CLI Overview

OpenClaw command-line interface overview and installation

OpenClaw CLI

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

Installation

Global Install (npm)

npm install -g openclaw@latest

Source Checkout (git)

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

Usage

openclaw [command] [options]

Global Options

--help · boolean

Display help for any command

--version · boolean

Display the current version

--no-color · boolean

Disable ANSI colors in output

--profile <name> · string

Use a custom profile for configuration

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

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

Getting Help

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

openclaw --help
openclaw gateway --help
openclaw agent --help

Examples

Start Gateway

# Run gateway in foreground
openclaw gateway run

# Run with custom port
openclaw gateway run --port 18790

# Check gateway and channel status
openclaw status

# Deep probe with channel checks
openclaw status --deep

# Send a message to an agent
openclaw agent --message "Hello" --to [phone]

# Send with different thinking level
openclaw agent --message "Complex task" --thinking high

The CLI requires Node.js 22 or higher. Use node --version to check your version.

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

Environment Variables

OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN · string

Override gateway authentication token

OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_PASSWORD · string

Override gateway authentication password

NO_COLOR · string

Disable ANSI colors (set to any value)

OPENCLAW_PROFILE · string

Use a custom profile for configuration

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