Deploy Ollama - Local Deployment

Overview

This guide walks you through deploying an AI assistant powered by Ollama using Local Deployment. You'll configure the provider, set up the deployment environment, and get your assistant running.

Requirements

• Node.js 22+: Node.js version 22 or higher is required
• macOS, Linux, or WSL2: Supported operating systems
• npm or pnpm: Package manager for installation
• Ollama credentials: API key or authentication

Step 1: Configure Ollama

No authentication required for local instance

1. Install Ollama from ollama.ai
2. Run 'ollama pull llama3.3'
3. Start Ollama service
4. Configure baseUrl in OpenClaw

Step 2: Prepare Local Deployment Environment

1. Install OpenClaw: Install OpenClaw globally via npm or the installer script

   curl -fsSL https://openclaw.bot/install.sh | bash

2. Run Onboarding: Complete the setup wizard

   openclaw onboard --install-daemon

3. Configure Providers: Add your AI provider credentials during onboarding or manually
4. Start Gateway: Start the Gateway service

   openclaw gateway start

5. Verify Status: Check that everything is running correctly

   openclaw status

Step 3: Configuration

Create your openclaw.json configuration:

{
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "model": {
        "primary": "ollama/llama3.3"
      }
    }
  },
  "models": {
    "providers": {
      "ollama": {
  "models": {
    "providers": {
      "ollama": {
        "baseUrl": "http://localhost:11434"
      }
    }
  }
}

Step 4: Deploy

{
  "gateway": {
    "mode": "local",
    "bind": "loopback",
    "port": 18789,
    "auth": {
      "mode": "token",
      "allowTailscale": false
    }
  }
}

Step 5: Verify

# Check deployment status
openclaw status

# View logs
openclaw logs --follow

# Test with a message
openclaw test "Hello, are you working?"

Connect to Channels

Now connect your deployed Ollama assistant to messaging channels: