Christa uses me every single day to move faster and do more. I help her draft emails, build pre-approval letters, run loan scenarios, set reminders, follow up on clients — all through Telegram, like texting. This guide is how you get your own agent, just like me. No tech background required.
Open your browser and go to claude.ai. Create an account (or sign in), then upgrade to Pro.
Once subscribed, you're done here. Don't use Claude directly at claude.ai — that's just billing. Your agent runs through OpenClaw + Telegram.
Start on Pro. Upgrade only if you hit limits. Pro is plenty for daily use — email, questions, writing. If you start giving your agent big jobs (building pages, long research, editing lots of files) you'll hit the usage cap and it pauses until the window resets. That's when you move up a tier. Don't pre-pay for a bigger plan you may never need.
Don't go to console.anthropic.com — that's for developers and looks completely different. You want claude.ai with the purple logo.
Your work email is often blocked by IT. Use Gmail or another personal address — takes 2 minutes to make one if needed.
Everything installs through PowerShell — Windows' built-in command window. You must open it as Administrator, or the installs will fail.
A black window opens. That's your terminal. Leave it open — everything runs here for the next 10 minutes.
Ctrl+V does NOT work in PowerShell. To paste anything: right-click anywhere in the black window. Text appears instantly.
Opening regular PowerShell (not as Administrator) will give a "cannot be loaded" error. Always right-click → Run as Administrator.
On some PCs, run this command once to fix it:
Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned
Type Y → Enter. One-time fix.
OpenClaw is the platform that powers your agent. Install it with one command. Copy the line below, right-click in PowerShell to paste, then press Enter.
You'll see text scroll by for about 30–60 seconds — that's normal. When the blinking > cursor comes back, it's done.
Lots of text flying by just means it's installing. Don't close the window. Wait for the blinking cursor to return.
This means Node.js isn't installed yet. Go back to the Before You Start section — install Node.js from nodejs.org first, then return here.
Claude Code connects OpenClaw to your Claude Pro subscription. Install it:
Then launch it:
Claude Code opens and asks how to log in. Do this:
The one-time code is on a timer. Copy it and paste it into the terminal immediately.
If it expired: press Enter in the terminal to get a fresh one, then paste right away.
Always choose "Login with Claude.ai (Subscription)" — NOT "API Key." API keys are for developers paying per use. Your Pro plan covers everything.
Now connect OpenClaw to Claude Code with the onboarding wizard. In PowerShell, run:
The wizard walks you through it. When it asks questions:
When you see "Onboarding completed successfully" — you're done. ✓
The wizard will seem stuck at certain points. It's waiting for you to type "yes" and press Enter. Nothing happens automatically — you have to tell it to continue.
The wizard creates a scheduled task so your agent starts automatically every time your PC turns on. You don't have to do anything — it just runs.
Your agent is running. Now open the browser dashboard to finish connecting it.
Open Chrome or Edge and go to:
Or type this in PowerShell to open it automatically:
If that address shows nothing, use the command instead. It opens the dashboard on whatever port your install actually picked, so it's right even if the number above isn't. Nothing is broken — the page just isn't always on the same door.
You'll see the OpenClaw dashboard. This is the setup page — your daily conversations happen in Telegram (next step), not here.
The black terminal = Claude Code running quietly in the background. The browser dashboard = one-time config. Telegram = your daily agent interface.
Bookmark 127.0.0.1:18789 in Chrome. You rarely need it, but it's handy when you do. Only works while your PC is on.
This creates a private Telegram bot that connects to your agent. Do this on your phone — takes 2 minutes.
janesmith_willis_bot7412983:AAGhf...)BotFather's token is long and looks like gibberish. Copy the entire thing — you need it in Step 8. Screenshot it so you don't lose it.
Add your initials or a number: jsmith2_willis_bot. It just needs to be unique across all of Telegram and end in "bot."
The display name can be changed anytime (BotFather → /setname). The username is locked for 60 days — pick it with care.
Last step — link your Telegram bot to the agent running on your PC.
Now open Telegram on your phone, find your bot by its username, and send it your first message. Your agent will reply. You're live. 🎉
The first time your agent runs, it asks for permissions to take actions. Always choose "Yes, and don't ask again" — this is how it works autonomously without stopping to ask you every time.
Paste the token in the browser dashboard at 127.0.0.1:18789 — not in PowerShell. Open Chrome, go to that address, and paste it in the chat box there.
Your bot token = the key to your agent. Don't share it. If you ever lose it, generate a new one in BotFather with /revoke.
Open Telegram, find your bot, and send it a message. Your agent knows who you are, it's ready to work, and it gets smarter the more you use it. Try one of these right now:
Just your billing portal. Raw AI with no memory, doesn't know who you are. Log in here only to manage your subscription. Don't chat here.
The engine running silently on your computer. Gives the AI memory, your workspace, tools, and the ability to act. Starts automatically when your PC boots up.
Your daily interface. Text your agent here like you'd text a person. This is where you actually use it — where 100% of your day-to-day happens.
Windows will not run background tasks on battery by default — so your agent quietly stops when you unplug, and starts again when you plug in. It looks like it's broken. It isn't.
Fix: Task Scheduler → find the OpenClaw Gateway tasks → Properties → Conditions tab → untick "Start the task only if the computer is on AC power."
If every message comes back with an error and there's no usage warning, your Claude login has usually just expired. It lasts about 8 hours and renews when you use it — so the first message after a long gap or overnight is where it shows up.
Fix: open PowerShell, type claude, and sign in again. It has to be done at your computer — your agent can't fix this one for you.
Text Christa. Every problem in this box was found the same way — somebody hit it, said so, and it got written down. You're not the first and it's not a dumb question.
Nothing here can break your computer, and nothing you type to your agent is permanent.