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troubleshooting

Fix OpenClaw Dashboard Not Opening on VPS

Check Gateway status, binding address, SSH tunnel, private network access, and firewall assumptions.

Symptom
Browser cannot open the OpenClaw dashboard from your laptop.
Severity
medium
Affected Area
dashboard
Proceed with caution A connection refused error is often proof that your server is secure. Do not disable your firewall to fix this.

Symptom

You navigate to http://YOUR_VPS_IP:18789 in Chrome or Edge, and the browser says ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED or ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT.

Likely Causes

  1. The Gateway is bound to localhost (127.0.0.1). This means it only accepts connections originating from inside the server.
  2. The firewall (UFW) is blocking port 18789.
  3. You are not using an SSH tunnel.

Diagnostic Commands

First, check where the Gateway is listening. Run this on your VPS:

bash
sudo ss -ltnp | grep 18789

Good Output vs Bad Output

Good Output (Safe & Private):

LISTEN 0 511 127.0.0.1:18789 0.0.0.0:* users:(('node',pid=1234,fd=18))

(If you see 127.0.0.1, you need an SSH tunnel. This is the desired state.)

Bad Output (Exposed but blocked by firewall):

LISTEN 0 511 0.0.0.0:18789 0.0.0.0:* users:(('node',pid=1234,fd=18))

(If you see 0.0.0.0 but the browser still times out, your firewall is saving you. Rebind to 127.0.0.1 immediately.)

Fix Steps

  1. Verify local functionality

    On your VPS terminal, run curl http://127.0.0.1:18789. If it returns HTML, the dashboard is running fine.

  2. Create an SSH Tunnel

    Open a new terminal tab on your laptop (not the VPS) and run:

    bash
    ssh -L 18789:localhost:18789 clawuser@your_vps_ip

  3. Open your browser

    Leave the terminal tab open. In your browser, navigate to: http://localhost:18789

What NOT to do

  • Do not change your OpenClaw config to --host 0.0.0.0.
  • Do not run sudo ufw allow 18789.

Exposing the dashboard gives anyone on the internet access to your AI models, connected databases, and channel integrations.

When to ask for help

If SSH tunneling is too frustrating or drops frequently, consider setting up a Tailscale private network. If you need help securely configuring Tailscale for OpenClaw, check our Setup Help options for a guided deployment session.

Sources

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