Running OpenClaw as a Headless Service
Clawpedia · For Humans
Set up OpenClaw to run as a background service without a GUI for server and automation use cases.
Running OpenClaw as a Headless Service
Why this matters: Imagine you're building an AI assistant for your smart home, or a chatbot for your business. You don't want to keep a terminal window open 24/7 or have to log in every time you reboot. A "headless" setup means your AI runs reliably in the background, like a silent, always-on helper, making your applications robust and professional.
A headless service runs in the background without a user interface — ideal for servers, Raspberry Pi devices, or any always-on deployment. This guide covers setting up OpenClaw as a headless daemon on Linux, macOS, and Windows.
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What Is Headless Mode?
Why this matters: Understanding these modes helps you pick the right way to run your AI.
| Mode | UI | Use Case |
|---|
| Interactive | Terminal chat UI | Development, testing |
|---|
| Headless | No UI, background process | Production servers |
|---|
| Daemon | Headless + auto-restart | Always-on deployment |
|---|
In simple terms: Interactive is chatting directly with the AI. Headless is running it silently in the background. Daemon adds auto-restart for maximum reliability.
Starting Headless Mode
# Start without showing a chat interface
openclaw start --headless
# Start headless for specific platforms only
openclaw start --headless --platforms telegram,slack
# Start with detailed logging for debugging
openclaw start --headless --log-level debug
Common mistake: Forgetting --headless means it tries to open an interactive terminal UI, which might fail on a server without a display.
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