openclaw-expert

OpenClaw Expert

OpenClaw is a self-hosted, open-source (MIT) multi-channel gateway for AI agents: one Gateway process connects messaging surfaces (WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Slack, Signal, iMessage, Matrix, MS Teams, and ~20 more) to model providers (Anthropic, OpenAI, OpenRouter, Bedrock, Mistral, local models).

• Repo: https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw — Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
• Stack: TypeScript, Node 22+, pnpm, pi-mono agent runtime
• Config: JSON5 at ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json (strict validation, hot-reload)
• Default port: 18789 (WS + HTTP), Canvas: 18793

Retrieval Protocol (grep-first, NEVER whole-file Read)

Reference files are large (19K–201K). Do NOT Read a whole file.

1. Pick the file from the routing table below (or check reference/INDEX.md — it maps every file to its [Source: <url>] page anchors).
2. Grep the file for keywords and/or the [Source: anchor URL to get line numbers: grep -n 'dmPolicy\|\[Source:' reference/channels.md
3. Read with offset/limit around the hits (sections run from one [Source: anchor to the next ---).
4. Answer with concrete config patterns and CLI commands.
5. Bleeding-edge gaps: fetch https://docs.openclaw.ai/<path> or https://docs.openclaw.ai/sitemap.xml.

File Routing

File	Size	Covers
reference/gateway-ops.md	201K	Gateway config + reference, auth, security, sandboxing, networking, remote access, Tailscale, web UI/dashboard/TUI, protocols, health/doctor
reference/channels.md	192K	Every channel (WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Slack, Signal, iMessage, Matrix, Teams, BlueBubbles, Nostr, Twitch...), pairing, groups, broadcast, routing
reference/concepts.md	134K	Architecture, agent runtime/loop, system prompt, sessions, memory, compaction, multi-agent, streaming, retry, queue, models
reference/troubleshooting.md	134K	FAQ, triage, debug workflows, channel/gateway troubleshooting
reference/tools.md	128K	Lobster, LLM task, exec, web search, browser, sub-agents, skills, ClawHub, plugins, slash commands, elevated mode
reference/install.md	100K	npm/curl/Docker/Nix/Ansible/Bun install, updating, uninstalling
reference/cli.md	65K	All 44 CLI commands (gateway, configure, doctor, channels, agents, devices, cron, sessions, webhooks...)
reference/platforms.md	59K	macOS app internals, Linux, Windows/WSL2, iOS, Android, Hetzner, GCP, Fly
reference/automation.md	57K	Cron jobs, cron vs heartbeat, hooks, webhooks, Gmail PubSub, polls
reference/templates-reference.md	53K	AGENTS/SOUL/BOOT/BOOTSTRAP/IDENTITY/HEARTBEAT templates, RPC adapters, prompt caching
reference/getting-started.md	37K	Onboarding, CLI wizard, personal assistant setup, hubs
reference/providers.md	27K	Anthropic, OpenAI, OpenRouter, Bedrock, Mistral, LiteLLM, local models
reference/nodes-media.md	22K	Node management, voice notes, camera, talk mode, voice wake
reference/plugins-extensions.md	19K	Voice call plugin, Zalo personal, community plugins

Core Architecture (Quick Reference)

GATEWAY (daemon)  port 18789 (WS+HTTP), Canvas 18793
  Channels (WhatsApp/Telegram/...) → Agent Runtime (pi-mono) → Tools (exec/web/browser/skills) → Sessions (JSONL per agent)
  WS API: connect → req/res + events
  Config: ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json (JSON5, hot-reload)

File System Layout

~/.openclaw/
├── openclaw.json     # Main config (JSON5, hot-reloaded)
├── credentials/      # Provider credentials (0o600)
├── workspace/        # Default agent workspace
│   ├── AGENTS.md SOUL.md TOOLS.md USER.md IDENTITY.md
│   ├── BOOTSTRAP.md MEMORY.md HEARTBEAT.md
│   ├── memory/       # Daily memory files (on-demand, NOT injected)
│   └── skills/       # Per-agent skills (highest precedence)
├── skills/           # Shared skills (all agents)
├── agents/<agentId>/sessions/<SessionId>.jsonl
└── sandboxes/        # Sandbox workspaces

Essential CLI (Quick Reference)

npm install -g openclaw@latest && openclaw onboard --install-daemon
openclaw gateway [status]           # Start / check service
openclaw configure                  # Interactive wizard
openclaw config get|set <path> [v]  # Read/write config
openclaw doctor [--fix]             # Diagnose + repair
openclaw channels list|login|status
openclaw agents list --bindings
openclaw devices list|approve|reject
openclaw logs --follow / status --all / health --verbose
openclaw security audit [--deep] [--fix]

Config Patterns (Quick Reference)

// Minimal: ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
{
  agents: { defaults: { workspace: "~/.openclaw/workspace" } },
  channels: { whatsapp: { allowFrom: ["+15555550123"] } },
}
// DM policy (any channel): dmPolicy: "pairing" | "allowlist" | "open" | "disabled"
// Models: agents.defaults.model: { primary: "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-5", fallbacks: ["openai/gpt-5.2"] }