OpenClaw Docker GCP Deployment - CI/CD

OpenClaw Docker GCP Deployment: Production-Ready AI Assistant Infrastructure

OpenClaw Docker GCP Deployment provides a complete, containerized solution for running the OpenClaw AI assistant on Google Cloud Platform. Built on the official Alpine-based OpenClaw Docker image, this project eliminates infrastructure friction by combining Docker composition, automated CI/CD workflows, and GCP-native deployment patterns into a single, maintainable codebase.

For AI development teams evaluating production deployment options, this project bridges the gap between local development and cloud infrastructure. It handles the operational complexity of multi-API integration (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google AI), secure token management, and automated deployment pipelines—allowing teams to focus on AI development rather than DevOps configuration.

Core Features

• Docker Compose orchestration — Pre-configured multi-container setup for local and cloud environments
• Automated GCP deployment — GitHub Actions workflow deploys to Compute Engine on every push to main
• Multi-LLM support — Built-in environment variables for OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google AI APIs
• Secure credential management — Service account authentication with base64-encoded JSON keys via GitHub Secrets
• SSH tunnel access — Quick port-forwarding setup for remote instance connectivity (default port 18789)
• Version pinning — Manual deployment trigger with configurable Docker image tags for controlled rollouts
• Alpine base image — Lightweight, security-focused Docker images for minimal attack surface

Getting Started

Local Development: Clone the repository, copy the .env.example template to .env, configure your API keys and settings, then run docker compose up -d openclaw-gateway. The gateway becomes available at http://127.0.0.1:18789.

GCP Deployment: Configure five required GitHub Secrets (GCP_PROJECT_ID, GCP_SA_KEY, GCP_ZONE, OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN, and at least one LLM API key). The included GitHub Actions workflow automatically deploys on push to main, or trigger manually from the Actions tab with a specific image tag (e.g., latest or 2026.2.2).

Remote Access: After deployment, establish an SSH tunnel with gcloud compute ssh and port forwarding to access the instance securely.

Key Configuration Files

• docker-compose.yml — Container orchestration and service definitions
• config/openclaw.json — OpenClaw-specific configuration parameters
• .github/workflows/deploy-gcp.yml — Automated deployment pipeline definition
• .env.example — Template for environment variables (API keys, tokens, zones)

Who Should Use This

• AI teams deploying on GCP — Eliminate boilerplate Docker and deployment configuration
• Multi-LLM integrators — Test OpenClaw against OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google AI simultaneously
• DevOps-light organizations — Automated CI/CD via GitHub Actions requires minimal infrastructure knowledge
• Security-conscious deployments — Base64-encoded service accounts and environment-based secrets management follow GCP best practices
• Cost-optimized projects — Alpine Linux base reduces compute overhead compared to larger base images

Deployment Strategy

The project uses GitHub Actions to automate deployments to GCP Compute Engine. On every push to the main branch, the workflow reads secrets, authenticates to GCP, pulls the specified OpenClaw Docker image, and deploys it to your configured zone. Manual deployment triggers allow you to specify image tags for controlled rollouts or testing specific versions before production promotion.

SSH tunneling provides secure remote access without exposing the gateway directly to the internet. The tunnel command forwards port 18789 from the remote instance to your local machine, enabling safe testing and management.

Resources & Links

• GitHub Repository — Source code, workflows, and configuration examples
• alpine/openclaw on Docker Hub — Official Docker image repository
• Google Cloud Compute Engine Documentation — GCP infrastructure reference
• GitHub Actions Documentation — Workflow customization and CI/CD patterns
• OpenClaw AI Assistant — Core OpenClaw project

License: MIT. Free to use, modify, and distribute for personal and commercial projects.

Source: GitHub repository by JimmyUA. Last updated February 2026.