Setup OpenClaw on GCP: Google Cloud vs Managed Clawctl

Setup OpenClaw on GCP: Google Cloud vs Managed Clawctl

Google Cloud has the best AI/ML infrastructure on the planet.

TPUs. Vertex AI. BigQuery ML. If you're doing serious machine learning, GCP is probably already in your stack.

So naturally, you want to run OpenClaw there too.

Here's the reality check before you spin up that Compute Engine instance.

The GCP Advantage

GCP shines for:

• Proximity to Vertex AI — Call Gemini with 10ms latency
• TPU access — Run massive local models
• BigQuery integration — Agents that query your data warehouse
• Google Workspace — Native Gmail, Drive, Calendar access
• Global network — Premium tier networking

If your stack is Google-native, GCP makes sense for your agents too.

The GCP OpenClaw Problem

OpenClaw binds to 0.0.0.0 by default.

On a GCP Compute Engine instance, that means your agent control plane is accessible from the public internet the moment you create a firewall rule for port 3000.

What the January 2026 research found:

• 42,665 exposed OpenClaw instances
• 93.4% were vulnerable
• Leaked API keys (Anthropic, OpenAI, Google)
• Full conversation histories accessible
• Remote code execution in many cases

GCP's Identity-Aware Proxy (IAP) can help—but it requires:

• OAuth client setup
• IAM configuration
• Correct header handling
• Testing that your reverse proxy doesn't bypass it

Most developers skip straight to "allow port 3000 from my IP" and call it a day.

Until their IP changes. Or they forget to remove the firewall rule.

The DIY GCP Setup (Honest Version)

Here's what a secure OpenClaw deployment on GCP actually requires:

1. Compute Engine Instance

gcloud compute instances create openclaw-vm \
  --machine-type=e2-medium \
  --zone=us-central1-a \
  --image-family=ubuntu-2204-lts \
  --image-project=ubuntu-os-cloud

2. Install Docker

sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y docker.io
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

3. Run OpenClaw

docker run -d -p 127.0.0.1:3000:3000 ghcr.io/openclaw/openclaw

4. Set Up Reverse Proxy with Auth

sudo apt install -y nginx certbot python3-certbot-nginx
# Configure nginx with auth...
# Request SSL certificate...

5. Configure Identity-Aware Proxy (Optional)

# Create OAuth consent screen
# Configure IAP
# Set up backend service
# Test authentication flow

6. Set Up Monitoring

# Install Cloud Ops Agent
# Configure log export
# Set up alerting

Time required: 4-6 hours minimum. More if IAP gives you trouble.

Ongoing maintenance:

• SSL certificate renewal
• Security patches
• Log rotation
• Backup configuration
• Firewall rule auditing

The Clawctl Alternative

Sign up at clawctl.com/checkout, pick a plan, and your agent is provisioned automatically.

Time required: 60 seconds.

What you get:

• Gateway authentication (256-bit, formally verified)
• Container sandbox isolation
• Egress proxy filtering (domain allowlist)
• Full audit logging (searchable, exportable)
• Human-in-the-loop approvals
• Prompt injection defense
• Automatic security updates

Cost Comparison

GCP DIY (Honest Math):

Clawctl Managed:

The GCP DIY approach costs 5.6x more when you count time.

But I Need GCP Integration

Valid concern. Here's how to get both:

Option 1: Clawctl + GCP APIs

Your Clawctl-managed OpenClaw can still call:

• Vertex AI for Gemini models
• BigQuery for data queries
• Cloud Storage for files
• Google Workspace APIs

The agent runs on Clawctl. The APIs run on GCP. Best of both.

Option 2: Clawctl + Local LLM on GCP

Run your LLM on a GCP GPU instance. Connect it to Clawctl-managed OpenClaw.

llm:
  name: gcp-llm
  type: openai-compatible
  base_url: http://your-gcp-instance:8000/v1
  model: llama3.1:70b

Reasoning happens on your GCP infrastructure. Execution happens in Clawctl's secure sandbox.

Security Comparison

When to Use GCP Direct

GCP direct deployment makes sense when:

• You have dedicated DevSecOps staff
• Compliance requires specific regions/configurations
• You're running massive GPU workloads alongside
• You have existing Terraform/Pulumi infrastructure

For everyone else, Clawctl handles the security while you focus on what your agent actually does.

Deploy Now

Stop configuring firewall rules. Start building agents.

Clawctl gives you a managed, secure OpenClaw deployment in 60 seconds.

Sign up at clawctl.com/checkout, pick a plan, and your agent is provisioned automatically.

What Clawctl's managed deployment includes:

• Gateway authentication (256-bit, formally verified)
• Container sandbox isolation
• Network egress control (Squid proxy, domain allowlist)
• Human-in-the-loop approvals (70+ risky actions blocked)
• Full audit logging (searchable, exportable, up to 365 days)
• One-click kill switch
• Prompt injection defense
• Automatic security updates

$49/month. Year 1 total: $588. GCP DIY: $3,300.

Deploy securely with Clawctl →

More Resources

• GPU hosting guide
• Local LLM complete guide
• Security features