**Option A: gcloud CLI** (recommended for automation)

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Install from [https://cloud.google.com/sdk/docs/install](https://cloud.google.com/sdk/docs/install)

Initialize and authenticate:

```bash}
gcloud init
gcloud auth login
```

**Option B: Cloud Console**

All steps can be done via the web UI at [https://console.cloud.google.com](https://console.cloud.google.com)

**CLI:**

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```bash}
gcloud projects create my-openclaw-project --name="OpenClaw Gateway"
gcloud config set project my-openclaw-project
```

Enable billing at [https://console.cloud.google.com/billing](https://console.cloud.google.com/billing) (required for Compute Engine).

Enable the Compute Engine API:

```bash}
gcloud services enable compute.googleapis.com
```

**Console:**

1. Go to IAM & Admin > Create Project
2. Name it and create
3. Enable billing for the project
4. Navigate to APIs & Services > Enable APIs > search "Compute Engine API" > Enable

**Machine types:**

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| Type      | Specs                    | Cost               | Notes                                        |
| --------- | ------------------------ | ------------------ | -------------------------------------------- |
| e2-medium | 2 vCPU, 4GB RAM          | \~\$25/mo          | Most reliable for local Docker builds        |
| e2-small  | 2 vCPU, 2GB RAM          | \~\$12/mo          | Minimum recommended for Docker build         |
| e2-micro  | 2 vCPU (shared), 1GB RAM | Free tier eligible | Often fails with Docker build OOM (exit 137) |

**CLI:**

```bash}
gcloud compute instances create openclaw-gateway \
  --zone=us-central1-a \
  --machine-type=e2-small \
  --boot-disk-size=20GB \
  --image-family=debian-12 \
  --image-project=debian-cloud
```

**Console:**

1. Go to Compute Engine > VM instances > Create instance
2. Name: `openclaw-gateway`
3. Region: `us-central1`, Zone: `us-central1-a`
4. Machine type: `e2-small`
5. Boot disk: Debian 12, 20GB
6. Create

**CLI:**

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```bash}
gcloud compute ssh openclaw-gateway --zone=us-central1-a
```

**Console:**

Click the "SSH" button next to your VM in the Compute Engine dashboard.

Note: SSH key propagation can take 1-2 minutes after VM creation. If connection is refused, wait and retry.

```bash} sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install -y git curl ca-certificates curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sudo sh sudo usermod -aG docker $USER ```

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Log out and back in for the group change to take effect:

```bash}
exit
```

Then SSH back in:

```bash}
gcloud compute ssh openclaw-gateway --zone=us-central1-a
```

Verify:

```bash}
docker --version
docker compose version
```

```bash} git clone https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw.git cd openclaw ```

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This guide assumes you will build a custom image to guarantee binary persistence.

Docker containers are ephemeral. All long-lived state must live on the host.

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```bash}
mkdir -p ~/.openclaw
mkdir -p ~/.openclaw/workspace
```

Create `.env` in the repository root.

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```bash}
OPENCLAW_IMAGE=openclaw:latest
OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN=
OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_BIND=lan
OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_PORT=18789

OPENCLAW_CONFIG_DIR=/home/$USER/.openclaw
OPENCLAW_WORKSPACE_DIR=/home/$USER/.openclaw/workspace

GOG_KEYRING_PASSWORD=
XDG_CONFIG_HOME=/home/node/.openclaw
```

Leave `OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN` blank unless you explicitly want to
manage it through `.env`; OpenClaw writes a random gateway token to
config on first start. Generate a keyring password and paste it into
`GOG_KEYRING_PASSWORD`:

```bash}
openssl rand -hex 32
```

**Do not commit this file.**

This `.env` file is for container/runtime env such as `OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN`.
Stored provider OAuth/API-key auth lives in the mounted
`~/.openclaw/agents/<agentId>/agent/auth-profiles.json`.

Create or update `docker-compose.yml`.

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```yaml}
services:
  openclaw-gateway:
    image: ${OPENCLAW_IMAGE}
    build: .
    restart: unless-stopped
    env_file:
      - .env
    environment:
      - HOME=/home/node
      - NODE_ENV=production
      - TERM=xterm-256color
      - OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_BIND=${OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_BIND}
      - OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_PORT=${OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_PORT}
      - OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN=${OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN}
      - GOG_KEYRING_PASSWORD=${GOG_KEYRING_PASSWORD}
      - XDG_CONFIG_HOME=${XDG_CONFIG_HOME}
      - PATH=/home/linuxbrew/.linuxbrew/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin
    volumes:
      - ${OPENCLAW_CONFIG_DIR}:/home/node/.openclaw
      - ${OPENCLAW_WORKSPACE_DIR}:/home/node/.openclaw/workspace
    ports:
      # Recommended: keep the Gateway loopback-only on the VM; access via SSH tunnel.
      # To expose it publicly, remove the `127.0.0.1:` prefix and firewall accordingly.
      - "127.0.0.1:${OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_PORT}:18789"
    command:
      [
        "node",
        "dist/index.js",
        "gateway",
        "--bind",
        "${OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_BIND}",
        "--port",
        "${OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_PORT}",
        "--allow-unconfigured",
      ]
```

`--allow-unconfigured` is only for bootstrap convenience, it is not a replacement for a proper gateway configuration. Still set auth (`gateway.auth.token` or password) and use safe bind settings for your deployment.

Use the shared runtime guide for the common Docker host flow:

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* [Bake required binaries into the image](/install/docker-vm-runtime#bake-required-binaries-into-the-image)
* [Build and launch](/install/docker-vm-runtime#build-and-launch)
* [What persists where](/install/docker-vm-runtime#what-persists-where)
* [Updates](/install/docker-vm-runtime#updates)

On GCP, if build fails with `Killed` or `exit code 137` during `pnpm install --frozen-lockfile`, the VM is out of memory. Use `e2-small` minimum, or `e2-medium` for more reliable first builds.

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When binding to LAN (`OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_BIND=lan`), configure a trusted browser origin before continuing:

```bash}
docker compose run --rm openclaw-cli config set gateway.controlUi.allowedOrigins '["http://127.0.0.1:18789"]' --strict-json
```

If you changed the gateway port, replace `18789` with your configured port.

Create an SSH tunnel to forward the Gateway port:

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```bash}
gcloud compute ssh openclaw-gateway --zone=us-central1-a -- -L 18789:127.0.0.1:18789
```

Open in your browser:

`http://127.0.0.1:18789/`

Reprint a clean dashboard link:

```bash}
docker compose run --rm openclaw-cli dashboard --no-open
```

If the UI prompts for shared-secret auth, paste the configured token or
password into Control UI settings. This Docker flow writes a token by
default; if you switch the container config to password auth, use that
password instead.

If Control UI shows `unauthorized` or `disconnected (1008): pairing required`, approve the browser device:

```bash}
docker compose run --rm openclaw-cli devices list
docker compose run --rm openclaw-cli devices approve <requestId>
```

Need the shared persistence and update reference again?
See [Docker VM Runtime](/install/docker-vm-runtime#what-persists-where) and [Docker VM Runtime updates](/install/docker-vm-runtime#updates).