OpenClaw API Key Guide: Bring Your Own Key
OpenClaw on RunTheAgent uses the BYOK model — you bring your own Anthropic or OpenAI API key. You choose the AI model, you control the costs, and your key is stored encrypted.
Why Bring Your Own Key?
Unlike most AI tools that bundle AI costs into opaque pricing, OpenClaw on RunTheAgent uses the BYOK (Bring Your Own Key) model. You pay RunTheAgent $32.50/month for managed hosting and infrastructure. You pay your AI provider (Anthropic or OpenAI) directly for the AI processing your agent uses.
This approach gives you three advantages: transparency (you see exactly what the AI costs), control (you choose which model and provider), and flexibility (switch providers anytime without changing your agent). It's the same model used by MoltBot and ClawdBot before the rename to OpenClaw.
Typical API costs for a moderately active OpenClaw deployment run $5–30/month. Heavy users with extensive browser automation may go higher, but you always have full visibility into your usage.
Getting Your API Key
Choose Your AI Provider
OpenClaw supports Anthropic (Claude models) and OpenAI (GPT models). Both work well for browser automation and task execution. Anthropic Claude is often preferred for complex reasoning; OpenAI GPT is widely familiar.
Create a Provider Account
Sign up at console.anthropic.com or platform.openai.com. Both offer API access with pay-as-you-go pricing. You'll need a credit card on file with your provider.
Generate an API Key
In your provider's dashboard, generate a new API key. Copy it immediately — most providers only show the full key once. Label it something like 'OpenClaw on RunTheAgent' for easy identification.
Add It to Your OpenClaw Deployment
In your RunTheAgent dashboard, paste your API key into the BYOK field. It's stored encrypted and only used by your isolated OpenClaw instance. Your agent is now powered by your chosen AI model.
Monitor Usage at Your Provider
Check your AI provider's usage dashboard to track costs. Set spending limits if your provider supports them. Typical personal usage runs $5–15/month; business usage $10–30/month.
BYOK Benefits for Your Deployed OpenClaw
Full Cost Transparency
You see every API call's cost in your provider's dashboard. No hidden AI charges in your RunTheAgent subscription. Know exactly what your 24/7 agent costs to run.
Model Selection
Choose between Claude Sonnet, Claude Opus, GPT-4o, GPT-4, and other available models. Different tasks may benefit from different models — you decide.
Provider Switching
Switch between Anthropic and OpenAI at any time by updating your API key. Your OpenClaw agent adapts automatically. No lock-in to any single AI provider.
Encrypted Key Storage
Your API key is stored encrypted on RunTheAgent. It's never logged, never exposed in plain text, and only used by your isolated OpenClaw instance.
Typical API Costs for OpenClaw
BYOK in Practice
Switching Models for Different Tasks
A solopreneur deploys OpenClaw on RunTheAgent with an Anthropic API key, using Claude Sonnet for everyday tasks like email triage and scheduling research. When a complex competitive analysis project comes up, they temporarily switch to Claude Opus for deeper reasoning. After the project, they switch back to Sonnet to keep costs lower. The provider's dashboard shows exactly what each phase cost. Total API spend that month: $18.
Cost Expectations for 24/7 Browser Automation
Browser automation tasks tend to use more API tokens than simple text conversations because OpenClaw needs to reason about what it sees on web pages. A single browser task (like checking prices on 3 websites) might cost $0.05–0.15 in API usage. Running 10 browser tasks per day would cost roughly $0.50–1.50/day, or $15–45/month.
Simple messaging tasks (reminders, quick questions, text processing) cost significantly less — often under $0.01 per interaction. Most users find their total API costs well within the $5–30/month range.
The BYOK model means you can set spending limits at your provider and monitor usage in real time. Your 24/7 deployed OpenClaw agent on RunTheAgent never exceeds what you allow.
Your Key, Your Control
The BYOK approach is intentional. OpenClaw (previously MoltBot and ClawdBot) has always put you in control of which AI processes your data and how much you spend. RunTheAgent provides the infrastructure to run your agent 24/7 — the AI intelligence comes from the provider you choose, at the cost you control.
Deploy OpenClaw on RunTheAgent for $32.50/month. Bring your Anthropic or OpenAI key. Start messaging your 24/7 AI agent on WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, or Slack.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Pages
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