Quickstart

Get OpenClaw Mission Control running in minutes with Docker Compose

This guide will get you up and running with Mission Control in under 5 minutes using Docker Compose.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

• Docker Engine installed
• Docker Compose v2 (docker compose command)
• Basic familiarity with terminal/command line

Quick Start with Docker Compose

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/abhi1693/openclaw-mission-control.git
   cd openclaw-mission-control
   
2. Configure environment

   Copy the example environment file:

   cp .env.example .env
   

   Open .env and set your authentication token. This is required for security:

   # Generate a secure token (minimum 50 characters)
   openssl rand -hex 32
   

   Update your .env file:

   .env

   # --- app ports (host) ---
   FRONTEND_PORT=3000
   BACKEND_PORT=8000
   
   # --- database ---
   POSTGRES_DB=mission_control
   POSTGRES_USER=postgres
   POSTGRES_PASSWORD=postgres
   POSTGRES_PORT=5432
   
   # --- backend settings ---
   CORS_ORIGINS=http://localhost:3000
   DB_AUTO_MIGRATE=true
   LOG_LEVEL=INFO
   AUTH_MODE=local
   
   # REQUIRED: Set this to your generated token (min 50 chars)
   LOCAL_AUTH_TOKEN=your-generated-token-here
   
   # --- frontend settings ---
   # REQUIRED: Public URL used by the browser to reach the API
   NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL=http://localhost:8000
   

   The LOCAL_AUTH_TOKEN must be at least 50 characters long when AUTH_MODE=local. Generate a strong token using openssl rand -hex 32 or a password manager.

3. Start Mission Control

   Launch the full stack with a single command:

   docker compose -f compose.yml --env-file .env up -d --build
   

   This will start:

   • PostgreSQL 16 database
   • Redis for background jobs
   • Backend API (FastAPI)
   • Frontend UI (Next.js)
   • Webhook worker for async tasks

   The first build may take a few minutes. Subsequent starts will be much faster.

4. Access Mission Control

   Once the containers are running, open your browser:

   • Mission Control UI: http://localhost:3000
   • Backend API: http://localhost:8000
   • Health check: http://localhost:8000/healthz
   • API documentation: http://localhost:8000/docs

   When prompted for authentication, enter the LOCAL_AUTH_TOKEN you configured in step 2.

Verify Installation

Check that all services are healthy:

# View running containers
docker compose ps

# Check backend health
curl http://localhost:8000/healthz

# View logs
docker compose logs -f backend
docker compose logs -f frontend

What’s Running

The Docker Compose stack includes:

PostgreSQL

Port: 5432 (mapped to host)

Database: mission_control

Redis

Port: 6379 (mapped to host)

Used for background job queue

Backend API

Port: 8000 (mapped to host)

FastAPI with auto-migrations

Frontend UI

Port: 3000 (mapped to host)

Next.js dashboard

Managing the Stack

Stop services

docker compose -f compose.yml --env-file .env down

Next Steps

Installation Guide

Learn about other installation methods including systemd and manual setup

Environment Variables

Configure authentication, gateways, and advanced settings

API Reference

Explore the REST API for automation and integrations

Docker Deployment

Deploy Mission Control to production with Docker

Troubleshooting

Port Already in Use

If you see an error like “address already in use”, change the ports in your .env file:

.env

FRONTEND_PORT=3001
BACKEND_PORT=8001

Then update NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL to match:

.env

NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL=http://localhost:8001

Database Connection Issues

Ensure the database is healthy:

docker compose ps db

If the database isn’t healthy, check its logs:

docker compose logs db

Frontend Can’t Reach Backend

Verify NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL in your .env is accessible from your browser:

curl http://localhost:8000/healthz

If you’re running on a remote server, replace localhost with your server’s IP or domain.