# OpenClaw Ollama Tutorial: Private AI Agents on Your Computer

Imagine having a personal AI agent running on your computer. It can read files, run commands, automate tasks, and remember your workflows.

Author: Vladislav Guzey
Published: 2026-03-11
Canonical: https://proflead.dev/posts/how-to-set-up-openclaw-with-ollama/



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Imagine having a personal AI agent running on your computer. It can read files, run commands, automate tasks, and remember your workflows.

In this guide, you will learn how to run OpenClaw with Ollama locally and choose the best local LLM models.

If Ollama is new to you, start with the [Ollama installation and model-management guide](/posts/ollama-tutorial/). Before connecting an agent to your files or chat accounts, review the [OpenClaw setup and security steps](/posts/openclaw-setup-tutorial/).

This setup allows you to:

• run AI agents locally  
• keep your data private  
• avoid cloud API costs  
• build powerful automation workflows

By the end of this tutorial, you will have OpenClaw running with a local model using Ollama.

## What is OpenClaw?

![What is OpenClaw?](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:700/1*vL4NfIs2hgRepc87duvw5w.png)

[OpenClaw](https://openclaw.ai/) is an open-source AI agent framework. Unlike a normal chatbot, OpenClaw can perform real actions on your computer.

For example, it can:

• run terminal commands  
• read and edit files  
• automate workflows  
• control browsers  
• remember tasks using local memory

OpenClaw acts as a bridge between LLM reasoning models and your operating system.

## Why Run OpenClaw with Ollama?

Running OpenClaw with Ollama gives you a fully local AI agent.

1. Full Privacy. All data stays on your computer.

2. No API Costs. You don’t need OpenAI or cloud providers.

3. Faster Performance. Local models remove network latency.

4. Persistent Memory. OpenClaw stores conversations in local Markdown files, allowing long-term memory.

5. Messaging Interface. You can control OpenClaw through:

• Telegram  
• Slack  
• WhatsApp


This allows you to trigger workflows from your phone.

## Best Local Models for OpenClaw

Choosing the right local model is important for reliable agent behavior.


![Best Local Models for OpenClaw](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:700/1*l3naUuESL6meiUAF0uyuCA.png)



For reliable tool usage, use models 14B or larger. Small models often fail when executing multi-step commands.

## How to Install OpenClaw with Ollama

### Step 1: Install Ollama

Install Ollama:

```bash
curl -fsSL https://ollama.com/install.sh | sh
```

Verify installation:
```bash
curl http://localhost:11434/api/tags
```

Then download one of these models from [ollama.com](https://ollama.com/) website:

- [qwen3-coder](https://ollama.com/library/qwen3-coder): Optimized for coding tasks
- [glm-4.7](https://ollama.com/library/glm-4.7): Strong general-purpose model
- [gpt-oss:20b](https://ollama.com/library/gpt-oss:20b): Balanced performance and speed
- [gpt-oss:120b](https://ollama.com/library/gpt-oss:120b): Improved capability

Example of command:
```bash
ollama run qwen3-coder
```
### Step 2: Install OpenClaw

Install OpenClaw:
```bash
curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash
```
Run OpenClaw with Ollama by using this command:
```bash
ollama launch openclaw
```
![Run OpenClaw with Ollama](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:560/1*XJ5KAPqji8Nmm0WwytPevg.png)



### Video Walkthrough

{% embed https://youtu.be/dRXWkHSTJG4 %}

**_Watch on YouTube:_** [**_How to Set Up OpenClaw with Ollama_**](https://youtu.be/dRXWkHSTJG4)

## Security: The “Kernel Module” Warning

As of the March 2026 security updates, OpenClaw’s broad permissions are a double-edged sword. Because it operates at the kernel/OS level:

- **Disable Web Search:** For a fully local workflow, toggle search to `false` In your config, ensure no data snippets are sent to search engines.
- **Audit Your Logs:** OpenClaw saves every action in a local log. Periodically check these to ensure your agent isn’t performing “ghost actions.”
- **Human in the Loop:** Always keep tool permissions set to “ask” for sensitive commands like `rm -rf` or sending external emails.

## Conclusion

If you follow the steps in this guide, you should now have a working OpenClaw setup running with a local model.

Try it out, experiment with different models, and see what kinds of workflows you can automate.

And if you discover something interesting, feel free to share it. I’m always curious to see how people are using these tools.

Cheers, proflead! ;)