Connect OpenClaw to Local Gemma 4: Complete Setup Guide

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 18:18:00 +0800

This guide shows how to connect OpenClaw to a local Gemma 4 model through Ollama.

If you have not deployed Gemma 4 locally yet, start here:

How to Run Gemma 4 on a Laptop: 5-Minute Local Setup Guide

Step 1: Start the Ollama API Service

Start Ollama first:

`1`	`ollama serve`

Then verify the API quickly with:

curl http://localhost:11434/api/generate -d '{
  "model": "gemma4:12b",
  "prompt": "Hello"
}'

If you get a model response, your local API is ready.

Step 2: Configure OpenClaw to Use Ollama

The OpenClaw config file is usually located at:

`1`	`~/.openclaw/config.yaml`

Edit config.yaml and add a local model entry under models:

models:
  # Your existing model config...

  gemma4-local:
    provider: ollama
    base_url: http://localhost:11434
    model: gemma4:12b
    timeout: 120s

Step 3: Set Default Model (Optional)

If you want Gemma 4 as the default model:

`1`	`default_model: gemma4-local`

Step 4: Restart and Verify OpenClaw

Restart OpenClaw:

`1`	`openclaw restart`

List available models:

`1`	`openclaw models list`

Run a quick chat test:

`1`	`openclaw chat --model gemma4-local "Hello"`

If the chat returns normally, OpenClaw is successfully connected to local Gemma 4.

Common Troubleshooting

connection refused: make sure ollama serve is running.
Model not found: check model name with ollama list (for example gemma4:12b).
Timeout: increase timeout and test a smaller model first.