🎤 Voice Assistant with OpenClaw

Complete tutorial to create a hands-free voice assistant

This tutorial will show you how to build a complete hands-free voice assistant using OpenClaw. You'll set up Voice Wake, Talk Mode, and create voice automation workflows for common tasks. Estimated time: 30-40 minutes.

What You'll Build

By the end of this tutorial, you'll have:

  • Fully functional hands-free voice assistant
  • Voice Wake configured for always-on activation
  • Talk Mode enabled for two-way voice conversation
  • Voice automation workflows for common tasks
  • Integration with smart home, calendar, and other services

Prerequisites

Before starting:

  • OpenClaw installed - Complete Getting Started Tutorial
  • Voice Setup Tutorial - Complete Voice Setup Tutorial first
  • macOS, iOS, or Android - Voice features are platform-specific
  • ElevenLabs account - For Talk Mode text-to-speech
  • Microphone access - Grant permissions to OpenClaw

Step 1: Complete Voice Setup

First, ensure Voice Wake and Talk Mode are configured. Follow the Voice Setup Tutorial to:

  • Enable Voice Wake with your preferred wake word
  • Configure Talk Mode with ElevenLabs
  • Test both features to ensure they work

Once basic voice features are working, we'll build the complete assistant workflow.

Step 2: Create Voice Commands

Set up voice commands for common tasks. Here are some examples:

Quick Information

  • "Hey OpenClaw, what's the weather today?"
  • "Hey OpenClaw, what's on my calendar?"
  • "Hey OpenClaw, read my latest emails"

Task Management

  • "Hey OpenClaw, remind me to call John at 3pm"
  • "Hey OpenClaw, add 'Buy groceries' to my todo list"
  • "Hey OpenClaw, what tasks do I have today?"

Smart Home Control

  • "Hey OpenClaw, turn on the lights"
  • "Hey OpenClaw, set the temperature to 72 degrees"
  • "Hey OpenClaw, play my favorite playlist"

Step 3: Voice Automation Workflows

Create automated voice workflows for your daily routine:

Morning Routine

Set up a morning briefing you can trigger with voice:

Morning Voice Command 
"Hey OpenClaw, good morning" → OpenClaw responds with:
- Today's weather
- Calendar events
- Email summary
- News headlines
- Daily tasks

Evening Routine

Create an evening summary:

Evening Voice Command 
"Hey OpenClaw, evening summary" → OpenClaw provides:
- Completed tasks review
- Tomorrow's schedule
- Unread emails count
- Reminders for tomorrow

Step 4: Integrate with Services

Connect your voice assistant to other services:

Calendar Integration

Voice control for calendar:

  • "Hey OpenClaw, schedule a meeting with Sarah tomorrow at 2pm"
  • "Hey OpenClaw, what meetings do I have this week?"
  • "Hey OpenClaw, cancel my 3pm meeting"

See Calendar Integration Tutorial for detailed setup.

Smart Home Integration

Control smart home devices:

  • Install smart home skills from ClawHub
  • Configure device connections
  • Create voice commands for control

See Smart Home Control Tutorial for setup.

Email Integration

Voice email management:

  • "Hey OpenClaw, read my new emails"
  • "Hey OpenClaw, send an email to John about the project"
  • "Hey OpenClaw, summarize my inbox"

Step 5: Advanced Voice Features

Continuous Conversation

With Talk Mode enabled, have natural voice conversations:

  • Ask follow-up questions
  • Have multi-turn conversations
  • Get voice responses with context

Voice Notes

Send voice notes while multitasking:

  • Record voice messages while driving
  • Transcribe automatically
  • Get voice responses

Multi-Language Support

OpenClaw supports multiple languages:

  • Speak in your preferred language
  • Get responses in the same language
  • Switch languages mid-conversation

Step 6: Customize Your Assistant

Personalize your voice assistant:

Choose Voice Profile

  • Select ElevenLabs voice that matches your preference
  • Adjust voice settings (stability, similarity)
  • Test different voices

Set Personality

Configure how your assistant responds:

  • Formal vs. casual tone
  • Response length preferences
  • Notification preferences

Custom Wake Word

Use a custom wake word:

Custom Wake Word 
{
  "voice": {
    "wake": {
      "wakeWord": "hey assistant"
    }
  }
}

Troubleshooting

Voice Wake Not Activating

  • Check microphone permissions
  • Verify wake word pronunciation
  • Increase microphone sensitivity
  • Check background noise levels

Talk Mode Not Working

  • Verify ElevenLabs API key
  • Check API credits
  • Test voice ID is valid
  • Check network connection

Commands Not Working

  • Speak clearly and at normal pace
  • Reduce background noise
  • Check command format
  • Verify skills are installed

Next Steps

Now that you have a voice assistant, explore these enhancements:

🎤 Voice Setup Tutorial

Detailed voice configuration

View Tutorial →

🏠 Smart Home

Voice control smart home

View Tutorial →

📱 Voice Features

Complete voice features guide

View Guide →

💡 Pro Tip

The best voice assistants learn your patterns over time. Use your voice assistant regularly, and OpenClaw will remember your preferences, common requests, and workflow patterns, making interactions more natural and efficient.