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Clawdbot on GCP Compute Engine (Docker, Production VPS Guide)

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Goal

Run a persistent Clawdbot Gateway on a GCP Compute Engine VM using Docker, with durable state, baked-in binaries, and safe restart behavior. If you want “Clawdbot 24/7 for ~$5-12/mo”, this is a reliable setup on Google Cloud. Pricing varies by machine type and region; pick the smallest VM that fits your workload and scale up if you hit OOMs.

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What are we doing (simple terms)?

  • Create a GCP project and enable billing
  • Create a Compute Engine VM
  • Install Docker (isolated app runtime)
  • Start the Clawdbot Gateway in Docker
  • Persist ~/.clawdbot + ~/clawd on the host (survives restarts/rebuilds)
  • Access the Control UI from your laptop via an SSH tunnel
The Gateway can be accessed via:
  • SSH port forwarding from your laptop
  • Direct port exposure if you manage firewalling and tokens yourself
This guide uses Debian on GCP Compute Engine. Ubuntu also works; map packages accordingly. For the generic Docker flow, see Docker.

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Quick path (experienced operators)

  1. Create GCP project + enable Compute Engine API
  2. Create Compute Engine VM (e2-small, Debian 12, 20GB)
  3. SSH into the VM
  4. Install Docker
  5. Clone Clawdbot repository
  6. Create persistent host directories
  7. Configure .env and docker-compose.yml
  8. Bake required binaries, build, and launch

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What you need

  • GCP account (free tier eligible for e2-micro)
  • gcloud CLI installed (or use Cloud Console)
  • SSH access from your laptop
  • Basic comfort with SSH + copy/paste
  • ~20-30 minutes
  • Docker and Docker Compose
  • Model auth credentials
  • Optional provider credentials
    • WhatsApp QR
    • Telegram bot token
    • Gmail OAuth

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1) Install gcloud CLI (or use Console)

Option A: gcloud CLI (recommended for automation) Install from https://cloud.google.com/sdk/docs/install Initialize and authenticate: 
gcloud init
gcloud auth login
Option B: Cloud Console All steps can be done via the web UI at https://console.cloud.google.com

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2) Create a GCP project

CLI: 
gcloud projects create my-clawdbot-project --name="Clawdbot Gateway"
gcloud config set project my-clawdbot-project
Enable billing at https://console.cloud.google.com/billing (required for Compute Engine). Enable the Compute Engine API: 
gcloud services enable compute.googleapis.com
Console:
  1. Go to IAM & Admin > Create Project
  2. Name it and create
  3. Enable billing for the project
  4. Navigate to APIs & Services > Enable APIs > search “Compute Engine API” > Enable

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3) Create the VM

Machine types:
TypeSpecsCostNotes
e2-small2 vCPU, 2GB RAM~$12/moRecommended
e2-micro2 vCPU (shared), 1GB RAMFree tier eligibleMay OOM under load
CLI: 
gcloud compute instances create clawdbot-gateway \
  --zone=us-central1-a \
  --machine-type=e2-small \
  --boot-disk-size=20GB \
  --image-family=debian-12 \
  --image-project=debian-cloud
Console:
  1. Go to Compute Engine > VM instances > Create instance
  2. Name: clawdbot-gateway
  3. Region: us-central1, Zone: us-central1-a
  4. Machine type: e2-small
  5. Boot disk: Debian 12, 20GB
  6. Create

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4) SSH into the VM

CLI: 
gcloud compute ssh clawdbot-gateway --zone=us-central1-a
Console: Click the “SSH” button next to your VM in the Compute Engine dashboard. Note: SSH key propagation can take 1-2 minutes after VM creation. If connection is refused, wait and retry.

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5) Install Docker (on the VM)

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y git curl ca-certificates
curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sudo sh
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
Log out and back in for the group change to take effect: 
exit
Then SSH back in: 
gcloud compute ssh clawdbot-gateway --zone=us-central1-a
Verify: 
docker --version
docker compose version

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6) Clone the Clawdbot repository

git clone https://github.com/clawdbot/clawdbot.git
cd clawdbot
This guide assumes you will build a custom image to guarantee binary persistence.

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7) Create persistent host directories

Docker containers are ephemeral. All long-lived state must live on the host. 
mkdir -p ~/.clawdbot
mkdir -p ~/clawd

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8) Configure environment variables

Create .env in the repository root. 
CLAWDBOT_IMAGE=clawdbot:latest
CLAWDBOT_GATEWAY_TOKEN=change-me-now
CLAWDBOT_GATEWAY_BIND=lan
CLAWDBOT_GATEWAY_PORT=18789

CLAWDBOT_CONFIG_DIR=/home/$USER/.clawdbot
CLAWDBOT_WORKSPACE_DIR=/home/$USER/clawd

GOG_KEYRING_PASSWORD=change-me-now
XDG_CONFIG_HOME=/home/node/.clawdbot
Generate strong secrets: 
openssl rand -hex 32
Do not commit this file.

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9) Docker Compose configuration

Create or update docker-compose.yml. 
services:
  clawdbot-gateway:
    image: ${CLAWDBOT_IMAGE}
    build: .
    restart: unless-stopped
    env_file:
      - .env
    environment:
      - HOME=/home/node
      - NODE_ENV=production
      - TERM=xterm-256color
      - CLAWDBOT_GATEWAY_BIND=${CLAWDBOT_GATEWAY_BIND}
      - CLAWDBOT_GATEWAY_PORT=${CLAWDBOT_GATEWAY_PORT}
      - CLAWDBOT_GATEWAY_TOKEN=${CLAWDBOT_GATEWAY_TOKEN}
      - GOG_KEYRING_PASSWORD=${GOG_KEYRING_PASSWORD}
      - XDG_CONFIG_HOME=${XDG_CONFIG_HOME}
      - PATH=/home/linuxbrew/.linuxbrew/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin
    volumes:
      - ${CLAWDBOT_CONFIG_DIR}:/home/node/.clawdbot
      - ${CLAWDBOT_WORKSPACE_DIR}:/home/node/clawd
    ports:
      # Recommended: keep the Gateway loopback-only on the VM; access via SSH tunnel.
      # To expose it publicly, remove the `127.0.0.1:` prefix and firewall accordingly.
      - "127.0.0.1:${CLAWDBOT_GATEWAY_PORT}:18789"

      # Optional: only if you run iOS/Android nodes against this VM and need Canvas host.
      # If you expose this publicly, read /gateway/security and firewall accordingly.
      # - "18793:18793"
    command:
      [
        "node",
        "dist/index.js",
        "gateway",
        "--bind",
        "${CLAWDBOT_GATEWAY_BIND}",
        "--port",
        "${CLAWDBOT_GATEWAY_PORT}"
      ]

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10) Bake required binaries into the image (critical)

Installing binaries inside a running container is a trap. Anything installed at runtime will be lost on restart. All external binaries required by skills must be installed at image build time. The examples below show three common binaries only:
  • gog for Gmail access
  • goplaces for Google Places
  • wacli for WhatsApp
These are examples, not a complete list. You may install as many binaries as needed using the same pattern. If you add new skills later that depend on additional binaries, you must:
  1. Update the Dockerfile
  2. Rebuild the image
  3. Restart the containers
Example Dockerfile 
FROM node:22-bookworm

RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y socat && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*

# Example binary 1: Gmail CLI
RUN curl -L https://github.com/steipete/gog/releases/latest/download/gog_Linux_x86_64.tar.gz \
  | tar -xz -C /usr/local/bin && chmod +x /usr/local/bin/gog

# Example binary 2: Google Places CLI
RUN curl -L https://github.com/steipete/goplaces/releases/latest/download/goplaces_Linux_x86_64.tar.gz \
  | tar -xz -C /usr/local/bin && chmod +x /usr/local/bin/goplaces

# Example binary 3: WhatsApp CLI
RUN curl -L https://github.com/steipete/wacli/releases/latest/download/wacli_Linux_x86_64.tar.gz \
  | tar -xz -C /usr/local/bin && chmod +x /usr/local/bin/wacli

# Add more binaries below using the same pattern

WORKDIR /app
COPY package.json pnpm-lock.yaml pnpm-workspace.yaml .npmrc ./
COPY ui/package.json ./ui/package.json
COPY scripts ./scripts

RUN corepack enable
RUN pnpm install --frozen-lockfile

COPY . .
RUN pnpm build
RUN pnpm ui:install
RUN pnpm ui:build

ENV NODE_ENV=production

CMD ["node","dist/index.js"]

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11) Build and launch

docker compose build
docker compose up -d clawdbot-gateway
Verify binaries: 
docker compose exec clawdbot-gateway which gog
docker compose exec clawdbot-gateway which goplaces
docker compose exec clawdbot-gateway which wacli
Expected output: 
/usr/local/bin/gog
/usr/local/bin/goplaces
/usr/local/bin/wacli

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12) Verify Gateway

docker compose logs -f clawdbot-gateway
Success: 
[gateway] listening on ws://0.0.0.0:18789

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13) Access from your laptop

Create an SSH tunnel to forward the Gateway port: 
gcloud compute ssh clawdbot-gateway --zone=us-central1-a -- -L 18789:127.0.0.1:18789
Open in your browser: http://127.0.0.1:18789/ Paste your gateway token.

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What persists where (source of truth)

Clawdbot runs in Docker, but Docker is not the source of truth. All long-lived state must survive restarts, rebuilds, and reboots.
ComponentLocationPersistence mechanismNotes
Gateway config/home/node/.clawdbot/Host volume mountIncludes clawdbot.json, tokens
Model auth profiles/home/node/.clawdbot/Host volume mountOAuth tokens, API keys
Skill configs/home/node/.clawdbot/skills/Host volume mountSkill-level state
Agent workspace/home/node/clawd/Host volume mountCode and agent artifacts
WhatsApp session/home/node/.clawdbot/Host volume mountPreserves QR login
Gmail keyring/home/node/.clawdbot/Host volume + passwordRequires GOG_KEYRING_PASSWORD
External binaries/usr/local/bin/Docker imageMust be baked at build time
Node runtimeContainer filesystemDocker imageRebuilt every image build
OS packagesContainer filesystemDocker imageDo not install at runtime
Docker containerEphemeralRestartableSafe to destroy

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Updates

To update Clawdbot on the VM: 
cd ~/clawdbot
git pull
docker compose build
docker compose up -d

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Troubleshooting

SSH connection refused SSH key propagation can take 1-2 minutes after VM creation. Wait and retry. OS Login issues Check your OS Login profile: 
gcloud compute os-login describe-profile
Ensure your account has the required IAM permissions (Compute OS Login or Compute OS Admin Login). Out of memory (OOM) If using e2-micro and hitting OOM, upgrade to e2-small or e2-medium: 
# Stop the VM first
gcloud compute instances stop clawdbot-gateway --zone=us-central1-a

# Change machine type
gcloud compute instances set-machine-type clawdbot-gateway \
  --zone=us-central1-a \
  --machine-type=e2-small

# Start the VM
gcloud compute instances start clawdbot-gateway --zone=us-central1-a

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Service accounts (security best practice)

For personal use, your default user account works fine. For automation or CI/CD pipelines, create a dedicated service account with minimal permissions:
  1. Create a service account: 
    gcloud iam service-accounts create clawdbot-deploy \
  --display-name="Clawdbot Deployment"
  2. Grant Compute Instance Admin role (or narrower custom role): 
    gcloud projects add-iam-policy-binding my-clawdbot-project \
  --member="serviceAccount:[email protected]" \
  --role="roles/compute.instanceAdmin.v1"
Avoid using the Owner role for automation. Use the principle of least privilege. See https://cloud.google.com/iam/docs/understanding-roles for IAM role details.

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Next steps