How to Use OpenClaw: A Beginners Guide to Your First 30 Minutes
You installed OpenClaw. Now what? This guide walks you through ten practical things to try in your first half hour so you can start getting real value from your local AI assistant right away.
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If you have not installed OpenClaw yet, start with the install guide. If you are not sure what OpenClaw is, read What is OpenClaw? first.
Your First 30 Minutes with OpenClaw
1. Summarize a Webpage
Ask OpenClaw to pull content from a URL and give you a summary. Works with news articles, blog posts, and documentation.
2. Draft an Email
Tell OpenClaw what to say and who you are writing to. Refine tone, add details, or connect Gmail automation.
3. Manage Your Calendar
Add events, check your schedule, avoid conflicts. Natural language works: “move my dentist appointment to Friday.”
4. Search Your Files
Search by name, file type, date range, or content. “Find all spreadsheets mentioning budget.”
5. Run a Shell Command
“How much free disk space do I have?” OpenClaw always asks confirmation before modifying or deleting files.
6. Create a Reminder
Quick reminders including recurring ones without opening a separate app.
7. Browse the Web and Research
Search the web, visit multiple pages, compile findings. Great for comparison research.
8. Control Smart Home Devices
Conversational control with custom routines if you have connected integrations.
9. Summarize and Organize Notes
Paste messy meeting notes, get action items with owners and due dates.
10. Generate and Explain Code
Write scripts, explain code, automate small tasks.
Tips for Getting Better Results
Be Specific
More context means less back-and-forth.
Use Skills
Check available skills with “what skills do you have?” and activate them for specialized tasks.
Check Memory
Tell OpenClaw your preferences once and it remembers them across sessions.
What to Try Next
Need OpenClaw fixed live?
Remote rescue sessions for gateway, auth, tunnel, VPS, and model access problems.
See Rescue Session