Hand inserting module into a cloud server with an OpenClaw easy install holographic heading.

OpenClaw easy install: The No-Code, Click-Deploy Method (Alibaba Cloud)

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OpenClaw is viral, and one of the most common questions is simple: how do you install it easily, fast, with minimal cost, and without touching code?

This OpenClaw easy install guide is written directly from the workflow shown in your transcript: you’ll deploy OpenClaw on Alibaba Cloud Simple Application Server in minutes, then connect it to Alibaba Cloud Model Studio using an API key. No complex setup. No dependency headaches. Just deploy and go.

What you’re doing in this OpenClaw easy installYou will:

  1. Deploy OpenClaw using a prebuilt application image on Alibaba Cloud Simple Application Server
  2. Create an API key inside Alibaba Cloud Model Studio
  3. Paste that API key into your OpenClaw instance using the built-in “Run Command” flow
  4. Open the dashboard with “Access Website” and start using OpenClaw

Step 1: Deploy OpenClaw on Alibaba Cloud Simple Application Server (no coding)

  1. Go to Alibaba Cloud’s website (the video says the link is in the description) and log in.
    • You can also use the free trial.
  2. In the Alibaba Cloud search box, type: Simple Application Server and open it.
  3. Click Create Server.
  4. On the server creation screen, choose the following (as shown in the transcript):
    • Select “General purpose” (the transcript notes it’s $8/month).
    • Make sure memory is 2 GB, because that’s required for OpenClaw.
    • For Application images, choose “maltbot”.
      • The transcript explains maltbot is a previous name of OpenClaw, and it was also called cloudbot.
    • Choose a region close to you (transcript example: from Sydney → choose Singapore).
    • Quantity: 1
    • Duration: 1 month
    • Auto renewal: do not enable it (as shown in the transcript)
  5. Click Buy Now.
  6. After purchase, your server (the transcript mentions clawbot / maltbot) should be running within a few seconds.

At this point, the transcript states: OpenClaw is now running on the server, and you didn’t have to do any installation work yourself.

Step 2: Create an API key in Alibaba Cloud Model Studio

OpenClaw needs to connect to a model provider. In the transcript, that provider is Alibaba Cloud Model Studio.

  1. While logged into Alibaba Cloud, use the search box and type: Model Studio.
  2. Open Model Studio. You’ll land on the Model Studio console screen.
  3. Create an API key using the exact navigation described:
    • On the left side, click “make your first API call” (the transcript says “make your first API call to coin”).
    • On the next screen, click Key Management.
    • You’ll be presented with the key screen.
    • Click Create to generate an API key.
  4. Copy the API key (the transcript says: “So I’m just going to copy this API key.”)

Step 3: Connect your OpenClaw instance to Model Studio (paste the API key)

Now you’ll configure your OpenClaw server instance with the API key.

  1. Go back to where your instances are listed in Alibaba Cloud and click your OpenClaw / maltbot instance.
  2. Open the Application Details tab.
  3. Click oneclick enable and confirm enabling it.
  4. Click Run Command.
    • The transcript says: “And this is where we can paste our API key.”
  5. Paste your Model Studio API key into the command flow.
  6. Click Next.

Please not AliBaba says:
“Our OpenClaw is now integrated with our API key in Model Studio.”

Step 4: Open the OpenClaw dashboard (Access Website)

This is the final step in the transcript.

  1. Click Access Website.
  2. Wait a few seconds while it builds the website URL.
  3. Click the interface link that appears.

This opens the OpenClaw dashboard, where (as stated in the transcript) you can:

  • Chat with the model
  • Add skills
  • Add nodes
  • Run multiple sessions

And behind the scenes, the transcript notes Alibaba’s models are being used, specifically mentioning the Qwen family (“Quen family” as spoken).

Why this “OpenClaw easy install” method is the simplest (as described in the transcript)

The transcript’s core point is: deploying on Alibaba Cloud Simple Application Server is ideal when you want OpenClaw to be:

  • Always on
  • Always available
  • Hassle-free

Instead of dealing with:

  • Your laptop sleeping
  • Dependency conflicts
  • Hardware limits
  • Renting a GPU / already owning a GPU

And it starts at $8/month (as stated in the transcript).

Bonus: free tokens

You can claim “1 million free tokens per coin model” in Alibaba Cloud Model Studio (with a link in the video description).

Summary

If you want the fastest no-code setup, this OpenClaw easy install method is literally:

Create Simple Application Server → choose General purpose + 2GB → pick maltbot image → Buy → Create Model Studio API key → oneclick enable → Run Command → paste key → Next → Access Website → open dashboard.

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