- Regulatory context
- RGPD (GDPR)
- AI Act (EU)
- Labour law considerations
- Local ecosystem
- Recommended French infrastructure
- French business tools OpenClaw integrates well with
- Tools that may require custom integration
- Language specifics
- Prompt language
- Recommended models for French content
- Tone conventions
- Cultural business context
- French business rhythm
- Invoice and accounting specifics
- Working hours and legal compliance
- Known differences from en-US baseline
Locale: fr-FR — France
This file documents what is specific to France when using OpenClaw in a business context. Universal content is in chapters 1–6. Only the differences are here.
Regulatory context
RGPD (GDPR)
OpenClaw processes personal data — emails, calendar, contacts. In France, this falls under RGPD (Règlement Général sur la Protection des Données).
Key implications for your configuration: - Data stored locally on your machine or VPS = RGPD-compliant by default - Cloud integrations (Gmail, Google Calendar) = check your data processing agreements - If you deploy OpenClaw for clients or employees: you are the data controller — a privacy policy is required - Recommended: self-host on French infrastructure (OVHcloud, Scaleway) for maximum compliance
AI Act (EU)
As of 2026, the EU AI Act applies to AI systems deployed in professional contexts. OpenClaw as a personal assistant in low-risk use cases is likely in the minimal-risk category. Monitor for updates as regulatory guidance evolves.
Labour law considerations
If OpenClaw is used to monitor employee activity (emails, schedules), French labour law applies. Consult a legal advisor before deploying in HR contexts.
Local ecosystem
Recommended French infrastructure
- Hosting: OVHcloud, Scaleway, Infomaniak (Swiss-French)
- VPS: Hetzner (German — GDPR-compliant), OVHcloud
- Domain registrar: Gandi.net, OVHcloud
- Email: ProtonMail (Swiss), Infomaniak Mail
French business tools OpenClaw integrates well with
- Accounting: Pennylane, Indy, QuickBooks FR
- CRM: Sellsy, Pipedrive FR
- Invoicing: Facture.net, Tiime
- HR: Payfit, Lucca
- Communication: Slack, Teams (widely used in French enterprise)
Tools that may require custom integration
Standard OpenClaw skills are built for anglophone tools. French-specific tools (Pennylane, Sellsy, etc.) may require custom skill development via ClawHub or manual configuration.
Language specifics
Prompt language
Write your system prompt in French if your business operates in French. OpenClaw passes your prompts to the underlying LLM — French prompts work well with Claude, GPT-4, and Mistral (which has strong French-language performance).
Recommended models for French content
- Mistral (French company) — excellent French, strong cultural understanding
- Claude Sonnet — high quality in French, consistent tone
- GPT-4o — good French but occasionally anglophone cultural assumptions
Tone conventions
- French business communication defaults to vouvoiement (formal "vous")
- Configure your agent accordingly in the system prompt: "Tu utilises le vouvoiement dans toutes les communications externes."
- Internal notes and personal briefings can use tutoiement
Cultural business context
French business rhythm
- August is largely dead — configure reduced agent activity in August
- Lunch (12h–14h) is protected time in most French companies — avoid scheduling automations that send external communications during this window
- "Rentrée" (September) is the real new year for French business — plan your major automations resets then
Invoice and accounting specifics
- French invoices require: SIRET number, TVA number, mentions légales
- Configure your invoice templates accordingly before letting OpenClaw generate them
- Auto-entrepreneur regime has specific invoice requirements — different from SARL/SAS
Working hours and legal compliance
- French law limits certain types of communication outside working hours
- "Droit à la déconnexion" (right to disconnect) — OpenClaw should not send work communications after 18h30 by default in employee-facing contexts
Known differences from en-US baseline
| Topic | en-US baseline | fr-FR specifics |
|---|---|---|
| Data hosting | AWS/GCP common | OVHcloud/Scaleway preferred for RGPD |
| Invoice tools | QuickBooks, FreshBooks | Pennylane, Indy, Tiime |
| Business hours | 9am–5pm | 9h–18h30, lunch 12h–14h protected |
| Recommended LLM for local language | GPT-4o | Mistral or Claude |
| Formal/informal tone | Generally informal | Vouvoiement for external comms |
| Peak business calendar | Jan restart | Rentrée (September) = real new year |
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