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

Setup & Config

onboard is for first-time setup. configure re-runs configuration on an existing install (e.g. to change your API key or provider).

openclaw onboard                    # First-time setup wizard (new installations)
openclaw onboard --install-daemon   # Wizard + install as system daemon
openclaw configure                  # Re-run configuration on an existing install
openclaw config get [key]           # Get a config value
openclaw config set [key] [value]   # Set a config value
openclaw config unset [key]         # Remove a config value
openclaw config validate            # Check config for errors
openclaw config audit               # List all enabled tools, skills, channels
openclaw config reset               # Reset openclaw.json to defaults
openclaw doctor                     # Diagnose issues (risky DM policies, missing deps)
openclaw update                     # Update to latest stable release
openclaw update --channel beta      # Switch to beta channel
openclaw update --channel stable    # Switch back to stable
openclaw uninstall                  # Uninstall OpenClaw

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 install [package]      # Install a skill from npm
openclaw skills auth [skill-name]      # Authenticate a skill (OAuth)
openclaw tools list                    # List enabled tools

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

Useful flags

--config [path]    # Use a different config file
--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

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