Quick answers plus deeper troubleshooting for real-world setups (local dev, VPS, multi-agent, OAuth/API keys, model failover). For runtime diagnostics, see Troubleshooting. For the full config reference, see Configuration.
First 60 seconds if something is broken
Quick status
bash
openclaw status
Fast local summary: OS + update, gateway/service reachability, agents/sessions, provider config + runtime issues (when the gateway is reachable).
Pasteable report (safe to share)
bash
openclaw status --all
Read-only diagnosis with a log tail (tokens redacted).
Daemon + port state
bash
openclaw gateway status
Shows supervisor runtime vs RPC reachability, the probe target URL, and which config the service likely used.
Deep probes
bash
openclaw status --deep
Live gateway health probe, including channel probes when supported (requires a reachable gateway). See Health.
Tail the latest log
bash
openclaw logs --follow
If RPC is down, fall back to:
bash
tail -f "$(ls -t /tmp/openclaw/openclaw-*.log | head -1)"
Repairs/migrates config and state, then runs health checks. See Doctor.
Gateway snapshot (WS-only)
bash
openclaw health --jsonopenclaw health --verbose # shows the target URL + config path on errors
Asks the running gateway for a full snapshot. See Health.
Quick start and first-run setup
First-run Q&A - install, onboard, auth routes, subscriptions, initial failures - lives on the First-run FAQ.
What is OpenClaw?
What is OpenClaw, in one paragraph?
OpenClaw is a personal AI assistant you run on your own devices. It replies on the messaging surfaces you already use (Discord, Google Chat, iMessage, Mattermost, Signal, Slack, Telegram, WebChat, WhatsApp, and bundled channel plugins such as QQ Bot) and can also do voice plus a live Canvas on supported platforms. The Gateway is the always-on control plane; the assistant is the product.
Value proposition
OpenClaw is not "just a Claude wrapper." It is a local-first control plane that runs a capable assistant on your own hardware, reachable from the chat apps you already use, with stateful sessions, memory, and tools - without handing your workflows to a hosted SaaS.
Your devices, your data: run the Gateway wherever you want (Mac, Linux, VPS) and keep the workspace and session history local.
Real channels, not a web sandbox: Discord/iMessage/Signal/Slack/Telegram/WhatsApp/etc, plus mobile voice and Canvas on supported platforms.
Model-agnostic: use Anthropic, MiniMax, OpenAI, OpenRouter, etc., with per-agent routing and failover.
Local-only option: run local models so all data can stay on your device.
Multi-agent routing: separate agents per channel, account, or task, each with its own workspace and defaults.
Open source and hackable: inspect, extend, and self-host without vendor lock-in.
Good first projects: build a website (WordPress, Shopify, or a static site); prototype a mobile app (outline, screens, API plan); organize files and folders; connect Gmail and automate summaries or follow-ups.
It can handle large tasks, but works best split into phases with sub-agents for parallel work.
What are the top five everyday use cases for OpenClaw?
Personal briefings: summaries of inbox, calendar, and news you care about.
Research and drafting: quick research, summaries, and first drafts for emails or docs.
Reminders and follow-ups: cron- or heartbeat-driven nudges and checklists.
Browser automation: filling forms, collecting data, repeating web tasks.
Cross-device coordination: send a task from your phone, let the Gateway run it on a server, get the result back in chat.
Can OpenClaw help with lead gen, outreach, ads, and blogs for a SaaS?
Yes, for research, qualification, and drafting: scanning sites, building shortlists, summarizing prospects, writing outreach or ad copy drafts.
For outreach or ad runs, keep a human in the loop. Avoid spam, follow local laws and platform policies, and review anything before it sends. Let OpenClaw draft; you approve.
What are the advantages vs Claude Code for web development?
OpenClaw is a personal assistant and coordination layer, not an IDE replacement. Use Claude Code or Codex for the fastest direct coding loop inside a repo. Use OpenClaw for durable memory, cross-device access, and tool orchestration.
How do I customize skills without keeping the repo dirty?
Use managed overrides instead of editing the repo copy. Put changes in ~/.openclaw/skills/<name>/SKILL.md (or add a folder via skills.load.extraDirs in ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json). Precedence: <workspace>/skills -> <workspace>/.agents/skills -> ~/.agents/skills -> ~/.openclaw/skills -> bundled -> skills.load.extraDirs, so managed overrides win over bundled skills without touching git. To install globally but limit visibility to some agents, keep the shared copy in ~/.openclaw/skills and control visibility with agents.defaults.skills / agents.list[].skills. Only upstream-worthy edits should go out as PRs against the repo copy.
Can I load skills from a custom folder?
Yes: add directories via skills.load.extraDirs in ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json (lowest precedence in the order above). clawhub installs into ./skills by default, which OpenClaw treats as <workspace>/skills on the next session. To limit visibility to certain agents, pair with agents.defaults.skills or agents.list[].skills.
How can I use different models or settings for different tasks?
Supported patterns:
Cron jobs: isolated jobs can set a model override per job.
Agents: route tasks to separate agents with different default models, thinking levels, and stream params.
On-demand switch: /model switches the current session model at any time.
Example - same model, different per-agent settings:
Put shared per-model defaults in agents.defaults.models["provider/model"].params, then agent-specific overrides in flat agents.list[].params. Do not duplicate the same model under nested agents.list[].models["provider/model"].params; that path is for per-agent model catalog and runtime overrides.
The bot freezes while doing heavy work. How do I offload that?
Use sub-agents for long or parallel tasks: they run in their own session, return a summary, and keep your main chat responsive. Ask the bot to "spawn a sub-agent for this task," or use /subagents. Use /status to see whether the Gateway is currently busy.
Long tasks and sub-agents both consume tokens; set a cheaper model for sub-agents via agents.defaults.subagents.model if cost matters.
A subagent finished, but the completion update went to the wrong place or never posted. What should I check?
Check the resolved requester route:
Completion-mode subagent delivery prefers a bound thread or conversation route when one exists.
If the completion origin only carries a channel, OpenClaw falls back to the requester session's stored route (lastChannel / lastTo / lastAccountId) so direct delivery can still succeed.
No bound route and no usable stored route: direct delivery can fail and the result falls back to queued session delivery instead of posting immediately.
Invalid or stale targets can also force queue fallback or final delivery failure.
If the child's last visible assistant reply is exactly NO_REPLY / no_reply or ANNOUNCE_SKIP, OpenClaw intentionally suppresses the announce instead of posting stale earlier progress.
Debug: openclaw tasks show <lookup> where <lookup> is a task id, run id, or session key.
Cron fired, but nothing was sent to the channel. Why?
Check the delivery mode:
--no-deliver / delivery.mode: "none": no runner fallback send is expected.
Missing or invalid announce target (channel / to): the runner skipped outbound delivery.
Channel auth failures (unauthorized, Forbidden): the runner tried to deliver but credentials blocked it.
A silent isolated result (NO_REPLY / no_reply only) is treated as intentionally non-deliverable, so queued fallback delivery is also suppressed.
For isolated cron jobs, the agent can still send directly with the message tool when a chat route is available. --announce only controls runner fallback delivery for final text the agent did not already send itself.
Debug:
bash
openclaw cron runs --id <jobId> --limit 50openclaw tasks show <lookup>
Why did an isolated cron run switch models or retry once?
That is the live model-switch path, not duplicate scheduling. Isolated cron persists a runtime model handoff and retries when the active run throws LiveSessionModelSwitchError, keeping the switched provider/model (and any switched auth-profile override) before retrying.
Model-selection precedence: Gmail hook model override (hooks.gmail.model) first, then per-job model, then any stored cron-session model override, then normal agent/default model selection.
The retry loop is bounded to the initial attempt plus 2 switch retries; cron then aborts instead of looping forever.
Use native openclaw skills commands or drop skills into your workspace; the macOS Skills UI is not available on Linux. Browse skills at https://clawhub.ai.
Native openclaw skills install writes into the active workspace skills/ directory by default. Add --global to install into the shared managed skills directory for all local agents. Install the separate clawhub CLI only to publish or sync your own skills. Use agents.defaults.skills or agents.list[].skills to narrow which agents see shared skills.
Can OpenClaw run tasks on a schedule or continuously in the background?
Yes, via the Gateway scheduler:
Cron jobs for scheduled or recurring tasks (persist across restarts).
Heartbeat for main-session periodic checks.
Isolated jobs for autonomous agents that post summaries or deliver to chats.
Not directly. macOS skills are gated by metadata.openclaw.os plus required binaries, and only load when eligible on the Gateway host. On Linux, darwin-only skills (apple-notes, apple-reminders, things-mac) will not load unless you override the gating.
Three supported patterns:
Option A - run the Gateway on a Mac (simplest). Run the Gateway where the macOS binaries exist, then connect from Linux in remote mode or over Tailscale. Skills load normally because the Gateway host is macOS.
Option B - use a macOS node (no SSH). Run the Gateway on Linux, pair a macOS node (menubar app), and set Node Run Commands to "Always Ask" or "Always Allow" on the Mac. OpenClaw treats macOS-only skills as eligible when required binaries exist on the node; the agent runs them via the nodes tool. With "Always Ask," approving "Always Allow" in the prompt adds that command to the allowlist.
Option C - proxy macOS binaries over SSH (advanced). Keep the Gateway on Linux, but make the required CLI binaries resolve to SSH wrappers that run on a Mac, then override the skill to allow Linux so it stays eligible.
Create an SSH wrapper for the binary (example: memo for Apple Notes):bash
Put the wrapper on PATH on the Linux host (for example ~/bin/memo).
Override the skill metadata (workspace or ~/.openclaw/skills) to allow Linux:markdown
---name: apple-notesdescription: Manage Apple Notes via the memo CLI on macOS.metadata: { "openclaw": { "os": ["darwin", "linux"], "requires": { "bins": ["memo"] } } }---
Start a new session so the skills snapshot refreshes.
Do you have a Notion or HeyGen integration?
Not built in today. Options:
Custom skill / plugin: best for reliable API access (both have APIs).
Browser automation: works without code but is slower and more fragile.
For agency-style per-client context: keep one Notion page per client (context + preferences + active work) and ask the agent to fetch that page at the start of a session.
For a native integration, open a feature request or build a skill against those APIs.
Native installs land in the active workspace skills/ directory; use --global for all local agents, or configure agents.defaults.skills / agents.list[].skills to limit visibility. Some skills expect Homebrew-installed binaries; on Linux that means Linuxbrew.
This can use the local host browser or a connected browser node. If the Gateway runs elsewhere, run a node host on the browser machine, or use remote CDP instead.
Current limits on existing-session / user profiles versus the managed openclaw profile:
click, type, hover, scrollIntoView, drag, and select require snapshot refs, not CSS selectors.
Upload hooks require ref or inputRef, one file at a time, no CSS element.
responsebody, PDF export, download interception, and batch actions still require the managed browser path.
Can I keep DMs personal but make groups public/sandboxed with one agent?
Yes, if private traffic is DMs and public traffic is groups. Set agents.defaults.sandbox.mode: "non-main" so group/channel sessions (non-main keys) run in the configured sandbox backend while the main DM session stays on-host. Docker is the default backend once sandboxing is enabled. Restrict tools available in sandboxed sessions via tools.sandbox.tools.
Set agents.defaults.sandbox.docker.binds to ["host:container:mode"] (for example "/home/user/src:/src:ro"). Global and per-agent binds merge; per-agent binds are ignored when scope: "shared". Use :ro for anything sensitive; binds bypass the sandbox filesystem walls.
OpenClaw validates bind sources against both the normalized path and the canonical path resolved through the deepest existing ancestor, so symlink-parent escapes fail closed even when the final path segment does not exist yet.
OpenClaw memory is Markdown files in the agent workspace: daily notes in memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md, curated long-term notes in MEMORY.md (main/private sessions only).
OpenClaw also runs a silent pre-compaction memory flush before compaction summarizes the conversation, reminding the model to write durable notes first. It only runs when the workspace is writable (read-only sandboxes skip it); disable with agents.defaults.compaction.memoryFlush.enabled: false. See Memory.
Memory keeps forgetting things. How do I make it stick?
Ask the bot to write the fact to memory: long-term notes go in MEMORY.md, short-term context in memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md. Reminding the model to store memories usually resolves it. If it keeps forgetting, verify the Gateway uses the same workspace on every run.
Memory files live on disk and persist until deleted; the limit is your storage, not the model. Session context is still limited by the model context window, so long conversations can compact or truncate - that is why memory search exists, pulling only the relevant parts back into context.
Does semantic memory search require an OpenAI API key?
Only if you use OpenAI embeddings, which is the default provider. Codex OAuth covers chat/completions and does not grant embeddings access, so signing in with Codex (OAuth or the Codex CLI login) does not enable semantic memory search. OpenAI embeddings still need a real API key (OPENAI_API_KEY or models.providers.openai.apiKey).
To stay local, set agents.defaults.memorySearch.provider: "local" (GGUF/llama.cpp). Other supported providers: Bedrock, DeepInfra, Gemini (GEMINI_API_KEY or memorySearch.remote.apiKey), GitHub Copilot, LM Studio, Mistral, Ollama, OpenAI-compatible, and Voyage. See Memory and Memory search for setup details.
Where things live on disk
Is all data used with OpenClaw saved locally?
No: OpenClaw's own state is local, but external services still see what you send them.
Local by default: sessions, memory files, config, and workspace live on the Gateway host (~/.openclaw plus your workspace directory).
Remote by necessity: messages sent to model providers (Anthropic/OpenAI/etc.) go to their APIs, and chat platforms (Slack/Telegram/WhatsApp/etc.) store message data on their servers.
You control the footprint: local models keep prompts on your machine, but channel traffic still goes through the channel's servers.
Per-agent SQLite state, including session rows and transcripts
$OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR/agents/<agentId>/sessions/
Legacy session migration sources and archive/support artifacts
Legacy single-agent path ~/.openclaw/agent/* is migrated by openclaw doctor.
Your workspace (AGENTS.md, memory files, skills, etc.) is separate, configured via agents.defaults.workspace (default: ~/.openclaw/workspace).
Where should AGENTS.md / SOUL.md / USER.md / MEMORY.md live?
These live in the agent workspace, not ~/.openclaw.
Workspace (per agent): AGENTS.md, SOUL.md, IDENTITY.md, USER.md, MEMORY.md, memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md, optional HEARTBEAT.md. Lowercase root memory.md is legacy repair input only; openclaw doctor --fix can merge it into MEMORY.md when both exist.
State dir (~/.openclaw): config, channel/provider state, auth profiles, sessions, logs, shared skills (~/.openclaw/skills).
Default workspace is ~/.openclaw/workspace, configurable:
If the bot "forgets" after a restart, confirm the Gateway uses the same workspace on every launch (remote mode uses the gateway host's workspace, not your local laptop).
Tip: for durable behavior or preference, ask the bot to write it into AGENTS.md or MEMORY.md rather than relying on chat history.
Yes. SOUL.md is one of the workspace bootstrap files injected into agent context. Default per-file injection limit is 20000 characters; total bootstrap budget across files is 60000 characters.
Or override one agent under agents.list[].bootstrapMaxChars / bootstrapTotalMaxChars.
Use /context to check raw vs injected sizes and whether truncation happened. Keep SOUL.md focused on voice, stance, and personality; put operating rules in AGENTS.md and durable facts in memory.
Put your agent workspace in a private git repo and back it up somewhere private (for example GitHub private). This captures memory plus AGENTS/SOUL/USER files and lets you restore the assistant's "mind" later.
Do not commit anything under ~/.openclaw (credentials, sessions, tokens, encrypted secrets payloads). For a full restore, back up the workspace and state directory separately.
Yes. The workspace is the default cwd and memory anchor, not a hard sandbox. Relative paths resolve inside the workspace; absolute paths can access other host locations unless sandboxing is enabled. For isolation, use agents.defaults.sandbox or per-agent sandbox settings. To make a repo the default working directory, point that agent's workspace at the repo root - the OpenClaw repo itself is just source code, so keep the workspace separate unless you intentionally want the agent to work inside it.
Session state is owned by the gateway host. In remote mode, the session store you care about is on the remote machine, not your local laptop. See Session management.
Config basics
What format is the config? Where is it?
OpenClaw reads an optional JSON5 config from $OPENCLAW_CONFIG_PATH (default: ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json). If the file is missing, it uses safe-ish defaults, including a default workspace of ~/.openclaw/workspace.
I set gateway.bind: "lan" (or "tailnet") and now nothing listens / the UI says unauthorized
Non-loopback binds require a valid gateway auth path: shared-secret auth (token or password), or gateway.auth.mode: "trusted-proxy" behind a correctly configured identity-aware reverse proxy.
gateway.remote.token / .password do not enable local gateway auth by themselves; local call paths can use gateway.remote.* as fallback only when gateway.auth.* is unset.
For password auth, set gateway.auth.mode: "password" plus gateway.auth.password (or OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_PASSWORD).
If gateway.auth.token / .password is explicitly configured via SecretRef and unresolved, resolution fails closed (no remote fallback masking).
Shared-secret Control UI setups authenticate via connect.params.auth.token or connect.params.auth.password (stored in app/UI settings). Identity-bearing modes such as Tailscale Serve or trusted-proxy use request headers instead - avoid putting shared secrets in URLs.
With gateway.auth.mode: "trusted-proxy", same-host loopback reverse proxies require explicit gateway.auth.trustedProxy.allowLoopback = true and a loopback entry in gateway.trustedProxies.
Why do I need a token on localhost now?
OpenClaw enforces gateway auth by default, including loopback. If no explicit auth path is configured, startup resolves to token mode and generates a runtime-only token for that startup, so local WS clients must authenticate. This blocks other local processes from calling the Gateway.
Configure gateway.auth.token, gateway.auth.password, OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN, or OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_PASSWORD explicitly when clients need a stable secret across restarts. You can also choose password mode, or trusted-proxy for identity-aware reverse proxies. For open loopback, set gateway.auth.mode: "none" explicitly. openclaw doctor --generate-gateway-token generates a token any time.
Do I have to restart after changing config?
The Gateway watches the config and supports hot-reload: gateway.reload.mode: "hybrid" (default) hot-applies safe changes and restarts for critical ones. hot, restart, and off are also supported. Most tools.*, agents.* policy, session.*, and messages.* changes apply immediately with no reload action at all; gateway.* binding/port changes require a restart.
How do I disable funny CLI taglines?
Set cli.banner.taglineMode:
json5
{cli: {banner: {taglineMode: "off", // random | default | off }, },}
off: hides tagline text but keeps the banner title/version line.
default: always uses All your chats, one OpenClaw..
Provider-specific web-search config lives under plugins.entries.<plugin>.config.webSearch.*. Legacy tools.web.search.* provider paths still load for compatibility but should not be used in new configs. Firecrawl web-fetch fallback config lives under plugins.entries.firecrawl.config.webFetch.*.
Allowlists: add web_search/web_fetch/x_search, or group:web for all three.
web_fetch is enabled by default.
If tools.web.fetch.provider is omitted, OpenClaw auto-detects the first ready fetch fallback provider from available credentials; the official Firecrawl plugin provides that fallback.
Daemons read env vars from ~/.openclaw/.env (or the service environment).
config.apply wiped my config. How do I recover and avoid this?
config.apply replaces the entire config; a partial object removes everything else.
Current OpenClaw protects most accidental clobbers:
OpenClaw-owned config writes validate the full post-change config before writing.
Invalid or destructive OpenClaw-owned writes are rejected and saved as openclaw.json.rejected.*.
A direct edit that breaks startup or hot reload makes the Gateway fail closed or skip the reload; it does not rewrite openclaw.json.
openclaw doctor --fix owns repair, can restore last-known-good, and saves the rejected file as openclaw.json.clobbered.*.
Recover:
Check openclaw logs --follow for Invalid config at, Config write rejected:, or config reload skipped (invalid config).
Inspect the newest openclaw.json.clobbered.* or openclaw.json.rejected.* beside the active config.
Run openclaw config validate and openclaw doctor --fix.
Copy only the intended keys back with openclaw config set or config.patch.
No last-known-good or rejected payload: restore from backup, or re-run openclaw doctor and reconfigure channels/models.
Unexpected loss: file a bug with your last known config or a backup. A local coding agent can often reconstruct a working config from logs or history.
Avoid it: use openclaw config set for small changes, openclaw configure for interactive edits, config.schema.lookup to inspect an unfamiliar path (returns a shallow schema node plus immediate child summaries), and config.patch for partial RPC edits - reserve config.apply for full-config replacement. The agent-facing gateway runtime tool refuses to rewrite tools.exec.ask / tools.exec.security even via legacy tools.bash.* aliases.
Default is false (headful). Headless is more likely to trigger anti-bot checks on some sites (X/Twitter often blocks headless sessions). It uses the same Chromium engine and works for most automation; the main difference is no visible browser window (use screenshots for visuals). See Browser.
How do I use Brave for browser control?
Set browser.executablePath to your Brave binary (or any Chromium-based browser) and restart the Gateway. See Browser.
Remote gateways and nodes
How do commands propagate between Telegram, the gateway, and nodes?
Telegram messages are handled by the gateway, which runs the agent and only then calls nodes over the Gateway WebSocket when a node tool is needed:
Nodes do not see inbound provider traffic; they only receive node RPC calls.
How can my agent access my computer if the Gateway is hosted remotely?
Pair your computer as a node. The Gateway runs elsewhere but can call node.* tools (screen, camera, system) on your local machine over the Gateway WebSocket.
Run the Gateway on the always-on host (VPS/home server).
Put the Gateway host and your computer on the same tailnet.
Ensure the Gateway WS is reachable (tailnet bind or SSH tunnel).
Open the macOS app locally and connect in Remote over SSH mode (or direct tailnet) so it registers as a node.
Tailscale is connected but I get no replies. What now?
Check the basics:
bash
openclaw gateway statusopenclaw statusopenclaw channels status
Then verify auth and routing: if you use Tailscale Serve, confirm gateway.auth.allowTailscale is set correctly; if you connect via SSH tunnel, confirm the tunnel is up and points at the right port; confirm your DM/group allowlists include your account.
Can two OpenClaw instances talk to each other (local + VPS)?
Yes, though there is no built-in bot-to-bot bridge.
Simplest: use a normal chat channel both bots can access (Slack/Telegram/WhatsApp). Have Bot A message Bot B, then let Bot B reply as usual.
CLI bridge (generic): run a script that calls the other Gateway with openclaw agent --message ... --deliver, targeting a chat where the other bot listens. If one bot is on a remote VPS, point your CLI at that remote Gateway via SSH/Tailscale (see Remote access):
bash
openclaw agent --message "Hello from local bot" --deliver --channel telegram --reply-to <chat-id>
Add a guardrail so the two bots do not loop endlessly (mention-only, channel allowlists, or a "do not reply to bot messages" rule).
No. One Gateway hosts multiple agents, each with its own workspace, model defaults, and routing - this is the normal setup and much cheaper/simpler than one VPS per agent. Use separate VPSes only for hard isolation (security boundaries) or very different configs you do not want to share.
Is there a benefit to using a node on my personal laptop instead of SSH from a VPS?
Yes: nodes are the first-class way to reach your laptop from a remote Gateway and unlock more than shell access. The Gateway runs on macOS/Linux (Windows via WSL2) and is lightweight (a small VPS or Raspberry Pi-class box is fine; 4 GB RAM is plenty), so a common setup is an always-on host plus your laptop as a node.
No inbound SSH required - nodes connect out to the Gateway WebSocket via device pairing.
Safer execution controls - system.run is gated by node allowlists/approvals on that laptop.
More device tools - nodes expose canvas, camera, and screen in addition to system.run.
Local browser automation - keep the Gateway on a VPS but run Chrome locally through a node host, or attach to local Chrome via Chrome MCP.
SSH is fine for ad-hoc shell access; nodes are simpler for ongoing agent workflows and device automation.
No. Only one gateway should run per host unless you intentionally run isolated profiles (see Multiple gateways). Nodes are peripherals that connect to the gateway (iOS/Android nodes, or macOS "node mode" in the menubar app). For headless node hosts and CLI control, see Node host CLI.
A full restart is required for gateway, discovery, and hosted plugin surface changes.
Is there an API / RPC way to apply config?
Yes:
config.schema.lookup: inspect one config subtree with its shallow schema node, matched UI hint, and immediate child summaries before writing.
config.get: fetch the current snapshot plus hash.
config.patch: safe partial update (preferred for most RPC edits); hot-reloads when possible, restarts when required.
config.apply: validate and replace the full config; hot-reloads when possible, restarts when required.
The agent-facing gateway runtime tool still refuses to rewrite tools.exec.ask / tools.exec.security; legacy tools.bash.* aliases normalize to the same protected paths.
Should I install on a second laptop or just add a node?
For local tools only (screen/camera/exec) on the second laptop, add it as a node - one Gateway, no duplicated config. Local node tools are currently macOS-only. Install a second Gateway only for hard isolation or two fully separate bots.
OpenClaw reads env vars from the parent process (shell, launchd/systemd, CI, etc.) and additionally loads:
.env from the current working directory.
a global fallback .env from ~/.openclaw/.env ($OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR/.env).
Neither .env file overrides existing env vars. Provider credential and endpoint-routing keys are an exception for workspace .env: keys such as GEMINI_API_KEY, XAI_API_KEY, MISTRAL_API_KEY, or any key ending in _ENDPOINT (and other bundled-provider auth or endpoint env vars) are ignored from workspace .env and should live in the process environment, ~/.openclaw/.env, or config env.
Inline env vars in config apply only if missing from the process env:
This runs your login shell and imports only missing expected keys (never overrides). Env var equivalents: OPENCLAW_LOAD_SHELL_ENV=1, OPENCLAW_SHELL_ENV_TIMEOUT_MS=15000.
I set COPILOT_GITHUB_TOKEN, but models status shows "Shell env: off." Why?
openclaw models status reports whether shell env import is enabled. "Shell env: off" does not mean your env vars are missing - it just means OpenClaw will not load your login shell automatically.
If the Gateway runs as a service (launchd/systemd), it will not inherit your shell environment. Fix by putting the token in ~/.openclaw/.env, enabling env.shellEnv.enabled: true, or adding it to config env (applies only if missing), then restarting the gateway and rechecking:
bash
openclaw models status
Copilot tokens resolve in this order: OPENCLAW_GITHUB_TOKEN, then COPILOT_GITHUB_TOKEN, then GH_TOKEN, then GITHUB_TOKEN.
Do sessions reset automatically if I never send /new?
Yes. The default reset policy is daily: a session rolls over at a configured local hour on the gateway host (session.reset.atHour, default 4, 0-23), based on when the current session started. Switch to idle-based reset instead with mode: "idle" and session.reset.idleMinutes, which expires a session after a period of inactivity (based on the last real interaction, not heartbeat/cron/exec system events).
resetByType supports direct (legacy alias dm), group, and thread. Legacy top-level session.idleMinutes still works as a compatibility alias for an idle-mode default when no session.reset/resetByType block is set. Sessions with an active provider-owned CLI session are not cut by the implicit daily default. See Session management for the full lifecycle.
Is there a way to make a team of OpenClaw instances (one CEO and many agents)?
Yes, via multi-agent routing and sub-agents: one coordinator agent plus several worker agents with their own workspaces and models.
This is best seen as a fun experiment - it is token-heavy and often less efficient than one bot with separate sessions. The typical model is one bot you talk to, with different sessions for parallel work, spawning sub-agents when needed.
Why did context get truncated mid-task? How do I prevent it?
Session context is limited by the model window. Long chats, large tool outputs, or many files can trigger compaction or truncation.
Ask the bot to summarize current state and write it to a file.
Use /compact before long tasks, /new when switching topics.
Keep important context in the workspace and ask the bot to read it back.
Use sub-agents for long or parallel work so the main chat stays smaller.
Pick a model with a larger context window if this happens often.
How do I completely reset OpenClaw but keep it installed?bash
openclaw reset
Non-interactive full reset:
bash
openclaw reset --scope full --yes --non-interactive
Then re-run setup:
bash
openclaw onboard --install-daemon
Onboarding also offers Reset if it detects an existing config; see Onboarding (CLI). If you used profiles (--profile / OPENCLAW_PROFILE), reset each state dir (default ~/.openclaw-<profile>). Dev-only reset: openclaw gateway --dev --reset wipes dev config, credentials, sessions, and workspace.
I am getting "context too large" errors - how do I reset or compact?
Compact (keeps the conversation, summarizes older turns): /compact or /compact <instructions> to guide the summary.
Reset (fresh session ID for the same chat key): /new or /reset.
If it keeps happening, tune session pruning (agents.defaults.contextPruning) to trim old tool output, or use a model with a larger context window.
Why am I seeing "LLM request rejected: messages.content.tool_use.input field required"?
Provider validation error: the model emitted a tool_use block without the required input. Usually means the session history is stale or corrupted (often after long threads or a tool/schema change).
Fix: start a fresh session with /new (standalone message).
Why am I getting heartbeat messages every 30 minutes?
Heartbeats run every 30m by default, or 1h when the resolved auth mode is Anthropic OAuth/token auth (including Claude CLI reuse) and heartbeat.every is unset. Tune or disable:
json5
{agents: {defaults: {heartbeat: {every: "2h", // or "0m" to disable }, }, },}
If HEARTBEAT.md exists but is effectively empty (only blank lines, Markdown/HTML comments, ATX headings, fence markers, or empty list-item stubs), OpenClaw skips the heartbeat run to save API calls. If the file is missing, the heartbeat still runs and the model decides what to do.
Per-agent overrides use agents.list[].heartbeat. Docs: Heartbeat.
Do I need to add a "bot account" to a WhatsApp group?
No. OpenClaw runs on your own account - if you are in the group, OpenClaw can see it. By default, group replies are blocked until you allow senders (groupPolicy: "allowlist").
Two common causes: mention gating is on by default (you must @mention the bot, or match mentionPatterns), or you configured channels.whatsapp.groups without "*" and the group is not allowlisted.
Direct chats collapse to the main session by default. Groups/channels have their own session keys, and Telegram topics / Discord threads are separate sessions. See Groups and Group messages.
How many workspaces and agents can I create?
No hard limits - dozens or even hundreds are fine, but watch:
Disk growth: active sessions and transcripts live in the per-agent SQLite database; legacy/archive artifacts can still accumulate under ~/.openclaw/agents/<agentId>/sessions/.
Token cost: more agents means more concurrent model usage.
Ops overhead: per-agent auth profiles, workspaces, and channel routing.
Keep one active workspace per agent (agents.defaults.workspace), prune old sessions with openclaw sessions cleanup if disk grows (do not edit active SQLite state by hand), and use openclaw doctor to spot stray workspaces and profile mismatches.
Can I run multiple bots or chats at the same time (Slack), and how should I set that up?
Yes, via Multi-Agent Routing: run multiple isolated agents and route inbound messages by channel/account/peer. Slack is supported as a channel and can be bound to specific agents.
Browser access is powerful but not "do anything a human can" - anti-bot, CAPTCHAs, and MFA can still block automation. For the most reliable control, use local Chrome MCP on the host, or CDP on the machine that actually runs the browser.
Best-practice setup: always-on Gateway host (VPS/Mac mini), one agent per role (bindings), Slack channel(s) bound to those agents, and local browser via Chrome MCP or a node when needed.
Why does openclaw gateway status say "Runtime: running" but "Connectivity probe: failed"?
"Running" is the supervisor's view (launchd/systemd/schtasks); the connectivity probe is the CLI actually connecting to the gateway WebSocket. Trust these lines from openclaw gateway status: Probe target: (the URL the probe used), Listening: (what is actually bound on the port), Last gateway error: (common root cause when the process is alive but the port is not listening).
Why does openclaw gateway status show "Config (cli)" and "Config (service)" different?
You are editing one config file while the service runs another (often a --profile / OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR mismatch).
Fix, run from the same --profile / environment you want the service to use:
bash
openclaw gateway install --force
What does "another gateway instance is already listening" mean?
OpenClaw enforces a runtime lock by binding the WebSocket listener immediately on startup (default ws://127.0.0.1:18789). If the bind fails with EADDRINUSE, it throws GatewayLockError ("another gateway instance is already listening").
Fix: stop the other instance, free the port, or run with openclaw gateway --port <port>.
How do I run OpenClaw in remote mode (client connects to a Gateway elsewhere)?
Set gateway.mode: "remote" and point to a remote WebSocket URL, optionally with shared-secret remote credentials:
openclaw gateway only starts when gateway.mode is local (or you pass an override flag).
The macOS app watches the config file and switches modes live when these values change.
gateway.remote.token / .password are client-side remote credentials only; they do not enable local gateway auth by themselves.
The Control UI says "unauthorized" (or keeps reconnecting). What now?
Your gateway auth path and the UI's auth method do not match.
Facts (from code):
The Control UI keeps the token in sessionStorage, scoped to the current browser tab and selected gateway URL, so same-tab refreshes keep working without long-lived localStorage token persistence.
On AUTH_TOKEN_MISMATCH, trusted clients can attempt one bounded retry with a cached device token when the gateway returns retry hints (canRetryWithDeviceToken=true, recommendedNextStep=retry_with_device_token).
That cached-token retry reuses the cached approved scopes stored with the device token; explicit deviceToken / explicit scopes callers keep their requested scope set instead of inheriting cached scopes.
Outside that retry path, connect auth precedence is explicit shared token/password first, then explicit deviceToken, then stored device token, then bootstrap token.
Built-in setup-code bootstrap returns a node device token with scopes: [] plus a bounded operator handoff token for trusted mobile onboarding. The operator handoff can read setup-time native configuration but does not grant pairing mutation scopes or operator.admin.
Fix:
Fastest: openclaw dashboard (prints + copies the dashboard URL, tries to open; shows an SSH hint if headless).
No token yet: openclaw doctor --generate-gateway-token.
Remote: tunnel first with ssh -N -L 18789:127.0.0.1:18789 user@host, then open http://127.0.0.1:18789/.
Shared-secret mode: set gateway.auth.token / OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN or gateway.auth.password / OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_PASSWORD, then paste the matching secret in Control UI settings.
Tailscale Serve mode: confirm gateway.auth.allowTailscale is enabled and you are opening the Serve URL, not a raw loopback/tailnet URL that bypasses Tailscale identity headers.
Trusted-proxy mode: confirm you are coming through the configured identity-aware proxy. Same-host loopback proxies also need gateway.auth.trustedProxy.allowLoopback = true.
Mismatch persists after the one retry: rotate/re-approve the paired device token:bash
Rotate denied: paired-device sessions can rotate only their own device unless they also have operator.admin, and explicit --scope values cannot exceed the caller's current operator scopes.
I set gateway.bind tailnet but it listens only on loopback
tailnet bind picks a Tailscale IP from your network interfaces (100.64.0.0/10). If the machine is not on Tailscale (or the interface is down), the Gateway falls back to loopback instead of exposing another network interface.
Fix: start Tailscale on that host and restart the Gateway, or switch explicitly to gateway.bind: "loopback" / "lan".
tailnet is explicit; auto prefers loopback. Use gateway.bind: "tailnet" to limit non-loopback exposure to the Tailnet while retaining the required same-host 127.0.0.1 listener.
Can I run multiple Gateways on the same host?
Usually no - one Gateway can run multiple messaging channels and agents. Use multiple Gateways only for redundancy (for example a rescue bot) or hard isolation, and isolate each with its own OPENCLAW_CONFIG_PATH, OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR, agents.defaults.workspace, and unique gateway.port.
Recommended: openclaw --profile <name> ... per instance (auto-creates ~/.openclaw-<name>), a unique gateway.port per profile config (or --port for manual runs), and a per-profile service with openclaw --profile <name> gateway install.
Profiles also suffix service names: launchd ai.openclaw.<profile>, systemd openclaw-gateway-<profile>.service, Windows OpenClaw Gateway (<profile>). The unqualified openclaw-gateway systemd unit only exists for the default profile; the legacy pre-rename systemd unit name clawdbot-gateway is migrated automatically.
The Gateway is a WebSocket server and expects the first message to be a connect frame. Anything else closes the connection with code 1008 (policy violation).
Common causes: you opened the HTTP URL in a browser instead of a WS client, used the wrong port/path, or a proxy/tunnel stripped auth headers or sent a non-Gateway request.
Fix: use the WS URL (ws://<host>:18789, or wss://... over HTTPS), do not open the WS port in a normal browser tab, and include the token/password in the connect frame when auth is on. CLI/TUI example:
File logs (structured): /tmp/openclaw/openclaw-YYYY-MM-DD.log. Set a stable path via logging.file; file log level via logging.level; console verbosity via --verbose and logging.consoleLevel.
Fastest tail:
bash
openclaw logs --follow
Service/supervisor logs (when the gateway runs via launchd/systemd):
macOS launchd stdout: ~/Library/Logs/openclaw/gateway.log (profiles use gateway-<profile>.log; stderr is suppressed).
How do I start/stop/restart the Gateway service?bash
openclaw gateway statusopenclaw gateway restart
If you run the gateway manually, openclaw gateway --force can reclaim the port. See Gateway.
I closed my terminal on Windows - how do I restart OpenClaw?
Three Windows install modes:
1) Windows Hub local setup: the native app manages a local app-owned WSL Gateway. Open OpenClaw Companion from the Start menu or tray, then use Gateway Setup or the Connections tab.
2) Manual WSL2 Gateway: the Gateway runs inside Linux.
Common causes: model auth not loaded on the gateway host (check models status), channel pairing/allowlist blocking replies (check channel config and logs), or WebChat/Dashboard open without the right token. If remote, confirm the tunnel/Tailscale connection is up and the Gateway WebSocket is reachable.
"Disconnected from gateway: no reason" - what now?
Usually means the UI lost the WebSocket connection. Check: is the Gateway running (openclaw gateway status)? Is it healthy (openclaw status)? Does the UI have the right token (openclaw dashboard)? If remote, is the tunnel/Tailscale link up?
BOT_COMMANDS_TOO_MUCH: the Telegram menu has too many entries. OpenClaw already trims to the Telegram limit and retries with fewer commands, but some menu entries may still be dropped. Reduce plugin/skill/custom commands, or disable channels.telegram.commands.native if you do not need the menu.
TypeError: fetch failed, Network request for 'setMyCommands' failed!, or similar network errors: on a VPS or behind a proxy, confirm outbound HTTPS is allowed and DNS works for api.telegram.org.
If the Gateway is remote, check logs on the Gateway host.
ELI5: openclaw gateway restart vs openclaw gateway
openclaw gateway restart restarts the background service (launchd/systemd). openclaw gateway runs the gateway in the foreground for this terminal session. Use the gateway subcommands if you installed the service; use the bare foreground run for a one-off.
Fastest way to get more details when something fails
Start the Gateway with --verbose for more console detail, then inspect the log file for channel auth, model routing, and RPC errors.
Media and attachments
My skill generated an image/PDF, but nothing was sent
Outbound attachments from the agent must use structured media fields such as media, mediaUrl, path, or filePath. See OpenClaw assistant setup and Agent send.
Also check: the target channel supports outbound media and is not blocked by allowlists; the file is within the provider's size limits (images resize to a max side of 2048px); tools.fs.workspaceOnly=true limits local-path sends to workspace, temp/media-store, and sandbox-validated files; tools.fs.workspaceOnly=false (default) lets structured local media sends use host-local files the agent can already read, for media plus safe document types (images, audio, video, PDF, Office docs, and validated text documents such as Markdown/MD, TXT, JSON, YAML/YML). This is not a secret scanner - an agent-readable secret.txt or config.json can be attached when the extension and content validation match. Keep sensitive files outside agent-readable paths, or keep tools.fs.workspaceOnly=true for stricter local-path sends.
Treat inbound DMs as untrusted input. Defaults reduce risk:
Default behavior on DM-capable channels is pairing: unknown senders receive a pairing code and their message is not processed. Approve with openclaw pairing approve --channel <channel> [--account <id>] <code>. Pending requests are capped at 3 per channel; check openclaw pairing list --channel <channel> [--account <id>] if a code did not arrive.
Is prompt injection only a concern for public bots?
No. Prompt injection is about untrusted content, not just who can DM the bot. If your assistant reads external content (web search/fetch, browser pages, emails, docs, attachments, pasted logs), that content can carry instructions that try to hijack the model - even if you are the only sender.
The biggest risk is when tools are enabled: the model can be tricked into exfiltrating context or calling tools on your behalf. Reduce the blast radius:
use a read-only or tool-disabled "reader" agent to summarize untrusted content
keep web_search / web_fetch / browser off for tool-enabled agents
treat decoded file/document text as untrusted too: OpenResponses input_file and media-attachment extraction both wrap extracted text in explicit external-content boundary markers instead of passing raw file text
Is OpenClaw less safe because it uses TypeScript/Node instead of Rust/WASM?
Language and runtime matter, but are not the main risk for a personal agent. The practical risks are gateway exposure, who can message the bot, prompt injection, tool scope, credential handling, browser access, exec access, and third-party skill/plugin trust.
Rust and WASM can provide stronger isolation for some code classes, but do not solve prompt injection, bad allowlists, public gateway exposure, overbroad tools, or a browser profile already logged in to sensitive accounts. Treat these as the primary controls: keep the Gateway private or authenticated, use pairing and allowlists for DMs/groups, deny or sandbox risky tools for untrusted inputs, install only trusted plugins and skills, and run openclaw security audit --deep after config changes.
I saw reports about exposed OpenClaw instances. What should I check?bash
openclaw security audit --deepopenclaw gateway status
A safer baseline: Gateway bound to loopback, or exposed only through authenticated private access (tailnet, SSH tunnel, token/password auth, or a correctly configured trusted proxy); DMs in pairing or allowlist mode; groups allowlisted and mention-gated unless every member is trusted; high-risk tools (exec, browser, gateway, cron) denied or tightly scoped for agents that read untrusted content; sandboxing enabled where tool execution needs a smaller blast radius.
Public binds without auth, open DMs/groups with tools, and exposed browser control are the findings to fix first. Details: openclaw security audit.
Are ClawHub skills and third-party plugins safe to install?
Treat third-party skills and plugins as code you are choosing to trust. ClawHub skill pages expose scan state before install, but scans are not a complete security boundary. OpenClaw does not run built-in local dangerous-code blocking during plugin/skill install or update; use operator-owned security.installPolicy for local allow/block decisions.
Safer pattern: prefer trusted authors and pinned versions, read the skill/plugin before enabling it, keep plugin/skill allowlists narrow, run untrusted-input workflows in a sandbox with minimal tools, and avoid giving third-party code broad filesystem, exec, browser, or secret access.
Should my bot have its own email, GitHub account, or phone number?
Yes, for most setups. Isolating the bot with separate accounts and phone numbers reduces the blast radius if something goes wrong, and makes it easier to rotate credentials or revoke access without impacting your personal accounts.
Start small: give access only to the tools and accounts you actually need, and expand later if required.
Can I give it autonomy over my text messages and is that safe?
We do not recommend full autonomy over your personal messages. Safest pattern: keep DMs in pairing mode or a tight allowlist, use a separate number or account if it should message on your behalf, and let it draft while you approve before sending.
To experiment, do it on a dedicated, isolated account. See Security.
Can I use cheaper models for personal assistant tasks?
Yes, if the agent is chat-only and the input is trusted. Smaller tiers are more susceptible to instruction hijacking, so avoid them for tool-enabled agents or when reading untrusted content. If you must use a smaller model, lock down tools and run inside a sandbox. See Security.
I ran /start in Telegram but did not get a pairing code
Pairing codes are sent only when an unknown sender messages the bot and dmPolicy: "pairing" is enabled; /start by itself does not generate a code.
Check pending requests:
bash
openclaw pairing list telegram
For immediate access, allowlist your sender id or set dmPolicy: "open" for that account.
WhatsApp: will it message my contacts? How does pairing work?
No. Default WhatsApp DM policy is pairing. Unknown senders only get a pairing code; their message is not processed. OpenClaw only replies to chats it receives or to explicit sends you trigger.
bash
openclaw pairing approve whatsapp <code>openclaw pairing list whatsapp
The wizard's phone number prompt sets your allowlist/owner so your own DMs are permitted - it is not used for auto-sending. On your personal WhatsApp number, use that number and enable channels.whatsapp.selfChatMode.
Chat commands, aborting tasks, and "it will not stop"
How do I stop internal system messages from showing in chat?
Most internal/tool messages only appear when verbose, trace, or reasoning is enabled for that session.
Fix in the chat where you see it:
text
/verbose off/trace off/reasoning off
Still noisy: check session settings in the Control UI and set verbose to inherit; confirm you are not using a bot profile with verboseDefault: "on" in config.
Send any of these as a standalone message (no slash) to trigger an abort: stop, stop action, stop current action, stop run, stop current run, stop agent, stop the agent, stop openclaw, openclaw stop, stop don't do anything, stop do not do anything, stop doing anything, do not do that, please stop, stop please, abort, esc, exit, interrupt, halt. Common non-English triggers (French, German, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Hindi, Arabic, Russian) also work.
For background processes started by the exec tool, ask the agent to run:
text
process action:kill sessionId:XXX
Most slash commands must be sent as a standalone message starting with /, but a few shortcuts (like /status) also work inline for allowlisted senders. See Slash commands.
How do I send a Discord message from Telegram? ("Cross-context messaging denied")
OpenClaw blocks cross-provider messaging by default. If a tool call is bound to Telegram, it will not send to Discord unless you explicitly allow it - and this takes effect immediately, no gateway restart needed:
What is the default model for Anthropic with an API key?
Credentials and model selection are separate. Setting ANTHROPIC_API_KEY (or storing an Anthropic API key in auth profiles) enables authentication, but the actual default model is whatever you configure in agents.defaults.model.primary (for example anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6 or anthropic/claude-opus-4-6). No credentials found for profile "anthropic:default" means the Gateway could not find Anthropic credentials in the expected auth-profiles.json for the running agent.
