CLI Reference
Complete reference for the openclaw command-line interface.
Global Flags​
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
--version | Print version |
--help | Show help |
--config <path> | Use custom config file |
--verbose | Enable verbose output |
--quiet | Suppress non-essential output |
--json | Output in JSON format |
Commands​
openclaw onboard​
Interactive setup wizard.
openclaw onboard [--install-daemon] [--skip-channels]
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
--install-daemon | Install gateway as a system service |
--skip-channels | Skip messaging channel setup |
--provider <name> | Pre-select LLM provider |
openclaw gateway​
Manage the gateway process.
openclaw gateway [start|stop|restart|status] [flags]
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
--daemon | Run as background daemon |
--port <number> | Override gateway port (default: 18789) |
--host <addr> | Override bind address (default: 127.0.0.1) |
openclaw chat​
Send messages to the agent.
openclaw chat [message] [flags]
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
--format <type> | Output format: markdown, plain, json |
--model <name> | Override model for this message |
--no-memory | Don't load or save memory |
--context <file> | Load additional context from file |
Without a message argument, starts an interactive chat session.
openclaw channel​
Manage messaging channels.
openclaw channel <add|remove|list|status|reconnect> [channel-name]
openclaw skill​
Manage installed skills.
openclaw skill <install|remove|list|test|config> [skill-name|path]
| Subcommand | Description |
|---|---|
install <path> | Install a skill from file |
remove <name> | Remove an installed skill |
list | List all installed skills |
test <path> <msg> | Test a skill without installing |
config <name> | View/set skill configuration |
openclaw clawhub​
Interact with the ClawHub marketplace.
openclaw clawhub <search|install|publish|browse|info|view|login|outdated|update|report|security-report|validate> [args]
openclaw heartbeat​
Manage the heartbeat system.
openclaw heartbeat [--now] [--dry-run]
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
--now | Trigger an immediate heartbeat |
--dry-run | Show what would happen without executing |
openclaw logs​
View gateway logs.
openclaw logs [--filter <component>] [--follow] [--lines <n>]
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
--filter | Filter by component: heartbeat, channel, brain, hands |
--follow | Stream logs in real-time |
--lines <n> | Show last N lines (default: 50) |
openclaw status​
Show gateway and system status.
openclaw status [--json]
openclaw stats​
Show usage statistics.
openclaw stats [heartbeat|tokens|channels] [--period <days>]
openclaw security​
Security tools.
openclaw security <check|scan> [--all]
| Subcommand | Description |
|---|---|
check | Audit current security configuration |
scan <path> | Scan a skill file for security issues |
scan --all | Scan all installed skills |
openclaw config​
View and modify configuration.
openclaw config <get|set|list> [key] [value]
Exit Codes​
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
0 | Success |
1 | General error |
2 | Configuration error |
3 | Gateway not running |
4 | Authentication failure |
5 | Network error |
See Also​
- Configuration Reference — Config file format
- Environment Variables — Env var overrides