Step 1: Requirements
The accounts, server, and computer you need before you set up an agent.
Make sure you have everything on this list before you start. Every item is explained in the next steps, so you don't need to set anything up yet.
Checklist
| You need | Why | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| A computer with macOS, Linux, or Windows | The officeclaws CLI runs here and stores your keys | — |
| An Office Claws subscription | Required to create agents | See pricing |
| A Contabo account and one VPS | Your agent lives on this server | Paid to Contabo directly |
| A Tailscale account | Private, encrypted connection between your computer and the agent | Free for personal use |
| A ChatGPT subscription (Plus, Pro, or Team) | Powers the agent through Codex | Paid to OpenAI directly |
| Optional: a Telegram account | Chat with the agent from your phone | Free |
Recommended VPS size
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | 2 vCPU | 4 vCPU |
| RAM | 4 GB | 8 GB |
| Disk | 50 GB | 150 GB |
| Operating system | Ubuntu 24.04 | Ubuntu 24.04 |
Contabo's entry-level "Cloud VPS" plans meet the recommended size.
Your computer
- macOS (Apple Silicon or Intel) or Linux (x86-64 or ARM64). Windows (x86-64 or ARM64) is experimental: you install the CLI by hand from a zip file, and the full setup hasn't been verified on Windows.
- A terminal: Terminal or iTerm on macOS, any shell on Linux, PowerShell on Windows
curlandtar. Both come preinstalled on macOS and most Linux distributions.- Access to the system keychain. On a Linux server without a desktop, you may need to install a Secret Service provider such as
gnome-keyring.