How do I start the OpenClaw gateway?

Run `openclaw gateway` to start in the foreground, or `openclaw gateway install` to set it up as a system daemon that auto-starts on boot.

How do I check which channels are connected?

Run `openclaw gateway status` — it shows all channels and their current connection status in one view.

How do I add a new user to my OpenClaw agent?

Run `openclaw channels pair` to review and approve pending pairing requests from new contacts.

How do I view OpenClaw logs?

Run `openclaw logs` for all logs, `openclaw logs --tail 50` for the last 50 lines, or `openclaw logs --filter error` to see only errors.

How do I test an automation without waiting for the scheduled time?

Run `openclaw cron run [id]` — this triggers the job immediately and sends the result to your configured channel.

CLI Cheatsheet – HowOpenClaw

Copy-paste reference. For full options, run openclaw [command] --help.

Gateway

Use these when starting, stopping, or diagnosing the Gateway. gateway status is the first thing to run when something feels off.

openclaw gateway               # Start the Gateway (foreground)
openclaw gateway status        # Check if running + channel status
openclaw gateway restart       # Reload config without full stop
openclaw gateway stop          # Stop the Gateway
openclaw gateway install       # Install Gateway as a system daemon (auto-starts on boot)
openclaw logs                  # View logs
openclaw logs --tail 50        # Last 50 lines
openclaw logs --filter error   # Only error lines
openclaw logs --filter [text]  # Filter by any keyword (e.g. --filter telegram)

Example output for openclaw gateway status:

Gateway: running (pid 12847, uptime 3d 14h)
Channels:
  ✓ telegram     connected
  ✓ webchat      ready
  ✗ slack        disconnected (token expired)
Automations: 3 active, next run in 6h 22m

Example output for openclaw logs --tail 20:

[2025-03-12 07:00:01] [cron] Running automation: morning-briefing
[2025-03-12 07:00:02] [agent] Fetching weather for San Francisco
[2025-03-12 07:00:04] [skill] gmail: reading last 5 emails
[2025-03-12 07:00:07] [agent] Sending summary to telegram
[2025-03-12 07:00:07] [channel] telegram: message sent

openclaw update now checks the target release's Node.js engine requirements before installing. If your Node runtime is too old for the target version, the update fails with a clear upgrade message instead of installing an unsupported release.

Channels

Use when adding a new messaging platform or approving a new user. channels pair is how you let someone new message your agent.

openclaw channels list                        # List configured channels
openclaw channels pair                        # Approve pending pairing requests
openclaw channels login --channel whatsapp    # WhatsApp QR code pairing
openclaw channels setup imessage              # iMessage permission setup
openclaw gateway status                       # Shows channel connection status

Automations (Cron)

Use when building or managing scheduled tasks. cron status shows you what's running and when the next trigger fires.

openclaw cron list                     # List all cron automations
openclaw cron status                   # Status and next run times
openclaw cron run [id]                 # Run an automation immediately (for testing)
openclaw cron add                      # Add a new cron automation
openclaw cron edit [id]                # Edit an existing automation

Skills & Tools

Use when adding new capabilities. Skills connect to external services (Gmail, GitHub); tools are built-in capabilities (web_search, exec).

openclaw skills list                   # List installed skills
openclaw skills info [skill-name]      # Show skill details, requirements, and API key setup guidance
openclaw skills install [package]      # Install a skill from npm
openclaw skills auth [skill-name]      # Authenticate a skill (OAuth)
openclaw tools list                    # List tools the current agent can use right now (compact view)
openclaw tools list --detailed         # Show full tool details including parameters

openclaw skills info shows whether a skill's dependencies are met, where to get required API keys, the CLI command to save them, and the storage path. Skills that are missing requirements are labeled "needs setup" (not "missing").

openclaw tools list shows a compact view of tools available to the current agent by default. Use --detailed for full parameter information.

Models & Plugins

openclaw models                        # List available AI models
openclaw plugins                       # List installed plugins

WebChat

openclaw dashboard                    # Open WebChat in browser (http://localhost:18789)

Messaging

Use agent --message to test your agent from the terminal without opening any channel. Useful for quick verification after config changes.

openclaw agent --message "prompt"                    # Chat with the agent directly from CLI
openclaw agent --message "prompt" --thinking high    # Higher-effort reasoning
openclaw message send --to +1234567890 --message "text"  # Send a message to a number (WhatsApp/Signal)
openclaw pairing approve <channel> <code>            # Approve a pairing request by channel + code

Devices & Secrets

openclaw devices                       # Manage device pairing (mobile app, etc.)
openclaw secrets                       # Manage stored credentials and API keys

Running Inside Containers

If OpenClaw is running in a Docker or Podman container, use --container (or set the OPENCLAW_CONTAINER environment variable) to route CLI commands into the running container:

openclaw --container gateway status          # Check gateway status inside the container
openclaw --container logs --tail 50          # View logs from the containerized instance
openclaw --container config validate         # Validate config inside the container

Or set the environment variable so all commands route automatically:

export OPENCLAW_CONTAINER=1
openclaw gateway status                      # Runs inside the container

This works with both Docker and Podman. The CLI detects the running OpenClaw container automatically.

Useful flags

--config [path]    # Use a different config file
--container        # Run command inside a running Docker/Podman container
--verbose          # More detailed output
--json             # Output as JSON (for scripting)
--dev              # Run in development mode
--profile <name>   # Use a named configuration profile
--no-color         # Disable colored output
--update           # Check for updates before running
-V / --version     # Print version
--help             # Show all options for any command

Config file locations

~/.openclaw/openclaw.json    ← Main config
~/.openclaw/SOUL.md          ← Agent personality
~/.openclaw/USER.md          ← User context
~/.openclaw/workspace/       ← Files the agent reads/writes
~/.openclaw/tokens/          ← OAuth tokens (don't edit)
~/.openclaw/sessions/        ← Channel sessions (don't edit)

CLI Cheatsheet