CLI Reference

CLI reference

This page describes the current CLI behavior. If commands change, update this doc.

Command pages

• setup
• onboard
• configure
• config
• completion
• doctor
• dashboard
• backup
• reset
• uninstall
• update
• message
• agent
• agents
• acp
• mcp
• status
• health
• sessions
• gateway
• logs
• system
• models
• memory
• directory
• nodes
• devices
• node
• approvals
• sandbox
• tui
• browser
• cron
• tasks
• flows
• dns
• docs
• hooks
• webhooks
• pairing
• qr
• plugins (plugin commands)
• channels
• security
• secrets
• skills
• daemon (legacy alias for gateway service commands)
• clawbot (legacy alias namespace)
• voicecall (plugin; if installed)

Global flags

• --dev: isolate state under ~/.openclaw-dev and shift default ports.
• --profile <name>: isolate state under ~/.openclaw-<name>.
• --container <name>: target a named container for execution.
• --no-color: disable ANSI colors.
• --update: shorthand for openclaw update (source installs only).
• -V, --version, -v: print version and exit.

Output styling

• ANSI colors and progress indicators only render in TTY sessions.
• OSC-8 hyperlinks render as clickable links in supported terminals; otherwise we fall back to plain URLs.
• --json (and --plain where supported) disables styling for clean output.
• --no-color disables ANSI styling; NO_COLOR=1 is also respected.
• Long-running commands show a progress indicator (OSC 9;4 when supported).

Color palette

OpenClaw uses a lobster palette for CLI output.

• accent (#FF5A2D): headings, labels, primary highlights.
• accentBright (#FF7A3D): command names, emphasis.
• accentDim (#D14A22): secondary highlight text.
• info (#FF8A5B): informational values.
• success (#2FBF71): success states.
• warn (#FFB020): warnings, fallbacks, attention.
• error (#E23D2D): errors, failures.
• muted (#8B7F77): de-emphasis, metadata.

Palette source of truth: src/terminal/palette.ts (the “lobster palette”).

Command tree

openclaw [--dev] [--profile <name>] <command>
  setup
  onboard
  configure
  config
    get
    set
    unset
    file
    schema
    validate
  completion
  doctor
  dashboard
  backup
    create
    verify
  security
    audit
  secrets
    reload
    audit
    configure
    apply
  reset
  uninstall
  update
    wizard
    status
  channels
    list
    status
    capabilities
    resolve
    logs
    add
    remove
    login
    logout
  directory
    self
    peers list
    groups list|members
  skills
    search
    install
    update
    list
    info
    check
  plugins
    list
    inspect
    install
    uninstall
    update
    enable
    disable
    doctor
    marketplace list
  memory
    status
    index
    search
  message
    send
    broadcast
    poll
    react
    reactions
    read
    edit
    delete
    pin
    unpin
    pins
    permissions
    search
    thread create|list|reply
    emoji list|upload
    sticker send|upload
    role info|add|remove
    channel info|list
    member info
    voice status
    event list|create
    timeout
    kick
    ban
  agent
  agents
    list
    add
    delete
    bindings
    bind
    unbind
    set-identity
  acp
  mcp
    serve
    list
    show
    set
    unset
  status
  health
  sessions
    cleanup
  tasks
    list
    audit
    maintenance
    show
    notify
    cancel
    flow list|show|cancel
  gateway
    call
    usage-cost
    health
    status
    probe
    discover
    install
    uninstall
    start
    stop
    restart
    run
  daemon
    status
    install
    uninstall
    start
    stop
    restart
  logs
  system
    event
    heartbeat last|enable|disable
    presence
  models
    list
    status
    set
    set-image
    aliases list|add|remove
    fallbacks list|add|remove|clear
    image-fallbacks list|add|remove|clear
    scan
    auth add|login|login-github-copilot|setup-token|paste-token
    auth order get|set|clear
  sandbox
    list
    recreate
    explain
  cron
    status
    list
    add
    edit
    rm
    enable
    disable
    runs
    run
  nodes
    status
    describe
    list
    pending
    approve
    reject
    rename
    invoke
    notify
    push
    canvas snapshot|present|hide|navigate|eval
    canvas a2ui push|reset
    camera list|snap|clip
    screen record
    location get
  devices
    list
    remove
    clear
    approve
    reject
    rotate
    revoke
  node
    run
    status
    install
    uninstall
    stop
    restart
  approvals
    get
    set
    allowlist add|remove
  browser
    status
    start
    stop
    reset-profile
    tabs
    open
    focus
    close
    profiles
    create-profile
    delete-profile
    screenshot
    snapshot
    navigate
    resize
    click
    type
    press
    hover
    drag
    select
    upload
    fill
    dialog
    wait
    evaluate
    console
    pdf
  hooks
    list
    info
    check
    enable
    disable
    install
    update
  webhooks
    gmail setup|run
  pairing
    list
    approve
  qr
  clawbot
    qr
  docs
  dns
    setup
  tui

Note: plugins can add additional top-level commands (for example openclaw voicecall).

Security

• openclaw security audit — audit config + local state for common security foot-guns.
• openclaw security audit --deep — best-effort live Gateway probe.
• openclaw security audit --fix — tighten safe defaults and state/config permissions.

Secrets

secrets

Manage SecretRefs and related runtime/config hygiene.

Subcommands:

• secrets reload
• secrets audit
• secrets configure
• secrets apply --from <path>

secrets reload options:

• --url, --token, --timeout, --expect-final, --json

secrets audit options:

• --check
• --allow-exec
• --json

secrets configure options:

• --apply
• --yes
• --providers-only
• --skip-provider-setup
• --agent <id>
• --allow-exec
• --plan-out <path>
• --json

secrets apply --from <path> options:

• --dry-run
• --allow-exec
• --json

Notes:

• reload is a Gateway RPC and keeps the last-known-good runtime snapshot when resolution fails.
• audit --check returns non-zero on findings; unresolved refs use a higher-priority non-zero exit code.
• Dry-run exec checks are skipped by default; use --allow-exec to opt in.

Plugins

Manage extensions and their config:

• openclaw plugins list — discover plugins (use --json for machine output).
• openclaw plugins inspect <id> — show details for a plugin (info is an alias).
• openclaw plugins install <path|.tgz|npm-spec|plugin@marketplace> — install a plugin (or add a plugin path to plugins.load.paths; use --force to overwrite an existing install target).
• openclaw plugins marketplace list <marketplace> — list marketplace entries before install.
• openclaw plugins enable <id> / disable <id> — toggle plugins.entries.<id>.enabled.
• openclaw plugins doctor — report plugin load errors.

Most plugin changes require a gateway restart. See /plugin.

Memory

Vector search over MEMORY.md + memory/*.md:

• openclaw memory status — show index stats; use --deep for provider probes or --fix to repair stale recall/promotion artifacts.
• openclaw memory index — reindex memory files.
• openclaw memory search "<query>" (or --query "<query>") — semantic search over memory.
• openclaw memory promote — rank short-term recalls and optionally append top entries into MEMORY.md.

Sandbox

Manage sandbox runtimes for isolated agent execution. See /cli/sandbox.

Subcommands:

• sandbox list [--browser] [--json]
• sandbox recreate [--all] [--session <key>] [--agent <id>] [--browser] [--force]
• sandbox explain [--session <key>] [--agent <id>] [--json]

Notes:

• sandbox recreate removes existing runtimes so the next use seeds them again with current config.
• For ssh and OpenShell remote backends, recreate deletes the canonical remote workspace for the selected scope.

Chat slash commands

Chat messages support /... commands (text and native). See /tools/slash-commands.

Highlights:

• /status for quick diagnostics.
• /config for persisted config changes.
• /debug for runtime-only config overrides (memory, not disk; requires commands.debug: true).

Setup + onboarding

completion

Generate shell-completion scripts and optionally install them into your shell profile.

Options:

• -s, --shell <zsh|bash|powershell|fish>
• -i, --install
• --write-state
• -y, --yes

Notes:

• Without --install or --write-state, completion prints the script to stdout.
• --install writes an OpenClaw Completion block into your shell profile and points it at the cached script under the OpenClaw state directory.

setup

Initialize config + workspace.

Options:

• --workspace <dir>: agent workspace path (default ~/.openclaw/workspace).
• --wizard: run onboarding.
• --non-interactive: run onboarding without prompts.
• --mode <local|remote>: onboard mode.
• --remote-url <url>: remote Gateway URL.
• --remote-token <token>: remote Gateway token.

Onboarding auto-runs when any onboarding flags are present (--non-interactive, --mode, --remote-url, --remote-token).

onboard

Interactive onboarding for gateway, workspace, and skills.

Options:

• --workspace <dir>
• --reset (reset config + credentials + sessions before onboarding)
• --reset-scope <config|config+creds+sessions|full> (default config+creds+sessions; use full to also remove workspace)
• --non-interactive
• --mode <local|remote>
• --flow <quickstart|advanced|manual> (manual is an alias for advanced)
• --auth-choice <choice> where <choice> is one of: chutes, deepseek-api-key, openai-codex, openai-api-key, openrouter-api-key, kilocode-api-key, litellm-api-key, ai-gateway-api-key, cloudflare-ai-gateway-api-key, moonshot-api-key, moonshot-api-key-cn, kimi-code-api-key, synthetic-api-key, venice-api-key, together-api-key, huggingface-api-key, apiKey, gemini-api-key, google-gemini-cli, zai-api-key, zai-coding-global, zai-coding-cn, zai-global, zai-cn, xiaomi-api-key, minimax-global-oauth, minimax-global-api, minimax-cn-oauth, minimax-cn-api, opencode-zen, opencode-go, github-copilot, copilot-proxy, xai-api-key, mistral-api-key, volcengine-api-key, byteplus-api-key, qianfan-api-key, modelstudio-standard-api-key-cn, modelstudio-standard-api-key, modelstudio-api-key-cn, modelstudio-api-key, custom-api-key, skip
• --secret-input-mode <plaintext|ref> (default plaintext; use ref to store provider default env refs instead of plaintext keys)
• --anthropic-api-key <key>
• --openai-api-key <key>
• --mistral-api-key <key>
• --openrouter-api-key <key>
• --ai-gateway-api-key <key>
• --moonshot-api-key <key>
• --kimi-code-api-key <key>
• --gemini-api-key <key>
• --zai-api-key <key>
• --minimax-api-key <key>
• --opencode-zen-api-key <key>
• --opencode-go-api-key <key>
• --custom-base-url <url> (non-interactive; used with --auth-choice custom-api-key)
• --custom-model-id <id> (non-interactive; used with --auth-choice custom-api-key)
• --custom-api-key <key> (non-interactive; optional; used with --auth-choice custom-api-key; falls back to CUSTOM_API_KEY when omitted)
• --custom-provider-id <id> (non-interactive; optional custom provider id)
• --custom-compatibility <openai|anthropic> (non-interactive; optional; default openai)
• --gateway-port <port>
• --gateway-bind <loopback|lan|tailnet|auto|custom>
• --gateway-auth <token|password>
• --gateway-token <token>
• --gateway-token-ref-env <name> (non-interactive; store gateway.auth.token as an env SecretRef; requires that env var to be set; cannot be combined with --gateway-token)
• --gateway-password <password>
• --remote-url <url>
• --remote-token <token>
• --tailscale <off|serve|funnel>
• --tailscale-reset-on-exit
• --install-daemon
• --no-install-daemon (alias: --skip-daemon)
• --daemon-runtime <node|bun>
• --skip-channels
• --skip-skills
• --skip-search
• --skip-health
• --skip-ui
• --cloudflare-ai-gateway-account-id <id>
• --cloudflare-ai-gateway-gateway-id <id>
• --node-manager <npm|pnpm|bun> (setup/onboarding node manager for skills; pnpm recommended, bun also supported)
• --json

configure

Interactive configuration wizard (models, channels, skills, gateway).

Options:

• --section <section> (repeatable; limit the wizard to specific sections)

config

Non-interactive config helpers (get/set/unset/file/schema/validate). Running openclaw config with no subcommand launches the wizard.

Subcommands:

• config get <path>: print a config value (dot/bracket path).
• config set: supports four assignment modes:
  • value mode: config set <path> <value> (JSON5-or-string parsing)
  • SecretRef builder mode: config set <path> --ref-provider <provider> --ref-source <source> --ref-id <id>
  • provider builder mode: config set secrets.providers.<alias> --provider-source <env|file|exec> ...
  • batch mode: config set --batch-json '<json>' or config set --batch-file <path>
• config set --dry-run: validate assignments without writing openclaw.json (exec SecretRef checks are skipped by default).
• config set --allow-exec --dry-run: opt in to exec SecretRef dry-run checks (may execute provider commands).
• config set --dry-run --json: emit machine-readable dry-run output (checks + completeness signal, operations, refs checked/skipped, errors).
• config set --strict-json: require JSON5 parsing for path/value input. --json remains a legacy alias for strict parsing outside dry-run output mode.
• config unset <path>: remove a value.
• config file: print the active config file path.
• config schema: print the generated JSON schema for openclaw.json.
• config validate: validate the current config against the schema without starting the gateway.
• config validate --json: emit machine-readable JSON output.

doctor

Health checks + quick fixes (config + gateway + legacy services).

Options:

• --no-workspace-suggestions: disable workspace memory hints.
• --yes: accept defaults without prompting (headless).
• --non-interactive: skip prompts; apply safe migrations only.
• --deep: scan system services for extra gateway installs.
• --repair (alias: --fix): attempt automatic repairs for detected issues.
• --force: force repairs even when not strictly needed.
• --generate-gateway-token: generate a new gateway auth token.

dashboard

Open the Control UI with your current token.

Options:

• --no-open: print the URL but do not launch a browser

Notes:

• For SecretRef-managed gateway tokens, dashboard prints or opens a non-tokenized URL instead of exposing the secret in terminal output or browser launch arguments.

update

Update the installed CLI.

Root options:

• --json
• --no-restart
• --dry-run
• --channel <stable|beta|dev>
• --tag <dist-tag|version|spec>
• --timeout <seconds>
• --yes

Subcommands:

• update status
• update wizard

update status options:

• --json
• --timeout <seconds>

update wizard options:

• --timeout <seconds>

Notes:

• openclaw --update rewrites to openclaw update.

backup

Create and verify local backup archives for OpenClaw state.

Subcommands:

• backup create
• backup verify <archive>

backup create options:

• --output <path>
• --json
• --dry-run
• --verify
• --only-config
• --no-include-workspace

backup verify <archive> options:

• --json

Channel helpers

channels

Manage chat channel accounts (WhatsApp/Telegram/Discord/Google Chat/Slack/Mattermost (plugin)/Signal/iMessage/Microsoft Teams).

Subcommands:

• channels list: show configured channels and auth profiles.
• channels status: check gateway reachability and channel health (--probe runs extra checks; use openclaw health or openclaw status --deep for gateway health probes).
• Tip: channels status prints warnings with suggested fixes when it can detect common misconfigurations (then points you to openclaw doctor).
• channels logs: show recent channel logs from the gateway log file.
• channels add: wizard-style setup when no flags are passed; flags switch to non-interactive mode.
  • When adding a non-default account to a channel still using single-account top-level config, OpenClaw promotes account-scoped values into the channel account map before writing the new account. Most channels use accounts.default; Matrix can preserve an existing matching named/default target instead.
  • Non-interactive channels add does not auto-create/upgrade bindings; channel-only bindings continue to match the default account.
• channels remove: disable by default; pass --delete to remove config entries without prompts.
• channels login: interactive channel login (WhatsApp Web only).
• channels logout: log out of a channel session (if supported).

Common options:

• --channel <name>: whatsapp|telegram|discord|googlechat|slack|mattermost|signal|imessage|msteams
• --account <id>: channel account id (default default)
• --name <label>: display name for the account

channels login options:

• --channel <channel> (default whatsapp; supports whatsapp/web)
• --account <id>
• --verbose

channels logout options:

• --channel <channel> (default whatsapp)
• --account <id>

channels list options:

• --no-usage: skip model provider usage/quota snapshots (OAuth/API-backed only).
• --json: output JSON (includes usage unless --no-usage is set).

channels status options:

• --probe
• --timeout <ms>
• --json

channels capabilities options:

• --channel <name>
• --account <id> (only with --channel)
• --target <dest>
• --timeout <ms>
• --json

channels resolve options:

• <entries...>
• --channel <name>
• --account <id>
• --kind <auto|user|group>
• --json

channels logs options:

• --channel <name|all> (default all)
• --lines <n> (default 200)
• --json

Notes:

• channels login supports --verbose.
• channels capabilities --account only applies when --channel is set.

More detail: /concepts/oauth

Examples:

openclaw channels add --channel telegram --account alerts --name "Alerts Bot" --token $TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN
openclaw channels add --channel discord --account work --name "Work Bot" --token $DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN
openclaw channels remove --channel discord --account work --delete
openclaw channels status --probe
openclaw status --deep

directory

Look up self, peer, and group IDs for channels that expose a directory surface. See openclaw directory.

Common options:

• --channel <name>
• --account <id>
• --json

Subcommands:

• directory self
• directory peers list [--query <text>] [--limit <n>]
• directory groups list [--query <text>] [--limit <n>]
• directory groups members --group-id <id> [--limit <n>]

skills

List and inspect available skills plus readiness info.

Subcommands:

• skills search [query...]: search ClawHub skills.
• skills search --limit <n> --json: cap search results or emit machine-readable output.
• skills install <slug>: install a skill from ClawHub into the active workspace.
• skills install <slug> --version <version>: install a specific ClawHub version.
• skills install <slug> --force: overwrite an existing workspace skill folder.
• skills update <slug|--all>: update tracked ClawHub skills.
• skills list: list skills (default when no subcommand).
• skills list --json: emit machine-readable skill inventory on stdout.
• skills list --verbose: include missing requirements in the table.
• skills info <name>: show details for one skill.
• skills info <name> --json: emit machine-readable details on stdout.
• skills check: summary of ready vs missing requirements.
• skills check --json: emit machine-readable readiness output on stdout.

Options:

• --eligible: show only ready skills.
• --json: output JSON (no styling).
• -v, --verbose: include missing requirements detail.

Tip: use openclaw skills search, openclaw skills install, and openclaw skills update for ClawHub-backed skills.

pairing

Approve DM pairing requests across channels.

Subcommands:

• pairing list [channel] [--channel <channel>] [--account <id>] [--json]
• pairing approve <channel> <code> [--account <id>] [--notify]
• pairing approve --channel <channel> [--account <id>] <code> [--notify]

Notes:

• If exactly one pairing-capable channel is configured, pairing approve <code> is also allowed.
• list and approve both support --account <id> for multi-account channels.

devices

Manage gateway device pairing entries and per-role device tokens.

Subcommands:

• devices list [--json]
• devices approve [requestId] [--latest]
• devices reject <requestId>
• devices remove <deviceId>
• devices clear --yes [--pending]
• devices rotate --device <id> --role <role> [--scope <scope...>]
• devices revoke --device <id> --role <role>

Notes:

• devices list and devices approve can fall back to local pairing files on local loopback when direct pairing scope is unavailable.
• devices approve auto-selects the newest pending request when no requestId is passed or --latest is set.
• Stored-token reconnects reuse the token’s cached approved scopes; explicit devices rotate --scope ... updates that stored scope set for future cached-token reconnects.
• devices rotate and devices revoke return JSON payloads.

qr

Generate a mobile pairing QR and setup code from the current Gateway config. See openclaw qr.

Options:

• --remote
• --url <url>
• --public-url <url>
• --token <token>
• --password <password>
• --setup-code-only
• --no-ascii
• --json

Notes:

• --token and --password are mutually exclusive.
• The setup code carries a short-lived bootstrap token, not the shared gateway token/password.
• Built-in bootstrap handoff keeps the primary node token at scopes: [].
• Any handed-off operator bootstrap token stays bounded to operator.approvals, operator.read, operator.talk.secrets, and operator.write.
• --remote can use gateway.remote.url or the active Tailscale Serve/Funnel URL.
• After scanning, approve the request with openclaw devices list / openclaw devices approve <requestId>.

clawbot

Legacy alias namespace. Currently supports openclaw clawbot qr, which maps to openclaw qr.

hooks

Manage internal agent hooks.

Subcommands:

• hooks list
• hooks info <name>
• hooks check
• hooks enable <name>
• hooks disable <name>
• hooks install <path-or-spec> (deprecated alias for openclaw plugins install)
• hooks update [id] (deprecated alias for openclaw plugins update)

Common options:

• --json
• --eligible
• -v, --verbose

Notes:

• Plugin-managed hooks cannot be enabled or disabled through openclaw hooks; enable or disable the owning plugin instead.
• hooks install and hooks update still work as compatibility aliases, but they print deprecation warnings and forward to the plugin commands.

webhooks

Webhook helpers. Current built-in surface is Gmail Pub/Sub setup + runner:

• webhooks gmail setup
• webhooks gmail run

webhooks gmail

Gmail Pub/Sub hook setup + runner. See Gmail Pub/Sub.

Subcommands:

• webhooks gmail setup (requires --account <email>; supports --project, --topic, --subscription, --label, --hook-url, --hook-token, --push-token, --bind, --port, --path, --include-body, --max-bytes, --renew-minutes, --tailscale, --tailscale-path, --tailscale-target, --push-endpoint, --json)
• webhooks gmail run (runtime overrides for the same flags)

Notes:

• setup configures the Gmail watch plus the OpenClaw-facing push path.
• run starts the local Gmail watcher/renew loop with optional runtime overrides.

dns

Wide-area discovery DNS helpers (CoreDNS + Tailscale). Current built-in surface:

• dns setup [--domain <domain>] [--apply]

dns setup

Wide-area discovery DNS helper (CoreDNS + Tailscale). See /gateway/discovery.

Options:

• --domain <domain>
• --apply: install/update CoreDNS config (requires sudo; macOS only).

Notes:

• Without --apply, this is a planning helper that prints the recommended OpenClaw + Tailscale DNS config.
• --apply currently supports macOS with Homebrew CoreDNS only.

Messaging + agent

message

Unified outbound messaging + channel actions.

See: /cli/message

Subcommands:

• message send|poll|react|reactions|read|edit|delete|pin|unpin|pins|permissions|search|timeout|kick|ban
• message thread <create|list|reply>
• message emoji <list|upload>
• message sticker <send|upload>
• message role <info|add|remove>
• message channel <info|list>
• message member info
• message voice status
• message event <list|create>

Examples:

• openclaw message send --target [phone] --message "Hi"
• openclaw message poll --channel discord --target channel:123 --poll-question "Snack?" --poll-option Pizza --poll-option Sushi

agent

Run one agent turn via the Gateway (or --local embedded).

Pass at least one session selector: --to, --session-id, or --agent.

Required:

• -m, --message <text>

Options:

• -t, --to <dest> (for session key and optional delivery)
• --session-id <id>
• --agent <id> (agent id; overrides routing bindings)
• --thinking <off|minimal|low|medium|high|xhigh> (provider support varies; not model-gated at CLI level)
• --verbose <on|off>
• --channel <channel> (delivery channel; omit to use the main session channel)
• --reply-to <target> (delivery target override, separate from session routing)
• --reply-channel <channel> (delivery channel override)
• --reply-account <id> (delivery account id override)
• --local (embedded run; plugin registry still preloads first)
• --deliver
• --json
• --timeout <seconds>

Notes:

• Gateway mode falls back to the embedded agent when the Gateway request fails.
• --local still preloads the plugin registry, so plugin-provided providers, tools, and channels remain available during embedded runs.
• --channel, --reply-channel, and --reply-account affect reply delivery, not routing.

agents

Manage isolated agents (workspaces + auth + routing).

Running openclaw agents with no subcommand is equivalent to openclaw agents list.

agents list

List configured agents.

Options:

• --json
• --bindings

agents add [name]

Add a new isolated agent. Runs the guided wizard unless flags (or --non-interactive) are passed; --workspace is required in non-interactive mode.

Options:

• --workspace <dir>
• --model <id>
• --agent-dir <dir>
• --bind <channel[:accountId]> (repeatable)
• --non-interactive
• --json

Binding specs use channel[:accountId]. When accountId is omitted, OpenClaw may resolve account scope via channel defaults/plugin hooks; otherwise it is a channel binding without explicit account scope. Passing any explicit add flags switches the command into the non-interactive path. main is reserved and cannot be used as the new agent id.

agents bindings

List routing bindings.

Options:

• --agent <id>
• --json

agents bind

Add routing bindings for an agent.

Options:

• --agent <id> (defaults to the current default agent)
• --bind <channel[:accountId]> (repeatable)
• --json

agents unbind

Remove routing bindings for an agent.

Options:

• --agent <id> (defaults to the current default agent)
• --bind <channel[:accountId]> (repeatable)
• --all
• --json

Use either --all or --bind, not both.

agents delete <id>

Delete an agent and prune its workspace + state.

Options:

• --force
• --json

Notes:

• main cannot be deleted.
• Without --force, interactive confirmation is required.

agents set-identity

Update an agent identity (name/theme/emoji/avatar).

Options:

• --agent <id>
• --workspace <dir>
• --identity-file <path>
• --from-identity
• --name <name>
• --theme <theme>
• --emoji <emoji>
• --avatar <value>
• --json

Notes:

• --agent or --workspace can be used to select the target agent.
• When no explicit identity fields are provided, the command reads IDENTITY.md.

acp

Run the ACP bridge that connects IDEs to the Gateway.

Root options:

• --url <url>
• --token <token>
• --token-file <path>
• --password <password>
• --password-file <path>
• --session <key>
• --session-label <label>
• --require-existing
• --reset-session
• --no-prefix-cwd
• --provenance <off|meta|meta+receipt>
• --verbose

acp client

Interactive ACP client for bridge debugging.

Options:

• --cwd <dir>
• --server <command>
• --server-args <args...>
• --server-verbose
• --verbose

See acp for full behavior, security notes, and examples.

mcp

Manage saved MCP server definitions and expose OpenClaw channels over MCP stdio.

mcp serve

Expose routed OpenClaw channel conversations over MCP stdio.

Options:

• --url <url>
• --token <token>
• --token-file <path>
• --password <password>
• --password-file <path>
• --claude-channel-mode <auto|on|off>
• --verbose

mcp list

List saved MCP server definitions.

Options:

• --json

mcp show [name]

Show one saved MCP server definition or the full saved MCP server object.

Options:

• --json

mcp set <name> <value>

Save one MCP server definition from a JSON object.

mcp unset <name>

Remove one saved MCP server definition.

approvals

Manage exec approvals. Alias: exec-approvals.

approvals get

Fetch the exec approvals snapshot and effective policy.

Options:

• --node <node>
• --gateway
• --json
• node RPC options from openclaw nodes

approvals set

Replace exec approvals with JSON from a file or stdin.

Options:

• --node <node>
• --gateway
• --file <path>
• --stdin
• --json
• node RPC options from openclaw nodes

approvals allowlist add|remove

Edit the per-agent exec allowlist.

Options:

• --node <node>
• --gateway
• --agent <id> (defaults to *)
• --json
• node RPC options from openclaw nodes

status

Show linked session health and recent recipients.

Options:

• --json
• --all (full diagnosis; read-only, pasteable)
• --deep (probe channels)
• --usage (show model provider usage/quota)
• --timeout <ms>
• --verbose
• --debug (alias for --verbose)

Notes:

• Overview includes Gateway + node host service status when available.
• --usage prints normalized provider usage windows as X% left.

Usage tracking

OpenClaw can surface provider usage/quota when OAuth/API creds are available.

Surfaces:

• /status (adds a short provider usage line when available)
• openclaw status --usage (prints full provider breakdown)
• macOS menu bar (Usage section under Context)

Notes:

• Data comes directly from provider usage endpoints (no estimates).
• Human-readable output is normalized to X% left across providers.
• Providers with current usage windows: Anthropic, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenAI Codex, MiniMax, Xiaomi, and z.ai.
• MiniMax note: raw usage_percent / usagePercent means remaining quota, so OpenClaw inverts it before display; count-based fields still win when present. model_remains responses prefer the chat-model entry, derive the window label from timestamps when needed, and include the model name in the plan label.
• Usage auth comes from provider-specific hooks when available; otherwise OpenClaw falls back to matching OAuth/API-key credentials from auth profiles, env, or config. If none resolve, usage is hidden.
• Details: see Usage tracking.

health

Fetch health from the running Gateway.

Options:

• --json
• --timeout <ms>
• --verbose
• --debug (alias for --verbose)

sessions

List stored conversation sessions.

Options:

• --json
• --verbose
• --store <path>
• --active <minutes>
• --agent <id> (filter sessions by agent)
• --all-agents (show sessions across all agents)

Subcommands:

• sessions cleanup — remove expired or orphaned sessions

Notes:

• sessions cleanup also supports --fix-missing to prune entries whose transcript files are gone.

Reset / Uninstall

reset

Reset local config/state (keeps the CLI installed).

Options:

• --scope <config|config+creds+sessions|full>
• --yes
• --non-interactive
• --dry-run

Notes:

• --non-interactive requires --scope and --yes.

uninstall

Uninstall the gateway service + local data (CLI remains).

Options:

• --service
• --state
• --workspace
• --app
• --all
• --yes
• --non-interactive
• --dry-run

Notes:

• --non-interactive requires --yes and explicit scopes (or --all).
• --all removes service, state, workspace, and app together.

tasks

List and manage background task runs across agents.

• tasks list — show active and recent task runs
• tasks show <id> — show details for a specific task run
• tasks notify <id> — change notification policy for a task run
• tasks cancel <id> — cancel a running task
• tasks audit — surface operational issues (stale, lost, delivery failures)
• tasks maintenance — preview or apply tasks and TaskFlow cleanup/reconciliation (ACP/subagent child sessions, active cron jobs, live CLI runs)
• tasks flow list — list active and recent Task Flow flows
• tasks flow show <lookup> — inspect a flow by id or lookup key
• tasks flow cancel <lookup> — cancel a running flow and its active tasks

flows

Legacy docs shortcut. Flow commands live under openclaw tasks flow:

• tasks flow list [--json]
• tasks flow show <lookup>
• tasks flow cancel <lookup>

Gateway

gateway

Run the WebSocket Gateway.

Options:

• --port <port>
• --bind <loopback|tailnet|lan|auto|custom>
• --token <token>
• --auth <token|password>
• --password <password>
• --password-file <path>
• --tailscale <off|serve|funnel>
• --tailscale-reset-on-exit
• --allow-unconfigured
• --dev
• --reset (reset dev config + credentials + sessions + workspace)
• --force (kill existing listener on port)
• --verbose
• --cli-backend-logs
• --claude-cli-logs (deprecated alias)
• --ws-log <auto|full|compact>
• --compact (alias for --ws-log compact)
• --raw-stream
• --raw-stream-path <path>

gateway service

Manage the Gateway service (launchd/systemd/schtasks).

Subcommands:

• gateway status (probes the Gateway RPC by default)
• gateway install (service install)
• gateway uninstall
• gateway start
• gateway stop
• gateway restart

Notes:

• gateway status probes the Gateway RPC by default using the service’s resolved port/config (override with --url/--token/--password).
• gateway status supports --no-probe, --deep, --require-rpc, and --json for scripting.
• gateway status also surfaces legacy or extra gateway services when it can detect them (--deep adds system-level scans). Profile-named OpenClaw services are treated as first-class and aren’t flagged as “extra”.
• gateway status stays available for diagnostics even when the local CLI config is missing or invalid.
• gateway status prints the resolved file log path, the CLI-vs-service config paths/validity snapshot, and the resolved probe target URL.
• If gateway auth SecretRefs are unresolved in the current command path, gateway status --json reports rpc.authWarning only when probe connectivity/auth fails (warnings are suppressed when probe succeeds).
• On Linux systemd installs, status token-drift checks include both Environment= and EnvironmentFile= unit sources.
• gateway install|uninstall|start|stop|restart support --json for scripting (default output stays human-friendly).
• gateway install defaults to Node runtime; bun is not recommended (WhatsApp/Telegram bugs).
• gateway install options: --port, --runtime, --token, --force, --json.

daemon

Legacy alias for the Gateway service-management commands. See /cli/daemon.

Subcommands:

• daemon status
• daemon install
• daemon uninstall
• daemon start
• daemon stop
• daemon restart

Common options:

• status: --url, --token, --password, --timeout, --no-probe, --require-rpc, --deep, --json
• install: --port, --runtime <node|bun>, --token, --force, --json
• uninstall|start|stop|restart: --json

logs

Tail Gateway file logs via RPC.

Options:

• --limit <n>: maximum number of log lines to return
• --max-bytes <n>: maximum bytes to read from the log file
• --follow: follow the log file (tail -f style)
• --interval <ms>: polling interval in ms when following
• --local-time: display timestamps in local time
• --json: emit line-delimited JSON
• --plain: disable structured formatting
• --no-color: disable ANSI colors
• --url <url>: explicit Gateway WebSocket URL
• --token <token>: Gateway token
• --timeout <ms>: Gateway RPC timeout
• --expect-final: wait for a final response when needed

Examples:

openclaw logs --follow
openclaw logs --limit 200
openclaw logs --plain
openclaw logs --json
openclaw logs --no-color

Notes:

• If you pass --url, the CLI does not auto-apply config or environment credentials.
• Local loopback pairing failures fall back to the configured local log file; explicit --url targets do not.

gateway <subcommand>

Gateway CLI helpers (use --url, --token, --password, --timeout, --expect-final for RPC subcommands). When you pass --url, the CLI does not auto-apply config or environment credentials. Include --token or --password explicitly. Missing explicit credentials is an error.

Subcommands:

• gateway call <method> [--params <json>] [--url <url>] [--token <token>] [--password <password>] [--timeout <ms>] [--expect-final] [--json]
• gateway health
• gateway status
• gateway probe
• gateway discover
• gateway install|uninstall|start|stop|restart
• gateway run

Common RPCs:

• config.set (validate + write full config; use baseHash for optimistic concurrency)
• config.apply (validate + write config + restart + wake)
• config.patch (merge a partial update + restart + wake)
• update.run (run update + restart + wake)

Tip: when calling config.set/config.apply/config.patch directly, pass baseHash from config.get if a config already exists. Tip: these config write RPCs preflight active SecretRef resolution for refs in the submitted config payload and reject writes when an effectively active submitted ref is unresolved.

Models

See /concepts/models for fallback behavior and scanning strategy.

Billing note: Anthropic changed third-party harness billing on April 4, 2026 at 12:00 PM PT / 8:00 PM BST. Anthropic says Claude subscription limits no longer cover OpenClaw, and Claude CLI usage in OpenClaw now requires Extra Usage billed separately from the subscription. For production, prefer an Anthropic API key or another supported subscription-style provider such as OpenAI Codex, Alibaba Cloud Model Studio Coding Plan, MiniMax Coding Plan, or Z.AI / GLM Coding Plan.

Anthropic Claude CLI migration:

openclaw models auth login --provider anthropic --method cli --set-default

Onboarding shortcut: openclaw onboard --auth-choice anthropic-cli

Existing legacy Anthropic token profiles still run if already configured, but OpenClaw no longer offers Anthropic setup-token as a new auth path.

Legacy alias note: claude-cli is the deprecated onboarding auth-choice alias. Use anthropic-cli for onboarding, or use models auth login directly.

models (root)

openclaw models is an alias for models status.

Root options:

• --status-json (alias for models status --json)
• --status-plain (alias for models status --plain)

models list

Options:

• --all
• --local
• --provider <name>
• --json
• --plain

models status

Options:

• --json
• --plain
• --check (exit 1=expired/missing, 2=expiring)
• --probe (live probe of configured auth profiles)
• --probe-provider <name>
• --probe-profile <id> (repeat or comma-separated)
• --probe-timeout <ms>
• --probe-concurrency <n>
• --probe-max-tokens <n>

Always includes the auth overview and OAuth expiry status for profiles in the auth store. --probe runs live requests (may consume tokens and trigger rate limits).

models set <model>

Set agents.defaults.model.primary.

models set-image <model>

Set agents.defaults.imageModel.primary.

models aliases list|add|remove

Options:

• list: --json, --plain
• add <alias> <model>
• remove <alias>

models fallbacks list|add|remove|clear

Options:

• list: --json, --plain
• add <model>
• remove <model>
• clear

models image-fallbacks list|add|remove|clear

Options:

• list: --json, --plain
• add <model>
• remove <model>
• clear

models scan

Options:

• --min-params <b>
• --max-age-days <days>
• --provider <name>
• --max-candidates <n>
• --timeout <ms>
• --concurrency <n>
• --no-probe
• --yes
• --no-input
• --set-default
• --set-image
• --json

models auth add|login|login-github-copilot|setup-token|paste-token

Options:

• add: interactive auth helper (provider auth flow or token paste)
• login: --provider <name>, --method <method>, --set-default
• login-github-copilot: GitHub Copilot OAuth login flow (--yes)
• setup-token: --provider <name>, --yes
• paste-token: --provider <name>, --profile-id <id>, --expires-in <duration>

Notes:

• setup-token and paste-token are generic token commands for providers that expose token auth methods.
• Anthropic legacy token profiles still run if already configured, but Anthropic no longer supports setup-token or paste-token as a new OpenClaw auth path.

models auth order get|set|clear

Options:

• get: --provider <name>, --agent <id>, --json
• set: --provider <name>, --agent <id>, <profileIds...>
• clear: --provider <name>, --agent <id>

System

system event

Enqueue a system event and optionally trigger a heartbeat (Gateway RPC).

Required:

• --text <text>

Options:

• --mode <now|next-heartbeat>
• --json
• --url, --token, --timeout, --expect-final

system heartbeat last|enable|disable

Heartbeat controls (Gateway RPC).

Options:

• --json
• --url, --token, --timeout, --expect-final

system presence

List system presence entries (Gateway RPC).

Options:

• --json
• --url, --token, --timeout, --expect-final

Cron

Manage scheduled jobs (Gateway RPC). See /automation/cron-jobs.

Subcommands:

• cron status [--json]
• cron list [--all] [--json] (table output by default; use --json for raw)
• cron add (alias: create; requires --name and exactly one of --at | --every | --cron, and exactly one payload of --system-event | --message)
• cron edit <id> (patch fields)
• cron rm <id> (aliases: remove, delete)
• cron enable <id>
• cron disable <id>
• cron runs --id <id> [--limit <n>]
• cron run <id> [--due]

All cron commands accept --url, --token, --timeout, --expect-final.

cron add|edit --model ... uses that selected allowed model for the job. If the model is not allowed, cron warns and falls back to the job’s agent/default model selection instead. Configured fallback chains still apply, but a plain model override with no explicit per-job fallback list no longer appends the agent primary as a hidden extra retry target.

Node host

node

node runs a headless node host or manages it as a background service. See openclaw node.

Subcommands:

• node run --host <gateway-host> --port 18789
• node status
• node install [--host <gateway-host>] [--port <port>] [--tls] [--tls-fingerprint <sha256>] [--node-id <id>] [--display-name <name>] [--runtime <node|bun>] [--force]
• node uninstall
• node stop
• node restart

Auth notes:

• node resolves gateway auth from env/config (no --token/--password flags): OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN / OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_PASSWORD, then gateway.auth.*. In local mode, node host intentionally ignores gateway.remote.*; in gateway.mode=remote, gateway.remote.* participates per remote precedence rules.
• Node-host auth resolution only honors OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_* env vars.

Nodes

nodes talks to the Gateway and targets paired nodes. See /nodes.

Common options:

• --url, --token, --timeout, --json

Subcommands:

• nodes status [--connected] [--last-connected <duration>]
• nodes describe --node <id|name|ip>
• nodes list [--connected] [--last-connected <duration>]
• nodes pending
• nodes approve <requestId>
• nodes reject <requestId>
• nodes rename --node <id|name|ip> --name <displayName>
• nodes invoke --node <id|name|ip> --command <command> [--params <json>] [--invoke-timeout <ms>] [--idempotency-key <key>]
• nodes notify --node <id|name|ip> [--title <text>] [--body <text>] [--sound <name>] [--priority <passive|active|timeSensitive>] [--delivery <system|overlay|auto>] [--invoke-timeout <ms>] (mac only)

Camera:

• nodes camera list --node <id|name|ip>
• nodes camera snap --node <id|name|ip> [--facing front|back|both] [--device-id <id>] [--max-width <px>] [--quality <0-1>] [--delay-ms <ms>] [--invoke-timeout <ms>]
• nodes camera clip --node <id|name|ip> [--facing front|back] [--device-id <id>] [--duration <ms|10s|1m>] [--no-audio] [--invoke-timeout <ms>]

Canvas + screen:

• nodes canvas snapshot --node <id|name|ip> [--format png|jpg|jpeg] [--max-width <px>] [--quality <0-1>] [--invoke-timeout <ms>]
• nodes canvas present --node <id|name|ip> [--target <urlOrPath>] [--x <px>] [--y <px>] [--width <px>] [--height <px>] [--invoke-timeout <ms>]
• nodes canvas hide --node <id|name|ip> [--invoke-timeout <ms>]
• nodes canvas navigate <url> --node <id|name|ip> [--invoke-timeout <ms>]
• nodes canvas eval [<js>] --node <id|name|ip> [--js <code>] [--invoke-timeout <ms>]
• nodes canvas a2ui push --node <id|name|ip> (--jsonl <path> | --text <text>) [--invoke-timeout <ms>]
• nodes canvas a2ui reset --node <id|name|ip> [--invoke-timeout <ms>]
• nodes screen record --node <id|name|ip> [--screen <index>] [--duration <ms|10s>] [--fps <n>] [--no-audio] [--out <path>] [--invoke-timeout <ms>]

Location:

• nodes location get --node <id|name|ip> [--max-age <ms>] [--accuracy <coarse|balanced|precise>] [--location-timeout <ms>] [--invoke-timeout <ms>]

Browser

Browser control CLI (dedicated Chrome/Brave/Edge/Chromium). See openclaw browser and the Browser tool.

Common options:

• --url, --token, --timeout, --expect-final, --json
• --browser-profile <name>

Manage:

• browser status
• browser start
• browser stop
• browser reset-profile
• browser tabs
• browser open <url>
• browser focus <targetId>
• browser close [targetId]
• browser profiles
• browser create-profile --name <name> [--color <hex>] [--cdp-url <url>] [--driver existing-session] [--user-data-dir <path>]
• browser delete-profile --name <name>

Inspect:

• browser screenshot [targetId] [--full-page] [--ref <ref>] [--element <selector>] [--type png|jpeg]
• browser snapshot [--format aria|ai] [--target-id <id>] [--limit <n>] [--interactive] [--compact] [--depth <n>] [--selector <sel>] [--out <path>]

Actions:

• browser navigate <url> [--target-id <id>]
• browser resize <width> <height> [--target-id <id>]
• browser click <ref> [--double] [--button <left|right|middle>] [--modifiers <csv>] [--target-id <id>]
• browser type <ref> <text> [--submit] [--slowly] [--target-id <id>]
• browser press <key> [--target-id <id>]
• browser hover <ref> [--target-id <id>]
• browser drag <startRef> <endRef> [--target-id <id>]
• browser select <ref> <values...> [--target-id <id>]
• browser upload <paths...> [--ref <ref>] [--input-ref <ref>] [--element <selector>] [--target-id <id>] [--timeout-ms <ms>]
• browser fill [--fields <json>] [--fields-file <path>] [--target-id <id>]
• browser dialog --accept|--dismiss [--prompt <text>] [--target-id <id>] [--timeout-ms <ms>]
• browser wait [--time <ms>] [--text <value>] [--text-gone <value>] [--target-id <id>]
• browser evaluate --fn <code> [--ref <ref>] [--target-id <id>]
• browser console [--level <error|warn|info>] [--target-id <id>]
• browser pdf [--target-id <id>]

Voice call

voicecall

Plugin-provided voice-call utilities. Only appears when the voice-call plugin is installed and enabled. See openclaw voicecall.

Common commands:

• voicecall call --to <phone> --message <text> [--mode notify|conversation]
• voicecall start --to <phone> [--message <text>] [--mode notify|conversation]
• voicecall continue --call-id <id> --message <text>
• voicecall speak --call-id <id> --message <text>
• voicecall end --call-id <id>
• voicecall status --call-id <id>
• voicecall tail [--file <path>] [--since <n>] [--poll <ms>]
• voicecall latency [--file <path>] [--last <n>]
• voicecall expose [--mode off|serve|funnel] [--path <path>] [--port <port>] [--serve-path <path>]

Docs search

docs

Search the live OpenClaw docs index.

docs [query...]

Search the live docs index.

TUI

tui

Open the terminal UI connected to the Gateway.

Options:

• --url <url>
• --token <token>
• --password <password>
• --session <key>
• --deliver
• --thinking <level>
• --message <text>
• --timeout-ms <ms> (defaults to agents.defaults.timeoutSeconds)
• --history-limit <n>