Hardware FixRecommendedDevice not working? Your driver may be the problemCheck updates for common hardware issues.Fix DriversHalloween DealsAmazon USHalloween week deals: useful picks before month-endAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.Check DealsSlow PC?RecommendedPC slow today? Run a repair scan before it gets worseResolve common Windows issues and optimize system performance.Scan Now×
Skip to content
World desk4 min

How to Connect Bluehost AI Credits to GatorClaw (2026 Setup Guide)

Connect GatorClaw to Bluehost AI Credits by pointing config.yaml at the Bluehost AI Gateway, storing the API key in DEVCLAW_API_KEY, restarting PM2, and testing with a chat message.
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

To connect GatorClaw to Bluehost AI Credits, point GatorClaw at the Bluehost AI Gateway at https://gateway.ai.bluehost.com, select a model, and store your AI Credits API key in the DEVCLAW_API_KEY environment variable. Bluehost says this gateway connection is not supported out of the box, so the setup requires editing config.yaml by hand. After that, restart the PM2 process and send a test chat message.

The steps below follow Bluehost’s setup guide, last updated September 16, 2026. The product is called GatorClaw, but the binary, install directory, and PM2 process all use the name devclaw, so every command in this guide uses that name.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Before you start

Confirm that each of the following is in place before you edit any files:

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
  • A Bluehost Self-Managed VPS or VDS plan. AI Credits are offered on these plans. Bluehost’s guide assumes GatorClaw is installed on a Self-Managed VPS.
  • SSH access and a root password on the server.
  • GatorClaw installed in /opt/devclaw, with first-time setup not yet completed.
  • An active AI Credits balance. Bluehost says an active balance is required before API keys can be created.
  • An AI Credits API key. Bluehost says the key begins with sk-.

Bluehost’s help article describes the requirement this way:

“Using AI Credits requires pointing GatorClaw at the Bluehost AI Gateway, which isn’t supported out of the box — this guide walks through making it work.” — Bluehost Help Center, “How to Connect Bluehost AI Credits to GatorClaw,” updated September 16, 2026

Step-by-step connection

  1. Store the API key in an environment variable. Bluehost says to keep the key in DEVCLAW_API_KEY rather than writing it in plaintext inside config.yaml. If you start PM2 from a shell session, export the variable in that same shell before the restart in step 6, so the process inherits it:

    export DEVCLAW_API_KEY="sk-your-key-here"
  2. Initialize the configuration. Change to the install directory, generate the default configuration, and open config.yaml in a text editor:

    Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
    cd /opt/devclaw
    /opt/devclaw/devclaw config init
    nano /opt/devclaw/config.yaml
  3. Set the gateway, model, and key. Point the API base URL at the Bluehost gateway:

    api:
      base_url: "https://gateway.ai.bluehost.com"

    Then set a default model and the API key setting in the same file. Bluehost’s example model is claude-sonnet-4-6. Use the key names that config init generated in your file, and check the current model list before you choose a model, because available models and rates can change.

  4. Enable the Web UI only with a token. The guide allows webui.enabled to be set to true, which serves the interface at http://<your-server-ip>:47716/. Set a non-empty auth_token at the same time. Bluehost warns that a blank token lets anyone who can reach that address use GatorClaw. The Web UI is one option; the guide also mentions Discord, Telegram, and WhatsApp as alternatives.

  5. Set the language. The default in the guide is pt-BR. Bluehost recommends changing it to en.

    Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
  6. Restart the PM2 process so the new configuration and environment variable are loaded:

    pm2 restart devclaw --update-env
  7. Send a live test message:

    /opt/devclaw/devclaw chat "Howdy"

Settings at a glance

Setting Value from Bluehost’s guide Notes
Gateway base URL https://gateway.ai.bluehost.com Set as api.base_url. This is what makes the connection an AI Credits connection.
API key Your AI Credits key, beginning with sk- Stored in DEVCLAW_API_KEY, not in plaintext in config.yaml.
Default model claude-sonnet-4-6 (Bluehost’s example) Model choice changes per-token cost. See the pricing section below.
Web UI webui.enabled: true, reached at http://<your-server-ip>:47716/ Optional. Requires a non-empty auth_token.
Language en The guide’s default is pt-BR; Bluehost recommends changing it.
Service name devclaw The PM2 process name and executable name.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

Checking the connection

After the restart in step 6 and the test in step 7, a working setup returns a reply to Howdy. If the test fails, check these items in order:

  • The base URL is exactly https://gateway.ai.bluehost.com, with no trailing path added.
  • The API key starts with sk- and is available to the PM2 process through DEVCLAW_API_KEY.
  • You restarted with pm2 restart devclaw --update-env. A plain restart may not pick up the new environment.
  • Your AI Credits balance is active in the Bluehost Portal, where the current balance and expiration date are shown.
  • If the Web UI is enabled, you are signing in with the auth_token you set.

What the models cost in credits

Bluehost describes AI Credits as a prepaid balance. One credit has a retail value of $0.010, and the same wallet is shared across your VPS, VDS, and apps. Credit cost varies by model and by token type. The table below uses Bluehost’s pricing listing dated September 16, 2026, with values per one million tokens. The dollar equivalents are our arithmetic at the $0.010 retail value, not separate Bluehost figures.

Model Input (credits per 1M tokens) Output (credits per 1M tokens) Approximate input and output cost at $0.010 per credit
claude-haiku-4-5 110 550 $1.10 input; $5.50 output
claude-sonnet-4-6 330 1,650 $3.30 input; $16.50 output

Bluehost’s table also lists cache-write and cached-input rates for models where those apply. Those columns are not reproduced here, so check the table for them. Rates are vendor-published values and can change, so confirm them in the current pricing table before you choose a model for a long-running agent.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Buying credits and what to know first

An active balance is needed before you can create an API key. Bluehost lists these retail pack prices in its September 16, 2026 overview, and says prices are subject to change:

Pack Price Retail value per credit
500 credits $5 $0.010
1,000 credits $10 $0.010
5,000 credits $50 $0.010
10,000 credits $100 $0.010
  • Purchases are non-refundable.
  • Credits expire. Bluehost states the balance is valid for 12 months from the most recent purchase, and a new purchase refreshes that window for the balance.
  • The Bluehost Portal shows your current balance and expiration date. Confirm current terms there before buying.

If you already have an Anthropic Claude subscription

Bluehost directs readers who already have an Anthropic Claude subscription to a different path: the standard GatorClaw setup wizard at http://<your-server-ip>:47716/setup. That path does not use the AI Gateway or AI Credits, so the steps above do not apply to it.

,

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

More from the Wire

  1. World desk4 min
    How to Spot an AI Voice Scam Before Sending MoneyDon’t rely on how a caller sounds. Pause, call back through a known number, and verify the emergency with another trusted person before sending money.
  2. Mountain View desk4 min
    Google’s SynthID Detector: How to Check AI-Generated Images, Video and AudioGoogle’s SynthID Detector looks for an embedded watermark in supported images, video and audio. Here is what its results do—and do not—show.
  3. Redmond desk20 min
    How to create a link to File or Folder in Windows 11Windows 11 gives you several ways to point to a file or folder without moving or duplicating it. You can create a desktop shortcut,…
Recommended PC Tool
Recommended PC Tool
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?Free scan - under a minute
Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?Free driver scan

Two free Windows tools

One Free Minute Could Fix That PC

Before you go - each of these free tools takes about a minute and tackles what quietly slows a Windows PC down.

Special offer. View Outbyte info, uninstall instructions, EULA, and Privacy Policy.