OpenClaw: Node Version Unsupported
Fix an OpenClaw install blocked by a missing, obsolete, or unsupported Node.js runtime without mixing multiple Node environments.
Installation or startup reports an unsupported Node version, an engines mismatch, or a Node executable that differs from the one your shell reports.
OpenClaw requires a supported Node release. The exact minimum can move, so use the current official Node page rather than a version copied from an old forum answer.
Identify every active Node
node --version
command -v node
command -v openclaw
npm prefix -gOn Windows, use Get-Command node and Get-Command openclaw. If the CLI and Node resolve from different installation roots, fix that environment mismatch first.
Install a supported release
The official OpenClaw installer can provision a supported Node version automatically. If you manage Node yourself, install one of the currently supported lines listed in the official documentation, open a fresh shell, and verify it before reinstalling OpenClaw.
Avoid using sudo to make a version-manager installation visible to another user. Root, a normal shell, WSL2, and native Windows can each have a separate Node and global package directory.
Refresh the service environment
After changing Node, repair and restart the managed Gateway so it does not keep an obsolete executable path:
openclaw doctor --fix
openclaw gateway restart
openclaw gateway status --deepExpected result
The shell and managed Gateway report a supported Node path, installation completes without an engines error, and the Gateway connectivity probe succeeds.
Source notes
Technical facts on this page were checked against primary sources.