Why a Separate Email
You're about to register for a handful of services that are all related to your OpenClaw setup. Using your personal or work email means:
- Mixing AI infrastructure notifications with your regular inbox
- Making it harder to shut everything down cleanly if you decide to stop
- Exposing your primary email to more services
A dedicated email keeps your OpenClaw world self-contained.
Why Proton Mail
- Free tier is generous (1 GB storage, 150 messages/day)
- End-to-end encrypted — Proton can't read your mail
- No phone number required to sign up
- Based in Switzerland — strong privacy jurisdiction
If you already have a dedicated email you trust, you can use that instead.
What to Do
- Go to proton.me and click Sign Up
- Choose the Free plan
- Pick a username — something you'll associate with your OpenClaw setup (e.g.,
yourname-claw@proton.me) - Set a strong password — generate it in Bitwarden and save it immediately
- When asked about recovery, add your personal email as a recovery address. The privacy trade-off is minimal, and it's your safety net if you ever lose access
- Save this login in your Bitwarden "OpenClaw" folder
Install the Mobile App
Proton Mail has a dedicated mobile app for both Android and iOS. It's optional but useful for checking billing notices and security alerts on the go.
- Android: Search "Proton Mail" in the Play Store
- iOS: Search "Proton Mail" in the App Store
Going Forward
Use this Proton Mail address for:
- Vultr account
- Anthropic API account
- Telegram account
- Any other service in this curriculum
Tips
- Enable two-factor authentication in Proton Mail settings (Security and Privacy → Two-factor authentication)
- Check this inbox occasionally — Vultr and Anthropic will send billing and security notices here
- Proton also offers a free VPN and calendar if you want those later
When You're Done
- Proton Mail account created
- Login saved in Bitwarden "OpenClaw" folder
- Two-factor authentication enabled
- A Privacy.com card created named "Proton" (if you upgrade later)