How to Use OpenClaw with GPT-4 (OpenAI) — Setup Guide

OpenAI's GPT-4 is one of the most popular LLM choices for OpenClaw. The setup is straightforward, and GPT-4o (the omni model) offers a solid balance of capability and cost for running an always-on agent.

Get Your OpenAI API Key

Log into platform.openai.com, go to API Keys, and create a new secret key. Make sure you've added a payment method — the API doesn't work on a free tier for GPT-4.

Configure OpenClaw

openclaw config set llm.provider openai
openclaw config set llm.apiKey sk-YOUR_OPENAI_KEY
openclaw config set llm.model gpt-4o

Then restart the gateway:

openclaw gateway restart
openclaw gateway status
# Should show: LLM: openai/gpt-4o ✓

Available OpenAI Models

• gpt-4o — Best all-around choice. Fast, multimodal, well-priced
• gpt-4o-mini — Much cheaper, great for high-frequency cron tasks
• gpt-4-turbo — Older but very capable, 128K context
• o1-mini — Reasoning model for complex multi-step problems

openclaw.json Configuration

{
  "llm": {
    "provider": "openai",
    "model": "gpt-4o",
    "apiKey": "sk-YOUR_KEY_HERE",
    "temperature": 0.7,
    "maxTokens": 4096
  }
}

Cost Optimization: Use Mini for Crons

GPT-4o is great for your main agent interactions. For cron jobs that run frequently (hourly, every 5 min), use the mini model to save money:

openclaw cron update hex-monitor-check \
  --model "openai/gpt-4o-mini"

openclaw cron update hex-daily-brief \
  --model "openai/gpt-4o"

Testing Your Setup

openclaw chat --message "tell me which model you're running on"
# Should respond mentioning GPT-4o

openclaw gateway logs --tail 20 | grep openai

Using OpenAI with OpenRouter

Alternatively, you can access GPT-4 through OpenRouter, which gives you a single API key and automatic fallback routing. See the OpenRouter integration guide.

Want the full OpenClaw setup guide? The OpenClaw Playbook covers everything — $9.99.