Connect Qoder CLI to OpenClaw in Minutes Using ACP

Overview

This guide shows how to let OpenClaw delegate coding tasks to Qoder using the Agent Client Protocol (ACP). OpenClaw acts as a central manager for chat, tasks, and automation, while Qoder CLI provides a specialized coding agent.

Step 1 – Install Qoder IDE

Register an account on the Qoder website, verify your email, and claim the new‑user credits. Download the Skill markdown file (the Skill URL is https://qoder-community.pages.dev/zh/skills/openclaw/) and give it to Qoder; the IDE will automatically install OpenClaw and the Qoder CLI.

Step 2 – Install OpenClaw

Use the Skill URL above to install OpenClaw on an Alibaba Cloud server and configure DingTalk, Feishu, Discord, or other IM bots for AI assistance.

Step 3 – Connect Qoder CLI via ACP

OpenClaw can dispatch coding work to external agents through ACP. The following sections describe the required configuration.

ACP vs. Sub‑Agents

ACP connects OpenClaw to external professional coding tools (e.g., Qoder CLI).

Sub‑Agents are OpenClaw’s built‑in helpers.

ACP session keys look like agent:qoder:acp:<uuid>; Sub‑Agent keys use agent:<id>:subagent:<uuid>.

Installation and Configuration

Install the ACPX plugin (the runtime for ACP) and enable it:

openclaw plugins install @openclaw/acpx
openclaw config set plugins.entries.acpx.enabled true

Verify the plugin is loaded: openclaw plugins list | grep acpx You should see a line similar to │ ACPX Runtime │ acpx │ loaded │ … Enable ACP and set Qoder as the default agent (four commands):

openclaw config set acp.enabled true
openclaw config set acp.dispatch.enabled true
openclaw config set acp.backend "acpx"
openclaw config set acp.defaultAgent "qoder"
openclaw config set acp.allowedAgents '["qoder"]'
openclaw gateway restart

The allowedAgents whitelist must contain "qoder".

Install Qoder CLI globally: npm install -g @qoder-ai/qodercli Create ~/.acpx/config.json with your personal access token (replace YOUR_TOKEN with the token from qoder.com → Settings → API Keys):

{
  "agents": {
    "qoder": {
      "command": "env QODER_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN=YOUR_TOKEN qodercli --acp"
    }
  },
  "defaultAgent": "qoder",
  "defaultPermissions": "approve-all"
}

Verification

Check the ACP configuration: openclaw config get acp --raw Expected JSON:

{
  "enabled": true,
  "dispatch": { "enabled": true },
  "backend": "acpx",
  "defaultAgent": "qoder",
  "allowedAgents": ["qoder"]
}

Test a command in your chat channel (DingTalk, Feishu, Discord, etc.): /acp spawn qoder --mode persistent A successful response contains a session key like agent:qoder:acp:xxx.

Using Commands

/acp spawn qoder --mode persistent

– start a persistent session. /acp spawn qoder --mode oneshot – run a single task and close the session. /acp status – view the current session status. /acp steer <instruction> – inject a new instruction without restarting. /acp model <model‑id> – temporarily switch the model. /acp cancel – cancel the running task. /acp close – close the session and release thread binding. /acp sessions – list recent ACP sessions.

Thread Binding

When you add --thread to /acp spawn, you control how the session binds to a chat thread: --thread auto – bind to the current thread if inside one; otherwise create a new session. --thread here – must be used inside a thread; binds to that thread. --thread off – creates an unbound session, reachable only via its session key.

For Discord, enable thread binding with:

openclaw config set session.threadBindings.enabled true
openclaw config set channels.discord.threadBindings.enabled true
openclaw config set channels.discord.threadBindings.spawnAcpSessions true
openclaw gateway restart

Troubleshooting Checklist

Is the OpenClaw gateway running? openclaw gateway status Is the ACPX plugin loaded? openclaw plugins list | grep acpx Is ACP enabled and correctly configured? openclaw config get acp --raw Can Qoder CLI run on its own?

export QODER_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN=YOUR_TOKEN qodercli -p "hello" --max-turns 1

Is ~/.acpx/config.json correct? cat ~/.acpx/config.json Run the built‑in diagnostic: /acp doctor Common error messages and fixes: "ACP runtime backend is not configured" – install or enable the ACPX plugin. "ACP is disabled by policy" – set acp.enabled to true. "ACP agent qoder is not allowed" – add "qoder" to allowedAgents. "Unable to resolve session target" – verify the session key with /acp sessions.

After Integration

With the three steps completed (install ACPX, enable ACP, configure Qoder CLI), you can ask OpenClaw to perform coding tasks, e.g., “Use Qoder to write a TODO list app with Next.js + TypeScript.” The request is routed through ACP, Qoder executes the code, and the result appears in the same chat thread, keeping the workflow unified.

Resources

OpenClaw documentation: https://docs.openclaw.ai

Qoder website: https://qoder.com

ACP protocol specification: https://agentclientprotocol.com

Qoder CLI quick‑start guide: https://docs.qoder.com/cli/quick-start