How to Migrate Your OpenClaw Server to a New Cloud Provider: Complete Guide

Target Audience: DevOps engineers, developers, OpenClaw users migrating from Baidu Cloud
Search Intent: Informational / How-to guide
Primary Keyword: migrate OpenClaw
Secondary Keywords: Baidu Cloud to Tencent Cloud, cloud server migration guide, OpenClaw setup

If you’re running OpenClaw on a cloud server, you might find yourself needing to migrate to a better provider at some point. Maybe you’re facing rising costs, network restrictions, or simply want better performance. In this guide, I’ll walk you through exactly how I migrated my OpenClaw instance from Baidu Cloud to Tencent Cloud Singapore—and why I made the switch.

Why I Decided to Move

I hosted my OpenClaw on Baidu Cloud (百度云) for several months. Here’s what happened:

Baidu Cloud Pricing:

• First month: Free (great for testing!)
• Renewal: ¥90/month (~$12.50 USD)
• Problem: No access to international networks

After the free period, I was looking at paying around $12.50/month for a server that couldn’t even access external networks properly. For an AI assistant that needs to fetch information from the web, this was a dealbreaker.

Tencent Cloud Singapore:

• Price: ¥99/year (~$14 USD)
• Full international network access
• Stable and fast connections

The math was simple: pay $12.50/month for a restricted server, or $14/year for a full-featured one. The choice was clear.

Cost Comparison

Savings: Save approximately $136 per year by switching! That’s 90% cost reduction.

Pre-Migration Checklist

Before you start, make sure you have:

1. Access to your current server via SSH
2. Your OpenClaw configuration files backed up
3. A new cloud server ready (I’ll recommend Tencent Cloud Singapore)
4. Your OpenClaw auth credentials (you’ll need these later)

Step 1: Backup Your Current OpenClaw Data

First, connect to your old server and create a complete backup:

# Create backup directory
mkdir -p ~/openclaw-backup
cd ~/openclaw-backup

# Backup configuration
cp -r ~/.openclaw ~/openclaw-backup/

# Export your agents configuration
tar -czf openclaw-config.tar.gz ~/.openclaw/

# List all important files to backup
ls -la ~/.openclaw/

Critical Files to Back Up:

• ~/.openclaw/config/ - Gateway configuration
• ~/.openclaw/agents/ - Agent settings
• ~/.openclaw/workspace/ - Your working files and memory

Step 2: Security Cleanup (IMPORTANT!)

This is the most critical step before decommissioning your old server. You MUST remove sensitive information to prevent security issues.

What to Clean:

# 1. Remove authentication credentials
rm -rf ~/.openclaw/agents/*/agent/auth-profiles.json

# 2. Clear environment variables that might contain secrets
unset $(env | grep -E '^(API_KEY|TOKEN|SECRET|PASSWORD)' | cut -d= -f1)

# 3. Remove Git credentials
rm -f ~/.git-credentials
git config --global --unset credential.helper

# 4. Clear history (optional but recommended)
rm -f ~/.bash_history
history -c

# 5. Remove any API keys stored in config files
# Check these common locations:
cat ~/.openclaw/config.yaml | grep -i key
cat ~/.openclaw/config.yaml | grep -i token

Verify Cleanup:

# Check for any remaining secrets
grep -r "ghp_" ~/.openclaw/ 2>/dev/null
grep -r "sk-" ~/.openclaw/ 2>/dev/null
grep -r "api" ~/.openclaw/config.yaml 2>/dev/null

If any of these commands return results, manually remove those lines before proceeding.

Security Warning: Failing to clear these credentials means anyone who provisions the same Baidu Cloud instance later could potentially access your accounts. This is a real security risk!

Step 3: Set Up Your New Server (Tencent Cloud Singapore)

I highly recommend Tencent Cloud Singapore. Here’s why:

How to Purchase:

1. Visit: Tencent Cloud Singapore
2. Select “Lighthouse” (轻量应用服务器)
3. Choose Singapore region
4. Pick your configuration (2GB RAM minimum recommended for OpenClaw)
5. Complete purchase

Get ¥99 Singapore Server: 👉 Tencent Cloud Lighthouse

Step 4: Fresh OpenClaw Installation on New Server

Once your Tencent Cloud server is ready, install OpenClaw fresh:

# SSH into your new server
ssh root@your-new-server-ip

# Install OpenClaw
curl -sL https://get.openclaw.ai | bash

# Configure your gateway
openclaw configure

Step 5: Restore Your Configuration

Transfer only the safe parts of your backup:

# From your local machine, copy the backup (excluding sensitive files)
scp -r ~/openclaw-backup/openclaw-config.tar.gz root@new-server:/root/

# On the new server
cd ~
tar -xzf openclaw-config.tar.gz
cp -r ~/.openclaw/config.yaml ~/.openclaw/workspace/ ~/openclaw/ 2>/dev/null

# Restart the gateway
openclaw gateway restart

What NOT to Restore:

• ❌ auth-profiles.json (regenerate new API keys)
• ❌ Git credentials (reconfigure on new server)
• ❌ Any hardcoded API keys in config files

Step 6: Verify Everything Works

# Check gateway status
openclaw status

# Test a simple conversation
openclaw chat "Hello, are you working?"

# Test network connectivity
curl https://api.github.com
npm install express

Step 7: Decommission Old Server

Once you’ve verified everything works on the new server:

1. Log into Baidu Cloud console
2. Terminate the instance
3. Release any associated IP addresses
4. Delete any snapshots (if you don’t need them)

⚠️ Important: Make absolutely sure you’ve completed the security cleanup in Step 2 BEFORE terminating!

Conclusion

Moving your OpenClaw server doesn’t have to be complicated. With proper backup and security precautions, the migration can be completed in under an hour. The performance improvement from restricted to unrestricted network access alone is worth the switch.

If you’re currently on Baidu Cloud or any provider with network restrictions, I strongly recommend making the move to Tencent Cloud Singapore. The cost difference is minimal, but the capabilities difference is massive.

Key Benefits:

• ✅ 90% cost savings (from 1,080 CNY/year to 99 CNY/year)
• ✅ Full foreign network access (GitHub, npm, international APIs)
• ✅ Better performance and stability

FAQ

How long does migration take?

For most users, 1-2 hours including configuration. The actual data transfer depends on your backup size.

Can I run OpenClaw on the 99 CNY plan?

Yes! The basic plan (1GB RAM) is sufficient for standard OpenClaw usage. For heavy workloads, consider upgrading to 2GB RAM.

What happens to my old Baidu Cloud server?

Either decommission it or ensure you’ve completely wiped all sensitive data (see Step 2).

Is Tencent Cloud Singapore fast enough for production?

Yes. With 99.99% uptime SLA and Singapore’s strategic location, it offers excellent performance for users in Asia-Pacific regions.

Ready to make the switch? Head to Tencent Cloud Singapore and start your migration today!

Have you migrated your OpenClaw instance? Share your experience in the comments below!