OpenClaw is an open-source AI assistant platform that brings conversational AI into Telegram, Discord, Slack, and other messaging channels. It supports custom OpenAI-compatible providers, so a bit of config gets you onto the CrossModel catalog.

Quickstart

1. Install OpenClaw

curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash

Or install with npm (requires Node.js 22+):

npm install -g openclaw@latest

2. Create an API key

Sign in to the Console and create a key that starts with cm- on the API Keys page. The key is shown only once, so copy it somewhere safe.

3. Point OpenClaw at CrossModel

CrossModel isn't a built-in OpenClaw provider, so wire it up as a custom OpenAI-compatible one. Edit ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json:

{
  "models": {
    "mode": "merge",
    "providers": {
      "crossmodel": {
        "baseUrl": "https://api.crossmodel.ai/v1",
        "apiKey": "cm-YOUR_KEY",
        "api": "openai-completions",
        "models": [
          { "id": "deepseek/deepseek-v4-pro", "name": "DeepSeek V4 Pro" }
        ]
      }
    }
  },
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "model": { "primary": "crossmodel/deepseek/deepseek-v4-pro" }
    }
  }
}

4. Start the gateway

openclaw gateway run

On first use you can also run openclaw onboard and let the wizard walk you through channels and skills.

How it works

models.providers.crossmodel defines a custom provider: api is set to openai-completions so requests use the OpenAI-compatible format, baseUrl points at CrossModel, and apiKey handles auth.

agents.defaults.model.primary references a model as provider/model-id — so crossmodel/deepseek/deepseek-v4-pro means "the deepseek/deepseek-v4-pro model under the crossmodel provider".

Choosing models

Each model you want to use goes into the providers.crossmodel.models array, with id in vendor/short_name format. When you reference it under agents, prefix it with crossmodel/. See the full list in the model catalog.

Troubleshooting