Calling

Claude’s function calling capabilities allow OpenClaw to:

• Execute skills and tools
• Control browser automation
• Integrate with external APIs
• Perform complex multi-step tasks

Setting Up Claude API Key

Step 1: Get Your Anthropic API Key

1. Visit console.anthropic.com
2. Sign up or log in to your account
3. Navigate to API Keys section
4. Create a new API key
5. Copy the key (you won’t see it again!)

Step 2: Configure OpenClaw

Set your API key as an environment variable:

macOS/Linux:

export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-api03-..."

Windows (PowerShell):

$env:ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-api03-..."

Or in .env file:

ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-api03-...

Step 3: Verify Configuration

Start OpenClaw and check the logs:

npm start

You should see:

✓ Anthropic API key configured
✓ Using Claude 3.5 Sonnet

Claude Model Options

OpenClaw supports multiple Claude models. Configure which one to use:

Claude 3.5 Sonnet (Recommended)

Best balance of speed, cost, and capability:

ANTHROPIC_MODEL=claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022

Best for:

• General-purpose assistance
• Email management
• Task automation
• Most daily tasks

Claude 3.7 Sonnet (Latest)

Newest model with improved capabilities:

ANTHROPIC_MODEL=claude-3-7-sonnet-20250219

Best for:

• Complex reasoning tasks
• Long document analysis
• Advanced problem-solving
• When you need the latest capabilities

Claude 3 Opus

Most capable but slower and more expensive:

ANTHROPIC_MODEL=claude-3-opus-20240229

Best for:

• Complex analysis
• Important business decisions
• When accuracy is critical
• Research and writing

Claude 3 Haiku

Fastest and most cost-effective:

ANTHROPIC_MODEL=claude-3-haiku-20240307

Best for:

• Simple queries
• High-volume tasks
• Cost-sensitive applications
• Quick responses

Claude Max Subscription Tips

If you have a Claude Max subscription (Claude Pro), you can optimize usage:

Understanding Rate Limits

Claude Max provides:

• Higher rate limits
• Priority access
• More requests per minute

Cost Optimization

1. Use Haiku for Simple Tasks

   # Simple queries use Haiku
   ANTHROPIC_MODEL_SIMPLE=claude-3-haiku-20240307
   
   # Complex tasks use Sonnet
   ANTHROPIC_MODEL_COMPLEX=claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022

2. Batch Requests

   • Group similar requests together
   • Process multiple emails in one call
   • Combine related tasks

3. Cache Responses

   • OpenClaw can cache common responses
   • Reduces API calls for repeated queries
   • Saves costs on frequent operations

Monitoring Usage

Track your API usage:

# Check Anthropic dashboard
# Monitor spending and rate limits
# Adjust model selection based on usage

Alternative Models: GPT and Gemini

OpenClaw isn’t limited to Claude. You can use other models:

OpenAI GPT Models

Configure GPT as your backend:

OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...
OPENAI_MODEL=gpt-4-turbo-preview

Supported Models:

• gpt-4-turbo-preview — Latest GPT-4
• gpt-4 — Standard GPT-4
• gpt-3.5-turbo — Faster, cheaper option

When to Use GPT:

• You prefer OpenAI’s ecosystem
• Need specific GPT capabilities
• Already have OpenAI credits
• Want to compare models

Google Gemini

Use Gemini models:

GOOGLE_API_KEY=...
GOOGLE_MODEL=gemini-pro

Supported Models:

• gemini-pro — Standard Gemini
• gemini-pro-vision — With vision capabilities

When to Use Gemini:

• Want Google’s model capabilities
• Need vision/image understanding
• Prefer Google’s API structure

Local Models with Ollama

For maximum privacy, run models locally:

Setting Up Ollama

1. Install Ollama:

   # macOS
   brew install ollama
   
   # Linux
   curl -fsSL https://ollama.ai/install.sh | sh

2. Pull a model:

   ollama pull llama2
   ollama pull mistral
   ollama pull codellama

3. Configure OpenClaw:

   OLLAMA_BASE_URL=http://localhost:11434
   OLLAMA_MODEL=llama2

Benefits of Local Models

• Complete Privacy — No data leaves your machine
• No API Costs — Free after initial setup
• Offline Capable — Works without internet
• Full Control — Customize model behavior

Trade-offs

• Hardware Requirements — Need powerful GPU
• Slower Responses — Local inference is slower
• Limited Capabilities — Local models less capable than Claude/GPT
• Setup Complexity — More configuration required

Model Comparison Guide

For Email Management

Best: Claude 3.5 Sonnet

• Excellent at understanding email context
• Good at categorizing and prioritizing
• Natural response generation

For Code Tasks

Best: Claude 3.7 Sonnet or GPT-4

• Strong code understanding
• Good at debugging
• Effective code generation

For Simple Queries

Best: Claude 3 Haiku or GPT-3.5 Turbo

• Fast responses
• Lower cost
• Sufficient for simple tasks

For Privacy-Critical Tasks

Best: Local models (Ollama)

• No data transmission
• Complete control
• Offline capable

Advanced Configuration

Model Switching

Configure OpenClaw to use different models for different tasks:

// config.js
module.exports = {
  models: {
    default: 'claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022',
    email: 'claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022',
    coding: 'claude-3-7-sonnet-20250219',
    simple: 'claude-3-haiku-20240307'
  }
};

Fallback Models

Set up fallback models if primary fails:

PRIMARY_MODEL=claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022
FALLBACK_MODEL=claude-3-haiku-20240307

Custom Model Parameters

Fine-tune model behavior:

# Temperature (creativity)
ANTHROPIC_TEMPERATURE=0.7

# Max tokens (response length)
ANTHROPIC_MAX_TOKENS=4096

# Top-p (nucleus sampling)
ANTHROPIC_TOP_P=0.9

Troubleshooting

API Key Issues

Error: “Invalid API key”

• Verify key is correct
• Check for extra spaces
• Ensure key starts with sk-ant-

Error: “Rate limit exceeded”

• Upgrade to Claude Max
• Reduce request frequency
• Use Haiku for simple tasks

Model Not Found

Error: “Model not found”

• Check model name spelling
• Verify model is available in your region
• Use correct model identifier

Connection Issues

Error: “Connection timeout”

• Check internet connection
• Verify Anthropic API status
• Check firewall settings

Best Practices

Model Selection

1. Start with Claude 3.5 Sonnet (default)
2. Use Haiku for high-volume simple tasks
3. Upgrade to 3.7 Sonnet for complex reasoning
4. Consider Opus for critical tasks

Cost Management

1. Monitor API usage regularly
2. Use appropriate model for each task
3. Cache common responses
4. Batch similar requests

Performance Optimization

1. Use streaming for long responses
2. Set appropriate max tokens
3. Optimize prompts for efficiency
4. Monitor response times

Conclusion

Claude is an excellent choice for OpenClaw, offering the right balance of capability, safety, and cost. Whether you’re using Claude 3.5 Sonnet for daily tasks or exploring local models for maximum privacy, OpenClaw gives you the flexibility to choose the right AI backend for your needs.

Start with Claude 3.5 Sonnet and adjust based on your usage patterns. Monitor costs, experiment with different models, and optimize your setup over time.

For more configuration options, check out our installation guide and skills documentation. If you have questions, visit our FAQ or explore other tutorials.