OpenClaw — the open-source AI agent framework with 350K+ GitHub stars — now defaults to MiniMax M2.7 as its primary text model. That means you get a 230B-parameter sparse MoE model that ranks #1 on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, costs $0.30 per million input tokens, and handles agentic workflows with near-Opus quality.

OpenClaw's Gateway architecture connects M2.7 to 20+ messaging channels (Telegram, WhatsApp, Discord, Slack, iMessage, and more), 13,700+ ClawHub skills, and a growing ecosystem of MCP servers. The result is an always-on AI assistant that can automate real tasks across your messaging apps, file system, and APIs.

This guide covers everything: installation, MiniMax authentication (OAuth and API key), configuration options, model routing with fallbacks, real-world automation workflows, and cost optimization tips.

1Why MiniMax M2.7 + OpenClaw

OpenClaw's Gateway architecture is designed for always-on operation — it runs 24/7, listens on messaging channels, and executes tasks autonomously. That makes API cost the single biggest factor in choosing a model. MiniMax M2.7 changes the economics:

OpenClaw's MiniMax provider defaults to M2.7 and keeps M2.5 in the catalog for compatibility. When you authenticate with MiniMax, you also get automatic access to the VLM endpoint for image understanding — no extra setup needed.

2Prerequisites

• macOS, Linux, or Windows with WSL
• A MiniMax account at platform.minimax.io (free tier available)
• Terminal access (bash or zsh)

You can authenticate via OAuth (no API key needed) or with a manual API key. OAuth is the fastest path — it handles everything automatically.

3Installing OpenClaw

Install OpenClaw with the one-line installer:

The installer presents an interactive setup wizard. When prompted:

1. Select "Yes" to start setup
2. Choose "QuickStart" for guided configuration
3. Select "MiniMax" as the model provider
4. Choose your authentication method (OAuth recommended)
5. Select a messaging channel (Telegram, WhatsApp, Discord, etc.)
6. Optionally install additional skills from ClawHub

For a deeper dive into OpenClaw's architecture, see our How OpenClaw Works Behind the Scenes guide.

4MiniMax OAuth Setup (Recommended)

OAuth is the fastest way to connect OpenClaw to MiniMax. It handles authentication automatically without manual API key configuration.

Step 1: Enable the MiniMax Plugin

openclaw plugins enable minimax
openclaw gateway restart    # restart if gateway is already running

Step 2: Authenticate via OAuth

You'll be prompted to select an endpoint:

• Global — International users (api.minimax.io)
• CN — Users in China (api.minimaxi.com)

A browser window opens for MiniMax sign-in. After authorizing, return to the terminal — OpenClaw automatically configures M2.7 as your default model.

5MiniMax API Key Setup

If you prefer manual API key configuration over OAuth, here's the full setup:

Option A: Interactive CLI

openclaw configure
# Select "Model/auth"
# Choose a MiniMax auth option
# Enter your API key when prompted
# Pick MiniMax-M2.7 as default model

Option B: Manual openclaw.json

Edit ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json directly:

{
  "env": { "MINIMAX_API_KEY": "sk-..." },
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "model": { "primary": "minimax/MiniMax-M2.7" }
    }
  },
  "models": {
    "mode": "merge",
    "providers": {
      "minimax": {
        "baseUrl": "https://api.minimax.io/anthropic",
        "apiKey": "${MINIMAX_API_KEY}",
        "api": "anthropic-messages",
        "models": [
          {
            "id": "MiniMax-M2.7",
            "name": "MiniMax M2.7",
            "reasoning": true,
            "input": ["text"],
            "cost": {
              "input": 0.3,
              "output": 1.2,
              "cacheRead": 0.03,
              "cacheWrite": 0.12
            },
            "contextWindow": 200000,
            "maxTokens": 8192
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}

Then restart the gateway:

6MiniMax Model Catalog in OpenClaw

OpenClaw's MiniMax provider includes several model options:

Switch models at any time:

openclaw models list                          # See available models
openclaw models set minimax/MiniMax-M2.7      # Switch to M2.7

7Fallback & Model Routing

OpenClaw supports sophisticated model routing with fallbacks. This is essential for production deployments where you want reliability without overspending.

M2.7 as Primary with Opus Fallback

{
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "model": {
        "primary": "minimax/MiniMax-M2.7",
        "fallbacks": ["anthropic/claude-opus-4-6"]
      }
    }
  }
}

Opus as Primary, M2.7 as Cost-Saving Fallback

{
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "models": {
        "anthropic/claude-opus-4-6": { "alias": "primary" },
        "minimax/MiniMax-M2.7": { "alias": "minimax" }
      },
      "model": {
        "primary": "anthropic/claude-opus-4-6",
        "fallbacks": ["minimax/MiniMax-M2.7"]
      }
    }
  }
}

This pattern is popular for teams that want Opus quality for critical tasks but want M2.7 to handle overflow when Opus hits rate limits or goes down.

8Gateway & Messaging Channels

OpenClaw's Gateway is the control plane that connects your AI agent to messaging platforms. With M2.7 as the backend, you get fast, affordable responses across all channels.

To connect a messaging channel after initial setup:

# Add Telegram
openclaw gateway setup    # Select Telegram, follow bot creation steps

# Or add Discord
openclaw gateway setup    # Select Discord, paste bot token

# Start the gateway
openclaw gateway start

9Skills & MCP Servers

OpenClaw's skill ecosystem is one of its biggest advantages. With 13,700+ skills on ClawHub, you can extend your M2.7-powered agent to handle almost anything:

# Search for skills
openclaw skills search kubernetes
openclaw skills search "code review"

# Install a skill
openclaw skills install official/github-pr-review
openclaw skills install official/daily-digest

Adding MCP Servers

Connect external tools via the Model Context Protocol:

// In ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "ghp_xxx"
      }
    },
    "postgres": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-postgres"],
      "env": {
        "DATABASE_URL": "postgresql://..."
      }
    }
  }
}

10Cost Breakdown

Here's what a typical OpenClaw + M2.7 deployment costs:

Compare that to running OpenClaw with Claude Opus ($150-300/month in API costs alone) and the savings are clear. For most personal and small-team use cases, M2.7 delivers equivalent results at 10-20x lower cost.

11Troubleshooting

12Why Lushbinary for OpenClaw Deployment

Lushbinary has been deploying OpenClaw stacks since the framework's early days. We've built production-grade agent deployments for clients across industries, and we specialize in:

• OpenClaw architecture design — Gateway configuration, model routing, and multi-channel deployment
• Cost optimization — M2.7 as primary with intelligent fallback routing to minimize API spend
• Custom skill development — Building domain-specific ClawHub skills for your business workflows
• AWS deployment — Running OpenClaw on EC2, ECS, or Lambda with auto-scaling and monitoring
• Security hardening — Credential management, skill vetting, and network isolation

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

📚 Sources

• MiniMax API Docs — OpenClaw Integration
• OpenClaw MiniMax Provider Documentation
• NVIDIA Blog — MiniMax M2.7 Architecture
• Artificial Analysis — MiniMax M2.7 Intelligence Index
• MiniMax Token Plan Pricing

Content was rephrased for compliance with licensing restrictions. Pricing and configuration data sourced from official MiniMax and OpenClaw documentation as of April 2026. Pricing may change — always verify on the vendor's website.