Master OpenClaw CLI: Complete Command Reference & Practical Examples

Initialization & Installation

openclaw onboard

: Interactive wizard for first‑time setup. Use --reset --non-interactive to reset configuration without prompts. openclaw setup: Non‑interactive workspace initialization. openclaw configure: Quick configuration of model, channel and skill defaults. openclaw gateway install: Install the OpenClaw gateway as a system service (auto‑starts on boot). openclaw daemon install: Alias for the legacy daemon installer. openclaw doctor: One‑click diagnostics and automatic repair. Example: openclaw doctor --deep --yes.

Gateway Management (Core Backend)

openclaw gateway status

: Show service status and RPC health check. openclaw gateway start, stop, restart: Control the gateway lifecycle. openclaw gateway run: Run the gateway in the foreground for debugging; add --verbose for detailed logs. openclaw gateway health: Perform a health check of the gateway. openclaw gateway probe: Network reachability probe. openclaw logs --follow: Tail logs in real time.

After any configuration change, run openclaw gateway restart to apply the new settings.

Status Diagnosis & Health Checks

openclaw status

: Show session health and recent contacts (most frequently used command). openclaw health: Core system health check. openclaw dashboard: Open the web control panel. openclaw logs: View logs; add --json for JSON‑formatted output.

Configuration Management

openclaw config file

: Print the absolute path of the active configuration file. openclaw config get <path>: Retrieve a configuration value (e.g., openclaw config get models.default). openclaw config set <path> <value>: Modify a configuration entry; values may be expressed in JSON5. openclaw config validate: Validate the configuration file for syntax and logical correctness.

Model & Authentication Management

openclaw models list

: List all models available to the system. openclaw models status: Show real‑time model availability. openclaw models set <model>: Set the default model for subsequent queries. openclaw models auth setup-token: Interactive wizard to store an API key or token. openclaw models scan: Scan the environment and automatically optimise the model list.

Channel Management

openclaw channels list

: Display all configured communication channels. openclaw channels add --channel <type>: Add a new channel (e.g., telegram, discord, slack, whatsapp). openclaw channels status --probe: Probe channel health and connectivity. openclaw channels logs: View channel‑specific logs.

Skills & Plugins Management

openclaw skills list

: List installed skills. openclaw skills info <name>: Show detailed information for a skill. clawhub install <slug>: Install a skill from the official marketplace. openclaw plugins list, install, enable, disable: Manage plugin lifecycle. openclaw hooks list: List registered event hooks.

Browser Automation

openclaw browser start

/ stop: Start or stop a headless browser instance. openclaw browser screenshot: Capture a screenshot of the current page. openclaw browser navigate <url>: Open a specific URL. openclaw browser click, type, fill: Perform form interactions (click elements, type text, fill inputs). openclaw browser pdf: Export the current page as a PDF.

Example: Use the AI to log into a website and automatically fill a form.

Memory & Search

openclaw memory status

: Show the status of the vector‑based long‑term memory subsystem. openclaw memory index: Rebuild the vector index (useful after data corruption). openclaw memory search "keyword": Perform a semantic vector search across stored memories.

Cron Jobs & Automation

openclaw cron list

, add, edit, rm: Manage scheduled tasks. openclaw cron run <id>: Execute a cron job immediately. openclaw system heartbeat enable: Enable periodic heartbeat monitoring.

Security, Backup & Uninstall

openclaw security audit

: Run a security audit of the configuration and runtime environment. openclaw secrets reload: Reload secret keys without restarting the gateway. openclaw backup create: Create a full backup of configuration, models, and memory. openclaw reset: Reset the entire system state (use with caution). openclaw uninstall --all --yes: Completely remove OpenClaw and all associated data.

Advanced Commands (Extensions)

openclaw agents list

/ add: Manage multiple AI agents. openclaw browser tabs open: Control browser tabs programmatically. openclaw tui: Launch the terminal‑based UI. openclaw docs <query>: Search the built‑in documentation.

Global Flags (Applicable to All Commands)

--json

: Output results in JSON format. --dev: Enable development‑mode logging and diagnostics. --profile <name>: Isolate multiple instances under a named profile. --no-color: Produce plain‑text output without ANSI colour codes.

Slash Commands (In‑Chat Quick Actions)

/status

: Show health and current context. /model <model_name>: Switch the active model. /new: Start a new conversation session. /stop: Abort the current task. /compact: Compress the conversation context to save tokens. /tts on: Enable text‑to‑speech replies. /think: Toggle reasoning mode.

Prefix commands with @OpenClaw when using them in group chats.