Set these up in your first session. Each takes under 10 minutes and delivers immediate ROI.
Most OpenClaw users save 2–3 hours per week after setting up just these five automations. Start here before exploring advanced features.
How OpenClaw automations work
Every automation in OpenClaw has three parts: a trigger (what starts it), an action (what OpenClaw does), and optionally a condition (when to apply it). Unlike visual workflow builders, you describe these in plain language — no nodes, no drag-and-drop, no coding.
Trigger
"Every weekday at 8am"
Condition
"If I have meetings today"
Action
"Send me a calendar summary"
You can combine these in any order. OpenClaw interprets the intent and handles the scheduling, delivery, and execution.
The 5 automations to set up first
1
Smart Auto-Reply
5 min setup
Respond to WhatsApp and SMS messages instantly when you're unavailable.
1.Connect WhatsApp in OpenClaw settings
2.Set your availability hours (e.g., "Monday–Friday, 9am–6pm")
3.Add a rule: "When I receive a WhatsApp message outside hours, reply: I'm currently unavailable but will respond soon."
→Start with automations that replace things you do manually every day — the ROI is immediate and obvious.
→Test each automation once manually before relying on it. OpenClaw has a "run now" button for scheduled tasks.
→Don't try to automate everything at once. Get 2–3 working reliably before adding more.
→Use descriptive names for your rules. "Morning briefing — calendar + weather" is easier to debug than "Rule #4".
Next steps
Once your first automations are running, harden your setup with the security checklist — especially if you've connected email, calendar, or messaging accounts.
