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Migrate OpenClaw to a new VPS

Migrate OpenClaw to a New VPS — Complete Guide (2026) 🚚 Migration Guide Migrate OpenClawto a New VPS Outgrew your current server? Moving to a cheaper provider? This guide transfers…

Migrate OpenClaw to a New VPS — Complete Guide (2026)
🚚 Migration Guide

Migrate OpenClaw
to a New VPS

Outgrew your current server? Moving to a cheaper provider? This guide transfers your entire OpenClaw instance — history, workspace, and all — with less than 10 minutes of downtime.

Before You Migrate

Pre-Migration Checklist

Create a Fresh Backup First

Run your backup script manually right before starting: ~/openclaw/backup.sh. Even if you have automated daily backups, you want the most current data possible before a migration.

  • ✓

    Provision and set up the new VPS

    New server provisioned, Ubuntu 22.04 installed, Docker Engine running, non-root user created with docker group access.

  • ✓

    Verify you can SSH to both servers simultaneously

    Open two terminal windows — one for old server, one for new. You’ll need both during the transfer.

  • ✓

    Note your current OpenClaw version

    Run docker inspect openclaw | grep -i image on old server. Good to verify the new server runs the same version after migration.

The Migration

Step-by-Step: Transfer in ~10 Minutes

  • 1

    Stop OpenClaw on the old server gracefully

    docker compose stop openclaw # Wait for clean shutdown docker inspect openclaw | grep Status
  • 2

    Create a final archive on the old server

    tar -czf ~/openclaw-migration.tar.gz \ ~/openclaw/data/.openclaw/ \ ~/openclaw/.env \ ~/openclaw/docker-compose.yml \ ~/openclaw/update.sh \ ~/openclaw/backup.sh
  • 3

    Transfer to the new server via SCP

    # Run from old server — replace NEW_IP with your new server’s IP scp ~/openclaw-migration.tar.gz user@NEW_SERVER_IP:~/
  • 4

    Extract and set up on new server

    # On the NEW server mkdir -p ~/openclaw && cd ~/ tar -xzf openclaw-migration.tar.gz chmod 600 ~/openclaw/.env cd ~/openclaw docker compose pull docker compose up -d
  • 5

    Verify everything works on new server

    docker logs openclaw –tail 50 # Send a test Telegram message — it should respond and remember previous conversations
  • 6

    Re-scan WhatsApp QR code if used

    WhatsApp sessions may not transfer cleanly between servers. If WhatsApp doesn’t work, go to OpenClaw Control UI → Channels → WhatsApp → Reconnect and scan the QR code again.

  • 7

    Cancel old server (after confirming new one works)

    Wait 24–48 hours before cancelling your old server. This gives you a rollback window if anything unexpected appears after migration.

Downtime = Time to Transfer + Docker Pull

Total downtime is typically 5–15 minutes. The SCP transfer takes 1–3 minutes depending on your data size. Docker pull takes 2–5 minutes. Your agent is unreachable during this window — schedule migrations during low-usage hours.

Successfully Migrated

Your OpenClaw instance is now running on a better server with full history intact.

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