Fly.io

Goal: OpenClaw Gateway running on a Fly.io machine with persistent storage, automatic HTTPS, and Discord/channel access.

# What you need

• flyctl CLI installed
• Fly.io account (free tier works)
• Model auth: API key for your chosen model provider
• Channel credentials: Discord bot token, Telegram token, etc.

# Beginner quick path

1. Clone repo → customize fly.toml
2. Create app + volume → set secrets
3. Deploy with fly deploy
4. SSH in to create config or use Control UI

# Clone the repo
git clone https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw.git
cd openclaw

# Create a new Fly app (pick your own name)
fly apps create my-openclaw

# Create a persistent volume (1GB is usually enough)
fly volumes create openclaw_data --size 1 --region iad

app = "my-openclaw"  # Your app name
primary_region = "iad"

[build]
  dockerfile = "Dockerfile"

[env]
  NODE_ENV = "production"
  OPENCLAW_PREFER_PNPM = "1"
  OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR = "/data"
  NODE_OPTIONS = "--max-old-space-size=1536"

[processes]
  app = "node dist/index.js gateway --allow-unconfigured --port 3000 --bind lan"

[http_service]
  internal_port = 3000
  force_https = true
  auto_stop_machines = false
  auto_start_machines = true
  min_machines_running = 1
  processes = ["app"]

[[vm]]
  size = "shared-cpu-2x"
  memory = "2048mb"

[mounts]
  source = "openclaw_data"
  destination = "/data"

# Required: Gateway token (for non-loopback binding)
fly secrets set OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN=$(openssl rand -hex 32)

# Model provider API keys
fly secrets set ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...

# Optional: Other providers
fly secrets set OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...
fly secrets set GOOGLE_API_KEY=...

# Channel tokens
fly secrets set DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN=MTQ...

fly deploy

fly status
fly logs

[gateway] listening on ws://0.0.0.0:3000 (PID xxx)
[discord] logged in to discord as xxx

fly ssh console

mkdir -p /data
cat > /data/openclaw.json << 'EOF'
{
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "model": {
        "primary": "anthropic/claude-opus-4-6",
        "fallbacks": ["anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6", "openai/gpt-5.4"]
      },
      "maxConcurrent": 4
    },
    "list": [
      {
        "id": "main",
        "default": true
      }
    ]
  },
  "auth": {
    "profiles": {
      "anthropic:default": { "mode": "token", "provider": "anthropic" },
      "openai:default": { "mode": "token", "provider": "openai" }
    }
  },
  "bindings": [
    {
      "agentId": "main",
      "match": { "channel": "discord" }
    }
  ],
  "channels": {
    "discord": {
      "enabled": true,
      "groupPolicy": "allowlist",
      "guilds": {
        "YOUR_GUILD_ID": {
          "channels": { "general": { "allow": true } },
          "requireMention": false
        }
      }
    }
  },
  "gateway": {
    "mode": "local",
    "bind": "auto",
    "controlUi": {
      "allowedOrigins": [
        "https://my-openclaw.fly.dev",
        "http://localhost:3000",
        "http://127.0.0.1:3000"
      ]
    }
  },
  "meta": {}
}
EOF

exit
fly machine restart <machine-id>

fly open

fly logs              # Live logs
fly logs --no-tail    # Recent logs

fly ssh console

# Troubleshooting

# "App is not listening on expected address"

The gateway is binding to 127.0.0.1 instead of 0.0.0.0.

Fix: Add --bind lan to your process command in fly.toml.

# Health checks failing / connection refused

Fly can't reach the gateway on the configured port.

Fix: Ensure internal_port matches the gateway port (set --port 3000 or OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_PORT=3000).

# OOM / Memory Issues

Container keeps restarting or getting killed. Signs: SIGABRT, v8::internal::Runtime_AllocateInYoungGeneration, or silent restarts.

Fix: Increase memory in fly.toml:

[[vm]]
  memory = "2048mb"

Or update an existing machine:

fly machine update <machine-id> --vm-memory 2048 -y

Note: 512MB is too small. 1GB may work but can OOM under load or with verbose logging. 2GB is recommended.

# Gateway lock issues

Gateway refuses to start with "already running" errors.

This happens when the container restarts but the PID lock file persists on the volume.

Fix: Delete the lock file:

fly ssh console --command "rm -f /data/gateway.*.lock"
fly machine restart <machine-id>

The lock file is at /data/gateway.*.lock (not in a subdirectory).

# Config not being read

--allow-unconfigured only bypasses the startup guard. It does not create or repair /data/openclaw.json, so make sure your real config exists and includes gateway.mode="local" when you want a normal local gateway start.

Verify the config exists:

fly ssh console --command "cat /data/openclaw.json"

# Writing config via SSH

The fly ssh console -C command doesn't support shell redirection. To write a config file:

# Use echo + tee (pipe from local to remote)
echo '{"your":"config"}' | fly ssh console -C "tee /data/openclaw.json"

# Or use sftp
fly sftp shell
> put /local/path/config.json /data/openclaw.json

Note: fly sftp may fail if the file already exists. Delete first:

fly ssh console --command "rm /data/openclaw.json"

# State not persisting

If you lose auth profiles, channel/provider state, or sessions after a restart, the state dir is writing to the container filesystem.

Fix: Ensure OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR=/data is set in fly.toml and redeploy.

# Updates

# Pull latest changes
git pull

# Redeploy
fly deploy

# Check health
fly status
fly logs

# Updating machine command

If you need to change the startup command without a full redeploy:

# Get machine ID
fly machines list

# Update command
fly machine update <machine-id> --command "node dist/index.js gateway --port 3000 --bind lan" -y

# Or with memory increase
fly machine update <machine-id> --vm-memory 2048 --command "node dist/index.js gateway --port 3000 --bind lan" -y

Note: After fly deploy, the machine command may reset to what's in fly.toml. If you made manual changes, re-apply them after deploy.

# Private deployment (hardened)

By default, Fly allocates public IPs, making your gateway accessible at https://your-app.fly.dev. This is convenient but means your deployment is discoverable by internet scanners (Shodan, Censys, etc.).

For a hardened deployment with no public exposure, use the private template.

# When to use private deployment

• You only make outbound calls/messages (no inbound webhooks)
• You use ngrok or Tailscale tunnels for any webhook callbacks
• You access the gateway via SSH, proxy, or WireGuard instead of browser
• You want the deployment hidden from internet scanners

# Setup

Use deploy/fly.private.toml instead of the standard config:

# Deploy with private config
fly deploy -c deploy/fly.private.toml

Or convert an existing deployment:

# List current IPs
fly ips list -a my-openclaw

# Release public IPs
fly ips release <public-ipv4> -a my-openclaw
fly ips release <public-ipv6> -a my-openclaw

# Switch to private config so future deploys don't re-allocate public IPs
# (remove [http_service] or deploy with the private template)
fly deploy -c deploy/fly.private.toml

# Allocate private-only IPv6
fly ips allocate-v6 --private -a my-openclaw

After this, fly ips list should show only a private type IP:

VERSION  IP                   TYPE             REGION
v6       fdaa:x:x:x:x::x      private          global

# Accessing a private deployment

Since there's no public URL, use one of these methods:

Option 1: Local proxy (simplest)

# Forward local port 3000 to the app
fly proxy 3000:3000 -a my-openclaw

# Then open http://localhost:3000 in browser

Option 2: WireGuard VPN

# Create WireGuard config (one-time)
fly wireguard create

# Import to WireGuard client, then access via internal IPv6
# Example: http://[fdaa:x:x:x:x::x]:3000

Option 3: SSH only

fly ssh console -a my-openclaw

# Webhooks with private deployment

If you need webhook callbacks (Twilio, Telnyx, etc.) without public exposure:

1. ngrok tunnel - Run ngrok inside the container or as a sidecar
2. Tailscale Funnel - Expose specific paths via Tailscale
3. Outbound-only - Some providers (Twilio) work fine for outbound calls without webhooks

Example voice-call config with ngrok:

{
  plugins: {
    entries: {
      "voice-call": {
        enabled: true,
        config: {
          provider: "twilio",
          tunnel: { provider: "ngrok" },
          webhookSecurity: {
            allowedHosts: ["example.ngrok.app"],
          },
        },
      },
    },
  },
}

The ngrok tunnel runs inside the container and provides a public webhook URL without exposing the Fly app itself. Set webhookSecurity.allowedHosts to the public tunnel hostname so forwarded host headers are accepted.

# Security benefits

# Notes

• Fly.io uses x86 architecture (not ARM)
• The Dockerfile is compatible with both architectures
• For WhatsApp/Telegram onboarding, use fly ssh console
• Persistent data lives on the volume at /data
• Signal requires Java + signal-cli; use a custom image and keep memory at 2GB+.

# Cost

With the recommended config (shared-cpu-2x, 2GB RAM):

• ~$10-15/month depending on usage
• Free tier includes some allowance

See Fly.io pricing for details.

# Next steps

• Set up messaging channels: Channels
• Configure the Gateway: Gateway configuration
• Keep OpenClaw up to date: Updating

# Related

• Install overview
• Hetzner
• Docker
• VPS hosting