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Development channels

OpenClaw ships three update channels:
  • stable: npm dist-tag latest. Recommended for most users.
  • beta: npm dist-tag beta when it is current; if beta is missing or older than the latest stable release, the update flow falls back to latest.
  • dev: moving head of main (git). npm dist-tag: dev (when published). The main branch is for experimentation and active development. It may contain incomplete features or breaking changes. Do not use it for production gateways.
We usually ship stable builds to beta first, test them there, then run an explicit promotion step that moves the vetted build to latest without changing the version number. Maintainers can also publish a stable release directly to latest when needed. Dist-tags are the source of truth for npm installs.

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Switching channels

openclaw update --channel stable
openclaw update --channel beta
openclaw update --channel dev
--channel persists your choice in config (update.channel) and aligns the install method:
  • stable (package installs): updates via npm dist-tag latest.
  • beta (package installs): prefers npm dist-tag beta, but falls back to latest when beta is missing or older than the current stable tag.
  • stable (git installs): checks out the latest stable git tag.
  • beta (git installs): prefers the latest beta git tag, but falls back to the latest stable git tag when beta is missing or older.
  • dev: ensures a git checkout (default ~/openclaw, override with OPENCLAW_GIT_DIR), switches to main, rebases on upstream, builds, and installs the global CLI from that checkout.
Tip: if you want stable + dev in parallel, keep two clones and point your gateway at the stable one.

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One-off version or tag targeting

Use --tag to target a specific dist-tag, version, or package spec for a single update without changing your persisted channel: 
# Install a specific version
openclaw update --tag 2026.4.1-beta.1

# Install from the beta dist-tag (one-off, does not persist)
openclaw update --tag beta

# Install from GitHub main branch (npm tarball)
openclaw update --tag main

# Install a specific npm package spec
openclaw update --tag openclaw@2026.4.1-beta.1
Notes:
  • --tag applies to package (npm) installs only. Git installs ignore it.
  • The tag is not persisted. Your next openclaw update uses your configured channel as usual.
  • Downgrade protection: if the target version is older than your current version, OpenClaw prompts for confirmation (skip with --yes).
  • --channel beta is different from --tag beta: the channel flow can fall back to stable/latest when beta is missing or older, while --tag beta targets the raw beta dist-tag for that one run.

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Dry run

Preview what openclaw update would do without making changes: 
openclaw update --dry-run
openclaw update --channel beta --dry-run
openclaw update --tag 2026.4.1-beta.1 --dry-run
openclaw update --dry-run --json
The dry run shows the effective channel, target version, planned actions, and whether a downgrade confirmation would be required.

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Plugins and channels

When you switch channels with openclaw update, OpenClaw also syncs plugin sources:
  • dev prefers bundled plugins from the git checkout.
  • stable and beta restore npm-installed plugin packages.
  • npm-installed plugins are updated after the core update completes.

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Checking current status

openclaw update status
Shows the active channel, install kind (git or package), current version, and source (config, git tag, git branch, or default).

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Tagging best practices

  • Tag releases you want git checkouts to land on (vYYYY.M.D for stable, vYYYY.M.D-beta.N for beta).
  • vYYYY.M.D.beta.N is also recognized for compatibility, but prefer -beta.N.
  • Legacy vYYYY.M.D-<patch> tags are still recognized as stable (non-beta).
  • Keep tags immutable: never move or reuse a tag.
  • npm dist-tags remain the source of truth for npm installs:
    • latest -> stable
    • beta -> candidate build or beta-first stable build
    • dev -> main snapshot (optional)

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macOS app availability

Beta and dev builds may not include a macOS app release. That is OK:
  • The git tag and npm dist-tag can still be published.
  • Call out “no macOS build for this beta” in release notes or changelog.