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Your First Message

Verifying the Loop

Once you've installed OpenClaw and connected a model, the next step is to send your first message to verify the connection.

Steps

  1. Start the Gateway: openclaw start
  2. Open the CLI: Run openclaw chat in a new terminal window.
  3. Send a Ping: Type Hello OpenClaw! and press Enter.

What to Look For

If successful, you should see the agent respond with its persona and a summary of your connected skills. If you see an error, visit the Troubleshooting Hub.