OpenClaw Operations Runbook
Diagnose and fix real problems. Every command here is tested and works.
Quick Health Check
Run this first when anything seems wrong. Copy-paste the whole block:
bash
echo "=== GATEWAY ===" && \ps aux | grep -c "[o]penclaw" && \echo "=== CONFIG JSON ===" && \python3 -m json.tool ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json > /dev/null 2>&1 && echo "JSON: OK" || echo "JSON: BROKEN" && \echo "=== CHANNELS ===" && \cat ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json | jq -r '.channels | to_entries[] | "\(.key): policy=\(.value.dmPolicy // "n/a") enabled=\(.value.enabled // "implicit")"' && \echo "=== PLUGINS ===" && \cat ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json | jq -r '.plugins.entries | to_entries[] | "\(.key): \(.value.enabled)"' && \echo "=== CREDS ===" && \ls ~/.openclaw/credentials/whatsapp/default/ 2>/dev/null | wc -l | xargs -I{} echo "WhatsApp keys: {} files" && \for d in ~/.openclaw/credentials/telegram/*/; do bot=$(basename "$d"); [ -f "$d/token.txt" ] && echo "Telegram $bot: OK" || echo "Telegram $bot: MISSING"; done && \[ -f ~/.openclaw/credentials/bird/cookies.json ] && echo "Bird cookies: OK" || echo "Bird cookies: MISSING" && \echo "=== CRON ===" && \cat ~/.openclaw/cron/jobs.json | jq -r '.jobs[] | "\(.name): enabled=\(.enabled) status=\(.state.lastStatus // "never") \(.state.lastError // "")"' && \echo "=== RECENT ERRORS ===" && \tail -10 ~/.openclaw/logs/gateway.err.log 2>/dev/null && \echo "=== MEMORY DB ===" && \sqlite3 ~/.openclaw/memory/main.sqlite "SELECT COUNT(*) || ' chunks, ' || (SELECT COUNT(*) FROM files) || ' files indexed' FROM chunks;" 2>/dev/nullFile Map
~/.openclaw/├── openclaw.json # MAIN CONFIG — channels, auth, gateway, plugins, skills├── openclaw.json.bak* # Auto-backups (.bak, .bak.1, .bak.2 ...)├── exec-approvals.json # Exec approval socket config│├── agents/main/│ ├── agent/auth-profiles.json # Anthropic auth tokens│ └── sessions/│ ├── sessions.json # SESSION INDEX — keys are like agent:main:whatsapp:+1234│ └── *.jsonl # Session transcripts (one JSON per line)│├── workspace/ # Agent workspace (git-tracked)│ ├── SOUL.md # Personality, writing style, tone rules│ ├── IDENTITY.md # Name, creature type, vibe│ ├── USER.md # Owner context and preferences│ ├── AGENTS.md # Session behavior, memory rules, safety│ ├── BOOT.md # Boot instructions (autopilot notification protocol)│ ├── HEARTBEAT.md # Periodic task checklist (empty = skip heartbeat)│ ├── MEMORY.md # Curated long-term memory (main session only)│ ├── TOOLS.md # Contacts, SSH hosts, device nicknames│ ├── memory/ # Daily logs: YYYY-MM-DD.md, topic-chat.md│ └── skills/ # Workspace-level skills│├── memory/main.sqlite # Vector memory DB (Gemini embeddings, FTS5 search)│├── logs/│ ├── gateway.log # Runtime: startup, channel init, config reload, shutdown│ ├── gateway.err.log # Errors: connection drops, API failures, timeouts│ └── commands.log # Command execution log│├── cron/│ ├── jobs.json # Job definitions (schedule, payload, delivery target)│ └── runs/ # Per-job run logs: {job-uuid}.jsonl│├── credentials/│ ├── whatsapp/default/ # Baileys session: ~1400 app-state-sync-key-*.json files│ ├── telegram/{botname}/token.txt # Bot tokens (one per bot account)│ └── bird/cookies.json # X/Twitter auth cookies│├── extensions/{name}/ # Custom plugins (TypeScript)│ ├── openclaw.plugin.json # {"id", "channels", "configSchema"}│ ├── index.ts # Entry point│ └── src/ # channel.ts, actions.ts, runtime.ts, types.ts│├── identity/ # device.json, device-auth.json├── devices/ # paired.json, pending.json├── media/inbound/ # Received images, audio files├── media/browser/ # Browser screenshots├── browser/openclaw/user-data/ # Chromium profile (~180MB)├── tools/signal-cli/ # Signal CLI binary├── subagents/runs.json # Sub-agent execution log├── canvas/index.html # Web canvas UI└── telegram/ ├── update-offset-coder.json # {"lastUpdateId": N} — Telegram polling cursor └── update-offset-sales.json # Reset these to 0 to replay missed messagesTroubleshooting: WhatsApp
"I sent a message but got no reply"
This is the #1 issue. The message arrives but the bot doesn't respond. Check in this order:
bash
# 1. Is the bot actually running?grep -i "whatsapp.*starting\|whatsapp.*listening" ~/.openclaw/logs/gateway.log | tail -5
# 2. Check for 408 timeout drops (WhatsApp web disconnects frequently)grep -i "408\|499\|retry" ~/.openclaw/logs/gateway.err.log | tail -10# If you see "Web connection closed (status 408). Retry 1/12" — this is normal,# it auto-recovers. But if retries reach 12/12, the session dropped completely.
# 3. Check for cross-context messaging blocksgrep -i "cross-context.*denied" ~/.openclaw/logs/gateway.err.log | tail -10# Common: "Cross-context messaging denied: action=send target provider "whatsapp" while bound to "signal""# This means the agent was in a Signal session and tried to reply on WhatsApp.# FIX: The message needs to come through in the WhatsApp session context, not Signal.
# 4. Check the session exists for that contactcat ~/.openclaw/agents/main/sessions/sessions.json | jq -r 'to_entries[] | select(.key | test("whatsapp")) | "\(.key) | \(.value.origin.label // "?")"'
# 5. Check if the sender is allowedcat ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json | jq '.channels.whatsapp | {dmPolicy, allowFrom, selfChatMode, groupPolicy}'# If dmPolicy is "allowlist" and the sender isn't in allowFrom, message is silently dropped.
# 6. Check if it's a group message (groups are disabled by default)cat ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json | jq '.channels.whatsapp.groupPolicy'# "disabled" means ALL group messages are ignored.
# 7. Check for lane congestion (agent busy with another task)grep "lane wait exceeded" ~/.openclaw/logs/gateway.err.log | tail -5# If the agent is stuck on a long LLM call, new messages queue up.
# 8. Check for agent run timeoutgrep "embedded run timeout" ~/.openclaw/logs/gateway.err.log | tail -5# Hard limit is 600s (10 min). If the agent's response takes longer, it's killed."WhatsApp fully disconnected"
bash
# Check credential files exist (should be ~1400 files)ls ~/.openclaw/credentials/whatsapp/default/ | wc -l
# If 0 files: session was never created or got wiped# Fix: re-pair with `openclaw configure`
# Check for QR/pairing eventsgrep -i "pair\|link\|qr\|scan\|logged out" ~/.openclaw/logs/gateway.log | tail -10
# Check for Baileys errorsgrep -i "baileys\|DisconnectReason\|logout\|stream:error" ~/.openclaw/logs/gateway.err.log | tail -20
# Nuclear fix: delete credentials and re-pair# rm -rf ~/.openclaw/credentials/whatsapp/default/# openclaw configureTroubleshooting: Telegram
"Bots have issues / forget things"
Two separate problems that look the same:
bash
# 1. Check for config validation errors (THE COMMON ONE)grep -i "telegram.*unrecognized\|telegram.*invalid\|telegram.*policy" ~/.openclaw/logs/gateway.err.log | tail -10# Known issue: the keys "token" and "username" under accounts are not recognized.# The correct field is "botToken", not "token".
# 2. Check the actual configcat ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json | jq '.channels.telegram'# Verify each bot has "botToken" (not "token") and "name" fields.
# 3. Check polling status — bots die after getUpdates timeoutgrep -i "telegram.*exit\|telegram.*timeout\|getUpdates" ~/.openclaw/logs/gateway.err.log | tail -10# "[telegram] [sales] channel exited: Request to 'getUpdates' timed out after 500 seconds"# This means the bot lost connection to Telegram's API and stopped listening.# Fix: restart gateway — `openclaw gateway restart`
# 4. Check the polling offset (if bot "forgets" or replays old messages)cat ~/.openclaw/telegram/update-offset-coder.jsoncat ~/.openclaw/telegram/update-offset-sales.json# If lastUpdateId is stuck or 0, the bot will reprocess old messages.# To skip to latest: the gateway sets this automatically on restart.
# 5. Check if both bots are startinggrep -i "telegram.*starting\|telegram.*coder\|telegram.*sales" ~/.openclaw/logs/gateway.log | tail -10
# 6. "Bot forgets" — this is usually a session issue, not Telegram# Each Telegram user gets their own session in sessions.json.# Check if the session exists:cat ~/.openclaw/agents/main/sessions/sessions.json | jq -r 'to_entries[] | select(.key | test("telegram")) | "\(.key) | \(.value.origin.label // "?")"'
# 7. Check if compaction happened (context window pruned = "forgot")SESS_ID="paste-session-id"grep '"compaction"' ~/.openclaw/agents/main/sessions/$SESS_ID.jsonl | wc -l# If compaction count > 0, old messages were pruned from context.# The agent's compaction mode is:cat ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json | jq '.agents.defaults.compaction'Telegram config fix template
bash
# Correct Telegram config structure:cat ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json | jq '.channels.telegram = { "enabled": true, "accounts": { "coder": { "name": "Bot Display Name", "enabled": true, "botToken": "your-bot-token-here" }, "sales": { "name": "Sales Bot Name", "enabled": true, "botToken": "your-bot-token-here" } }, "dmPolicy": "pairing", "groupPolicy": "disabled"}' > /tmp/oc.json && mv /tmp/oc.json ~/.openclaw/openclaw.jsonTroubleshooting: Signal
"Signal RPC Failed to send message"
This blocks cron jobs and cross-channel notifications.
bash
# 1. Check if signal-cli process is aliveps aux | grep "[s]ignal-cli"
# 2. Check the RPC endpointgrep -i "signal.*starting\|signal.*8080\|signal.*rpc" ~/.openclaw/logs/gateway.log | tail -10# Should see: "[signal] [default] starting provider (http://127.0.0.1:8080)"
# 3. Check for connection instabilitygrep -i "HikariPool\|reconnecting\|SSE stream error\|terminated" ~/.openclaw/logs/gateway.err.log | tail -10# "HikariPool-1 - Thread starvation or clock leap detected" = signal-cli internal DB issue# "SSE stream error: TypeError: terminated" = lost connection to signal-cli daemon
# 4. Check for rate limitinggrep -i "signal.*rate" ~/.openclaw/logs/gateway.err.log | tail -5# "Signal RPC -5: Failed to send message due to rate limiting"
# 5. Check for wrong target formatgrep -i "unknown target" ~/.openclaw/logs/gateway.err.log | tail -5# "Unknown target "adi" for Signal. Hint: <E.164|uuid:ID|...>"# The agent must use phone numbers (+1...) or uuid: format, not names.
# 6. Fix profile name warning spamgrep -c "No profile name set" ~/.openclaw/logs/gateway.err.log# If high count: run signal-cli updateProfile to set a name
# 7. Test signal-cli directlyACCT=$(cat ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json | jq -r '.channels.signal.account')echo "Account: $ACCT"# signal-cli -a $ACCT send -m "test" +TARGET_NUMBER
# 8. Check if the signal-cli daemon needs restart# The gateway manages signal-cli as a subprocess.# Restart the whole gateway: openclaw gateway restartTroubleshooting: Cron Jobs
bash
# 1. Overview of all jobscat ~/.openclaw/cron/jobs.json | jq -r '.jobs[] | "\(.enabled | if . then "ON " else "OFF" end) \(.state.lastStatus // "never" | if . == "error" then "FAIL" elif . == "ok" then "OK " else . end) \(.name)"'
# 2. Failing jobs with error detailscat ~/.openclaw/cron/jobs.json | jq '.jobs[] | select(.state.lastStatus == "error") | {name, error: .state.lastError, lastRun: (.state.lastRunAtMs | . / 1000 | todate), id}'
# 3. Read the actual run log for a failing jobJOB_ID="paste-job-uuid-here"tail -20 ~/.openclaw/cron/runs/$JOB_ID.jsonl | python3 -c "import sys, jsonfor line in sys.stdin: try: obj = json.loads(line) if obj.get('type') == 'message': role = obj['message']['role'] text = ''.join(c.get('text','') for c in obj['message'].get('content',[]) if isinstance(c,dict)) if text.strip(): print(f'[{role}] {text[:300]}') except: pass"
# 4. Common cron failure causes:# - "Signal RPC -1" → Signal daemon down, see Signal section above# - "gateway timeout after 10000ms" → gateway was restarting when cron fired# - "Brave Search 429" → free tier rate limit hit (2000 req/month)# - "embedded run timeout" → job took longer than 600s
# 5. Next scheduled run timescat ~/.openclaw/cron/jobs.json | jq -r '.jobs[] | select(.enabled) | "\(.name): \((.state.nextRunAtMs // 0) | . / 1000 | todate)"'
# 6. Disable a broken job temporarilycat ~/.openclaw/cron/jobs.json | jq '(.jobs[] | select(.name == "JOB_NAME")).enabled = false' > /tmp/cron.json && mv /tmp/cron.json ~/.openclaw/cron/jobs.jsonTroubleshooting: Memory / "It Forgot"
The memory system has 3 layers. When the agent "forgets," one of these broke:
Layer 1: Context window (within a session)
bash
# Check compaction count for a session (compaction = old messages pruned)grep -c '"compaction"' ~/.openclaw/agents/main/sessions/SESSION_ID.jsonl# 7 compactions = the agent has "forgotten" its earliest messages 7 times.
# Check compaction modecat ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json | jq '.agents.defaults.compaction'# "safeguard" = only compacts when hitting context limitLayer 2: Workspace memory files
bash
# What daily memory files existls -la ~/.openclaw/workspace/memory/
# What's in MEMORY.md (long-term curated)cat ~/.openclaw/workspace/MEMORY.md
# Search memory files for something specificgrep -ri "KEYWORD" ~/.openclaw/workspace/memory/Layer 3: Vector memory database (SQLite + Gemini embeddings)
bash
# What files are indexedsqlite3 ~/.openclaw/memory/main.sqlite "SELECT path, size, datetime(mtime/1000, 'unixepoch') as modified FROM files;"
# How many chunks (text fragments) existsqlite3 ~/.openclaw/memory/main.sqlite "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM chunks;"
# Search chunks by text (FTS5 full-text search)sqlite3 ~/.openclaw/memory/main.sqlite "SELECT substr(text, 1, 200) FROM chunks_fts WHERE chunks_fts MATCH 'KEYWORD' LIMIT 5;"
# Check embedding configsqlite3 ~/.openclaw/memory/main.sqlite "SELECT value FROM meta WHERE key='memory_index_meta_v1';" | python3 -m json.tool
# Check for Gemini embedding rate limits (breaks indexing)grep -i "gemini.*batch.*failed\|RESOURCE_EXHAUSTED\|429" ~/.openclaw/logs/gateway.err.log | tail -10# "embeddings: gemini batch failed (2/2); disabling batch" = indexing degraded
# Rebuild memory index (re-index all workspace files)# Delete the DB and restart gateway — it will rebuild:# rm ~/.openclaw/memory/main.sqlite && openclaw gateway restartSearching Sessions
Find a person's conversations
bash
# Search session index by name (case-insensitive)cat ~/.openclaw/agents/main/sessions/sessions.json | jq -r 'to_entries[] | select(.value.origin.label // "" | test("NAME"; "i")) | "\(.value.sessionId) | \(.value.lastChannel) | \(.value.origin.label)"'Find sessions by channel
bash
cat ~/.openclaw/agents/main/sessions/sessions.json | jq -r 'to_entries[] | select(.value.lastChannel == "whatsapp") | "\(.value.sessionId) | \(.value.origin.label // .key)"'# Replace "whatsapp" with: signal, telegram, or check .key for cron sessionsMost recent sessions
bash
cat ~/.openclaw/agents/main/sessions/sessions.json | jq -r '[to_entries[] | {id: .value.sessionId, updated: .value.updatedAt, label: (.value.origin.label // .key), ch: (.value.lastChannel // "cron")}] | sort_by(.updated) | reverse | .[:10][] | "\(.updated | . / 1000 | todate) | \(.ch) | \(.label)"'Search message content across all sessions
bash
# Quick: find which session files contain a keywordgrep -l "KEYWORD" ~/.openclaw/agents/main/sessions/*.jsonl
# Detailed: show matching messages with timestampsgrep "KEYWORD" ~/.openclaw/agents/main/sessions/*.jsonl | python3 -c "import sys, jsonfor line in sys.stdin: path, data = line.split(':', 1) try: obj = json.loads(data) if obj.get('type') == 'message': role = obj['message']['role'] text = ''.join(c.get('text','') for c in obj['message'].get('content',[]) if isinstance(c,dict)) if text.strip(): sid = path.split('/')[-1].replace('.jsonl','')[:8] ts = obj.get('timestamp','')[:19] print(f'{ts} [{sid}] [{role}] {text[:200]}') except: pass" | head -30Read a specific session transcript
bash
# Last 30 messages from a sessiontail -50 ~/.openclaw/agents/main/sessions/SESSION_ID.jsonl | python3 -c "import sys, jsonfor line in sys.stdin: try: obj = json.loads(line) if obj.get('type') == 'message': role = obj['message']['role'] text = ''.join(c.get('text','') for c in obj['message'].get('content',[]) if isinstance(c,dict)) if text.strip() and role != 'toolResult': print(f'[{role}] {text[:300]}') print() except: pass"Config Editing
Safe edit pattern
Always: backup, edit with jq, restart.
bash
cp ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json.bak.manualjq 'YOUR_EDIT_HERE' ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json > /tmp/oc.json && mv /tmp/oc.json ~/.openclaw/openclaw.jsonopenclaw gateway restartCommon edits
bash
# Switch WhatsApp to allowlistjq '.channels.whatsapp.dmPolicy = "allowlist" | .channels.whatsapp.allowFrom = ["+1XXXXXXXXXX"]' ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json > /tmp/oc.json && mv /tmp/oc.json ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
# Enable WhatsApp autopilot (bot responds as you to everyone)jq '.channels.whatsapp += {dmPolicy: "open", selfChatMode: false, allowFrom: ["*"]}' ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json > /tmp/oc.json && mv /tmp/oc.json ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
# Add number to Signal allowlistjq '.channels.signal.allowFrom += ["+1XXXXXXXXXX"]' ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json > /tmp/oc.json && mv /tmp/oc.json ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
# Change modeljq '.agents.defaults.models = {"anthropic/claude-sonnet-4": {"alias": "sonnet"}}' ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json > /tmp/oc.json && mv /tmp/oc.json ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
# Set concurrencyjq '.agents.defaults.maxConcurrent = 10 | .agents.defaults.subagents.maxConcurrent = 10' ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json > /tmp/oc.json && mv /tmp/oc.json ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
# Disable a pluginjq '.plugins.entries.imessage.enabled = false' ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json > /tmp/oc.json && mv /tmp/oc.json ~/.openclaw/openclaw.jsonRestore from backup
bash
# Latest backupcp ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json.bak ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
# List all backups by datels -lt ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json.bak*
# Validate JSON before restartpython3 -m json.tool ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json > /dev/null && echo "OK" || echo "BROKEN"
# Nuclear resetopenclaw configureChannel Security Modes
| Mode | Behavior | Risk |
|---|---|---|
open + allowFrom: ["*"] | Anyone can message, bot responds to all | HIGH — burns API credits, bot speaks as you |
allowlist + allowFrom: ["+1..."] | Only listed numbers get through | LOW — explicit control |
pairing | Unknown senders get a code, you approve | LOW — approval gate |
disabled | Channel completely off | NONE |
Check current security posture
bash
cat ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json | jq '{ whatsapp: {policy: .channels.whatsapp.dmPolicy, from: .channels.whatsapp.allowFrom, groups: .channels.whatsapp.groupPolicy, selfChat: .channels.whatsapp.selfChatMode}, signal: {policy: .channels.signal.dmPolicy, from: .channels.signal.allowFrom, groups: .channels.signal.groupPolicy}, telegram: {policy: .channels.telegram.dmPolicy, groups: .channels.telegram.groupPolicy, bots: [.channels.telegram.accounts | to_entries[] | "\(.key)=\(.value.enabled)"]}, imessage: {enabled: .channels.imessage.enabled, policy: .channels.imessage.dmPolicy}}'Workspace Files
| File | What | When to edit |
|---|---|---|
SOUL.md | Personality: tone, style ("no em dashes, lowercase casual") | To change how the bot talks |
IDENTITY.md | Name (Jarvis), creature type, emoji | To rebrand |
USER.md | Owner info, preferences | When user context changes |
AGENTS.md | Operating rules: memory protocol, safety, group chat behavior, heartbeat instructions | To change bot behavior |
BOOT.md | Startup instructions (autopilot notification protocol: WA → Signal) | To change what happens on boot |
HEARTBEAT.md | Periodic checklist (empty = no heartbeat API calls) | To add/remove periodic tasks |
MEMORY.md | Curated long-term memory (loaded only in main/direct sessions) | Bot manages this itself |
TOOLS.md | Contacts, SSH hosts, device nicknames | To add local tool notes |
memory/*.md | Daily raw logs, topic-specific chat logs | Bot writes automatically |
Session JSONL Format
Each .jsonl file has one JSON object per line. Types:
| type | What |
|---|---|
session | Session header: id, timestamp, cwd |
message | Conversation turn: role (user/assistant/toolResult), content, model, usage |
custom | Metadata: model-snapshot, openclaw.cache-ttl |
compaction | Context window was pruned (old messages dropped) |
model_change | Model was switched mid-session |
thinking_level_change | Thinking level adjusted |
Session index (sessions.json) keys:
- Pattern:
agent:main:{channel}:{contact}oragent:main:cron:{job-uuid} - Fields:
sessionId(UUID = filename),lastChannel,origin.label(human name),origin.from(canonical address),updatedAt(epoch ms),chatType(direct/group)
Gateway Startup Sequence
Normal startup takes ~3 seconds:
[heartbeat] started[gateway] listening on ws://127.0.0.1:18789[browser/service] Browser control service ready[hooks] loaded 3 internal hook handlers (boot-md, command-logger, session-memory)[whatsapp] [default] starting provider[signal] [default] starting provider (http://127.0.0.1:8080)[telegram] [coder] starting provider[telegram] [sales] starting provider[whatsapp] Listening for personal WhatsApp inbound messages.[signal] signal-cli: Started HTTP server on /127.0.0.1:8080If any line is missing, that component failed to start. Check gateway.err.log.
Known Error Patterns
| Error | Meaning | Fix |
|---|---|---|
Web connection closed (status 408) | WhatsApp web timeout, auto-retries up to 12x | Usually self-heals. If reaches 12/12, restart gateway |
Signal RPC -1: Failed to send message | signal-cli daemon lost connection | Restart gateway |
Signal RPC -5: Failed to send message due to rate limiting | Signal rate limit | Wait and retry, reduce message frequency |
No profile name set (signal-cli WARN) | Floods logs, harmless | signal-cli -a +ACCOUNT updateProfile --given-name "Name" |
Cross-context messaging denied | Agent tried to send across channels | Not a bug — security guardrail. Message must originate from correct channel session |
getUpdates timed out after 500 seconds | Telegram bot lost polling connection | Restart gateway |
Unrecognized keys: "token", "username" | Wrong config keys for Telegram bots | Use botToken not token in openclaw.json |
RESOURCE_EXHAUSTED (Gemini 429) | Embedding rate limit | Reduce workspace file churn, or upgrade Gemini quota |
lane wait exceeded | Agent blocked on long LLM call | Wait, or restart if stuck > 2 min |
embedded run timeout: timeoutMs=600000 | Agent response exceeded 10 min | Break task into smaller pieces |
gateway timeout after 10000ms | Gateway unreachable during restart window | Cron fired while gateway was down — transient |
Extending OpenClaw
OpenClaw has 4 extension layers. Each solves a different problem:
| Layer | What | Where | How to add |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skills | Knowledge + workflows the agent loads on demand | /opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/openclaw/skills/ or ~/.openclaw/workspace/skills/ | clawdhub install <slug> or npx add-skill <repo> |
| Extensions | Custom channel plugins (TypeScript) | ~/.openclaw/extensions/{name}/ | Create openclaw.plugin.json + TypeScript source |
| Channels | Messaging platforms (built-in) | openclaw.json → channels.* + plugins.entries.* | Configure in openclaw.json, add credentials |
| Cron jobs | Scheduled autonomous tasks | ~/.openclaw/cron/jobs.json | Agent creates them via tool, or edit jobs.json directly |
Skills: ClawdHub Ecosystem
Skills are the primary way to extend what the agent knows and can do. They're markdown files with optional scripts/assets that get loaded into context when relevant.
bash
# Search for skills (vector search across the registry)clawdhub search "postgres optimization"clawdhub search "image generation"
# Browse latest skillsclawdhub explore
# Install a skillclawdhub install supabase-postgres-best-practicesclawdhub install nano-banana-pro
# Install a specific versionclawdhub install my-skill --version 1.2.3
# List what's installedclawdhub list
# Update all installed skillsclawdhub update --all
# Update a specific skillclawdhub update my-skillclawdhub update my-skill --force # overwrite local changesCurrently installed skills (bundled with OpenClaw):
| Category | Skills |
|---|---|
| Messaging | discord, slack, imsg, wacli, voice-call |
| Social/Web | bird (X/Twitter), blogwatcher, github, trello, notion |
| gog, google-workspace-mcp, goplaces, local-places | |
| Media | nano-banana-pro (Gemini image gen), openai-image-gen, video-frames, gifgrep, pixelation, sag (TTS), openai-whisper, sherpa-onnx-tts, songsee, camsnap |
| Coding agents | coding-agent (Codex/Claude Code/Pi), ccbg (background runner), tmux |
| Productivity | apple-notes, apple-reminders, bear-notes, things-mac, obsidian, himalaya (email) |
| Smart home | openhue (Philips Hue), eightctl (Eight Sleep), sonoscli, blucli (BluOS) |
| Dev tools | github, worktree, starter, desktop, supabase-postgres-best-practices, superdesign |
| Content | remotion-best-practices, remotion-fastest-tech-stack, humanizer, summarize, market, buildinpublic |
| Meta | skill-creator, clawdhub, find-skills, add-skill, model-usage, session-logs, recentplans, canvas |
Creating Your Own Skill
A skill is just a folder with a SKILL.md:
my-skill/├── SKILL.md # Required: YAML frontmatter + markdown instructions├── scripts/ # Optional: executable scripts├── references/ # Optional: docs loaded on demand└── assets/ # Optional: templates, imagesSKILL.md format:
markdown
---name: my-skilldescription: What this does and WHEN to trigger it. The description is the primary trigger — the agent reads this to decide whether to load the full skill.---
# My Skill
Instructions go here. Only loaded AFTER the skill triggers.Keep under 500 lines. Split large content into references/ files.Key principle: the context window is a shared resource. Only include what the agent doesn't already know. Prefer concise examples over verbose explanations.
bash
# Publish to ClawdHubclawdhub loginclawdhub publish ./my-skill --slug my-skill --name "My Skill" --version 1.0.0
# Or publish to GitHub for npx add-skill# (see add-skill skill for details)Multi-Agent Orchestration
OpenClaw can spawn other AI agents (Codex, Claude Code, Pi) as background workers. This is how you run parallel coding tasks, reviews, or any work that benefits from multiple agents.
The pattern: bash pty:true background:true workdir:/path command:"agent 'task'"
bash
# Spawn Codex to build something (background, auto-approve)bash pty:true workdir:~/project background:true command:"codex exec --full-auto 'Build a REST API for todos'"# Returns sessionId for tracking
# Spawn Claude Code on a different taskbash pty:true workdir:~/other-project background:true command:"claude 'Refactor the auth module'"
# Monitor all running agentsprocess action:list
# Check output of a specific agentprocess action:log sessionId:XXX
# Send input if agent asks a questionprocess action:submit sessionId:XXX data:"yes"
# Kill a stuck agentprocess action:kill sessionId:XXXParallel PR reviews:
bash
# Fetch all PR refsgit fetch origin '+refs/pull/*/head:refs/remotes/origin/pr/*'
# Launch one agent per PRbash pty:true workdir:~/project background:true command:"codex exec 'Review PR #86. git diff origin/main...origin/pr/86'"bash pty:true workdir:~/project background:true command:"codex exec 'Review PR #87. git diff origin/main...origin/pr/87'"Parallel issue fixing with git worktrees:
bash
git worktree add -b fix/issue-78 /tmp/issue-78 maingit worktree add -b fix/issue-99 /tmp/issue-99 main
bash pty:true workdir:/tmp/issue-78 background:true command:"codex --yolo 'Fix issue #78: description. Commit and push.'"bash pty:true workdir:/tmp/issue-99 background:true command:"codex --yolo 'Fix issue #99: description. Commit and push.'"Auto-notify when agent finishes:
bash
bash pty:true workdir:~/project background:true command:"codex --yolo exec 'Your task.
When completely finished, run: openclaw gateway wake --text \"Done: summary\" --mode now'"Adding a New Channel
Channels are messaging platforms the agent can communicate through. Built-in: WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, iMessage, Discord, Slack.
Enable a built-in channel:
bash
# 1. Enable the pluginjq '.plugins.entries.discord.enabled = true' ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json > /tmp/oc.json && mv /tmp/oc.json ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
# 2. Add channel configjq '.channels.discord = {enabled: true, dmPolicy: "pairing", groupPolicy: "disabled"}' ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json > /tmp/oc.json && mv /tmp/oc.json ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
# 3. Add credentials (channel-specific)# 4. Restart gatewayopenclaw gateway restartBuild a custom channel extension:
~/.openclaw/extensions/{name}/├── openclaw.plugin.json # {"id": "name", "channels": ["name"], "configSchema": {...}}├── package.json # Standard npm package├── index.ts # Entry point└── src/ ├── channel.ts # Inbound message handling + outbound send ├── actions.ts # Tool actions the agent can invoke ├── runtime.ts # Lifecycle: start, stop, health check ├── config-schema.ts # JSON schema for plugin config └── types.ts # TypeScript typesbash
# List installed extensionsls ~/.openclaw/extensions/
# View extension manifestscat ~/.openclaw/extensions/*/openclaw.plugin.json | jq .
# Check extension source filesfind ~/.openclaw/extensions/ -name "*.ts" -not -path "*/node_modules/*"Cross-Channel Communication
The agent can receive on one channel and send on another, but there are guardrails:
bash
# Check cross-context settingscat ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json | jq '.tools.message.crossContext'# allowAcrossProviders: true = agent CAN send across channels# marker.enabled: false = no "[via Signal]" prefix on cross-channel messages
# If you see "Cross-context messaging denied" errors:# The agent tried to send from a session bound to channel A to channel B.# This is a security feature. To allow it:jq '.tools.message.crossContext.allowAcrossProviders = true' ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json > /tmp/oc.json && mv /tmp/oc.json ~/.openclaw/openclaw.jsonBOOT.md notification protocol (already configured): The agent receives WhatsApp messages, responds on WhatsApp, then sends a notification summary to Signal. This is the primary cross-channel pattern — autopilot on one channel, control center on another.
Canvas: Web UI for Connected Devices
Push HTML/games/dashboards to connected Mac/iOS/Android nodes:
bash
# Check canvas configcat ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json | jq '.canvasHost // "not configured"'
# List connected nodesopenclaw nodes list
# Present HTML content on a node# canvas action:present node:<node-id> target:http://localhost:18793/__moltbot__/canvas/my-page.html
# Canvas files live in:ls ~/.openclaw/canvas/Voice Calls
Initiate phone calls via Twilio/Telnyx/Plivo:
bash
# Check if voice-call plugin is enabledcat ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json | jq '.plugins.entries["voice-call"] // "not configured"'
# CLI usageopenclaw voicecall call --to "+15555550123" --message "Hello"openclaw voicecall status --call-id <id>Cron: Scheduled Autonomous Tasks
bash
# View all jobscat ~/.openclaw/cron/jobs.json | jq '.jobs[] | {name, enabled, schedule: .schedule, channel: .payload.channel, to: .payload.to}'
# Job schedule types:# "kind": "at", "atMs": <epoch> — one-shot at specific time# "kind": "every", "everyMs": <ms> — recurring interval
# Job delivery targets:# channel + to fields determine where results go (signal, whatsapp, telegram)# sessionTarget: "isolated" = fresh context each run (no memory of previous runs)
# To add a job, the agent creates it via tool, or edit jobs.json:# See existing jobs as templates in ~/.openclaw/cron/jobs.jsonLicense
MIT
