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OpenClaw CLI

The OpenClaw CLI is your primary interface for managing the gateway, agents, channels, and configuration.

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Installation

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Global Install (npm)

npm install -g openclaw@latest

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Source Checkout (git)

git clone https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw
cd openclaw
pnpm install
pnpm build

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Usage

openclaw [command] [options]

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Global Options

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--help
boolean
Display help for any command
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--version
boolean
Display the current version
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--no-color
boolean
Disable ANSI colors in output
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--profile <name>
string
Use a custom profile for configuration

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Core Commands

  • gateway - Run and manage the WebSocket Gateway
  • agent - Run one agent turn via the Gateway
  • channels - Manage connected chat channels
  • config - Get, set, or list configuration values
  • onboard - Interactive onboarding wizard

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Management Commands

  • daemon - Manage the Gateway service (launchd/systemd/schtasks)
  • logs - Tail gateway file logs via RPC
  • update - Update OpenClaw and inspect update channel status
  • doctor - Health checks and quick fixes

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Getting Help

Use --help with any command to see detailed usage information: 
openclaw --help
openclaw gateway --help
openclaw agent --help

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Examples

# Run gateway in foreground
openclaw gateway run

# Run with custom port
openclaw gateway run --port 18790
The CLI requires Node.js 22 or higher. Use node --version to check your version.

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Configuration

The CLI reads configuration from ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json by default. Use openclaw config to manage settings: 
# View a configuration value
openclaw config get gateway.port

# Set a configuration value
openclaw config set gateway.port 18790

# Launch interactive config wizard
openclaw configure

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Environment Variables

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OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN
string
Override gateway authentication token
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OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_PASSWORD
string
Override gateway authentication password
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NO_COLOR
string
Disable ANSI colors (set to any value)
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OPENCLAW_PROFILE
string
Use a custom profile for configuration

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Next Steps

  1. Run the onboarding wizard: openclaw onboard
  2. Start the gateway: openclaw gateway run
  3. Connect channels: openclaw channels add
  4. Check health: openclaw doctor