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Templates are pre-configured deployment blueprints that make it easy to create new OpenClaw instances with consistent settings. Instead of manually configuring every deployment, you can start from a template and customize only what you need.

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What are Templates?

A template defines the default configuration for a deployment, including:
  • Cloud provider (Hetzner, DigitalOcean, etc.)
  • Server specifications (CPU, RAM, location)
  • AI provider and model (OpenRouter, Anthropic, etc.)
  • Communication channel (Telegram, Discord, etc.)
Templates don’t include secrets like API keys. You’ll be prompted for those during deployment creation.

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Template Structure

From the source code at src/types/index.ts:211-233: 
interface Template {
  id: string;              // Unique template identifier
  name: string;            // Display name
  description: string;     // What this template is for
  builtIn: boolean;        // Whether this is a built-in template
  createdAt: string;
  provider: "hetzner" | "digitalocean" | "vultr";
  
  // Provider-specific defaults
  hetzner?: {
    serverType: string;    // e.g., "cpx11"
    location: string;      // e.g., "ash" (Ashburn, VA)
    image: string;         // e.g., "ubuntu-24.04"
  };
  digitalocean?: {
    size: string;          // e.g., "s-1vcpu-2gb"
    region: string;        // e.g., "nyc1"
    image: string;         // e.g., "ubuntu-24-04-x64"
  };
  
  // AI configuration defaults
  aiProvider: string;      // e.g., "openrouter"
  model: string;           // e.g., "moonshotai/kimi-k2.5"
  channel: string;         // e.g., "telegram"
}

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Built-in Templates

ClawControl comes with pre-configured templates for common scenarios. From src/services/templates.ts:16-51:

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Hetzner + OpenRouter Kimi K2.5

{
  "id": "hetzner-telegram-openrouter-kimi",
  "name": "Hetzner + OpenRouter Kimi K2.5",
  "description": "Deploy OpenClaw on Hetzner Cloud (US East) with OpenRouter using Moonshotai Kimi K2.5 model via Telegram",
  "builtIn": true,
  "provider": "hetzner",
  "hetzner": {
    "serverType": "cpx11",
    "location": "ash",
    "image": "ubuntu-24.04"
  },
  "aiProvider": "openrouter",
  "model": "moonshotai/kimi-k2.5",
  "channel": "telegram"
}
Best for: Cost-effective deployment in US East with a powerful AI model

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DigitalOcean + OpenRouter Kimi K2.5

{
  "id": "digitalocean-telegram-openrouter-kimi",
  "name": "DigitalOcean + OpenRouter Kimi K2.5",
  "description": "Deploy OpenClaw on DigitalOcean (NYC1) with OpenRouter using Moonshotai Kimi K2.5 model via Telegram",
  "builtIn": true,
  "provider": "digitalocean",
  "digitalocean": {
    "size": "s-1vcpu-2gb",
    "region": "nyc1",
    "image": "ubuntu-24-04-x64"
  },
  "aiProvider": "openrouter",
  "model": "moonshotai/kimi-k2.5",
  "channel": "telegram"
}
Best for: DigitalOcean users or deployments requiring NYC region
Built-in templates are automatically seeded to ~/.clawcontrol/templates/ on first use.

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Using Templates

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List Available Templates

clawcontrol templates
This shows all templates, with built-in templates listed first.

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Create Deployment from Template

When you run clawcontrol new, you’ll be prompted to select a template. The template’s settings become the defaults for your new deployment. You can customize any setting during creation: 
# Start from a template, then customize
clawcontrol new
# Select template: Hetzner + OpenRouter Kimi K2.5
# Override defaults as needed

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Creating Custom Templates

You can create custom templates by forking existing ones or creating new template files.

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Fork an Existing Template

The easiest way to create a custom template:
  1. Use the templates command to view existing templates
  2. Create a deployment from a template
  3. Save your custom configuration as a new template

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Manual Template Creation

Create a new file in ~/.clawcontrol/templates/<template-id>.json: 
{
  "id": "my-custom-template",
  "name": "My Custom Setup",
  "description": "Custom configuration for my use case",
  "builtIn": false,
  "createdAt": "2025-01-15T10:00:00.000Z",
  "provider": "hetzner",
  "hetzner": {
    "serverType": "cpx21",
    "location": "nbg1",
    "image": "ubuntu-24.04"
  },
  "aiProvider": "anthropic",
  "model": "claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022",
  "channel": "telegram"
}
From src/services/templates.ts:109-113:
export function saveTemplate(template: Template): void {
  ensureTemplatesDir();
  const validated = TemplateSchema.parse(template);
  writeFileSync(getTemplatePath(validated.id), JSON.stringify(validated, null, 2));
}

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Managing Templates

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Template Storage

All templates are stored in ~/.clawcontrol/templates/: 
~/.clawcontrol/
└── templates/
    ├── hetzner-telegram-openrouter-kimi.json
    ├── digitalocean-telegram-openrouter-kimi.json
    └── my-custom-template.json

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Deleting Custom Templates

You can delete custom templates by removing their JSON file: 
rm ~/.clawcontrol/templates/my-custom-template.json
Built-in templates cannot be deleted. They are automatically re-created if removed.

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Template Auto-Seeding

From src/services/templates.ts:63-71: 
function seedBuiltInTemplates(): void {
  ensureTemplatesDir();
  for (const template of BUILT_IN_TEMPLATES) {
    const path = getTemplatePath(template.id);
    if (!existsSync(path)) {
      writeFileSync(path, JSON.stringify(template, null, 2));
    }
  }
}
Built-in templates are automatically created when you first use templates, ensuring you always have working starting points.

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Why Use Templates?

Consistency

Ensure all your deployments use the same base configuration.

Speed

Skip repetitive configuration and get to deployment faster.

Best Practices

Built-in templates use tested, optimized settings.

Team Sharing

Share template files with your team for standardized deployments.

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Template Selection Tips

1

Choose your provider

Select based on your cloud provider preference and region requirements.
2

Consider server specs

Built-in templates use minimal specs (1 vCPU, 2GB RAM). Create custom templates for larger deployments.
3

Match your AI provider

Start with OpenRouter templates if you want access to multiple models through one API.
4

Customize as needed

Templates are starting points - you can override any setting during deployment creation.

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Next Steps

Create a Deployment

Use a template to create your first deployment

Providers

Learn about supported cloud providers

Deployments

Understand the full deployment lifecycle

Templates Command

See all template management commands

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