OpenClaw CLI Commands: The Complete Cheat Sheet (2026)

OpenClaw has quickly become one of the most talked-about AI agent platforms in 2026, and its command-line interface is where most of the power lives. Whether you are setting up your first agent, managing multi-channel communication workflows, or automating recurring tasks, the CLI is your primary control surface.

This guide covers every OpenClaw CLI command available as of April 2026, organized by category, with full syntax breakdowns, common flags, and practical examples. Bookmark this page --- you will come back to it often.

Table of Contents

1. Before You Start: Installation and Prerequisites
2. Setup Commands
3. Model Management Commands
4. Channel Commands
5. Skills Commands
6. Chat and Messaging Commands
7. Cron and Scheduling Commands
8. Configuration Commands
9. Security Commands
10. Status and Logging Commands
11. Printable Cheat Sheet Table
12. FAQ

Before You Start: Installation and Prerequisites

Before diving into the commands, make sure OpenClaw is installed on your system. The CLI requires Node.js 20+ or can be installed as a standalone binary.

# Install via npm
npm install -g openclaw

# Or via Homebrew (macOS/Linux)
brew install openclaw

# Verify installation
openclaw --version

Once installed, you will use the openclaw prefix for every command. The general syntax follows this pattern:

openclaw <category> <action> [options] [flags]

Global flags available on every command:

For the full official documentation, visit https://docs.openclaw.ai/cli.

Setup Commands

Setup commands handle initial configuration, system health checks, and gateway management. Run these first when installing OpenClaw on a new machine.

openclaw onboard

Runs the interactive onboarding wizard that configures your OpenClaw environment step by step.

Syntax:

openclaw onboard [flags]

Flags:

Example:

# Full interactive onboarding
openclaw onboard

# Onboarding with a specific provider
openclaw onboard --provider anthropic

# Non-interactive setup for automation
openclaw onboard --non-interactive --provider openai

The onboarding wizard walks you through API key entry, default model selection, and optional channel configuration. It writes its results to ~/.openclaw/config.yaml.

openclaw doctor

Diagnoses your OpenClaw installation and reports any issues with dependencies, connectivity, or configuration.

Syntax:

openclaw doctor [flags]

Flags:

Example:

# Run full diagnostics
openclaw doctor

# Auto-fix issues
openclaw doctor --fix

# Check only model connectivity
openclaw doctor --check models

Sample output:

[PASS] Node.js version: 22.4.0
[PASS] Config file: ~/.openclaw/config.yaml
[PASS] API key: anthropic (valid)
[WARN] Channel: email (not configured)
[PASS] Gateway: running on port 7654
[PASS] Skills directory: 3 skills installed

4 passed, 1 warning, 0 errors

openclaw gateway

Manages the local OpenClaw gateway server, which handles inter-process communication, webhook ingress, and skill orchestration.

Syntax:

openclaw gateway <action> [flags]

Actions:

Flags:

Example:

# Start gateway in background
openclaw gateway start -d

# Start on a custom port
openclaw gateway start --port 8080

# Check if gateway is running
openclaw gateway status

# Restart with verbose logging
openclaw gateway restart --log-level debug

Model Management Commands

Model commands let you configure which large language models OpenClaw uses, check their availability, and manage provider credentials.

openclaw models status

Displays the status of all configured models, including provider, availability, and current default.

Syntax:

openclaw models status [flags]

Flags:

Example:

# Show all configured models
openclaw models status

# Show only Anthropic models
openclaw models status --provider anthropic

# Test connectivity
openclaw models status --ping

Sample output:

PROVIDER       MODEL                    STATUS    DEFAULT
anthropic      claude-sonnet-4-20250514    online    *
anthropic      claude-opus-4-20250514       online
openai         gpt-4o                  online
openai         o3                      online
local          llama-3.3-70b           offline

openclaw models add

Adds a new model provider or model to your configuration.

Syntax:

openclaw models add <provider> [flags]

Flags:

Example:

# Add Anthropic with API key
openclaw models add anthropic --key sk-ant-xxxx

# Add a specific OpenAI model as default
openclaw models add openai --key sk-xxxx --model gpt-4o --default

# Add a local model with custom endpoint
openclaw models add local --base-url http://localhost:11434 --model llama-3.3-70b

openclaw models remove

Removes a model provider or specific model from your configuration.

Syntax:

openclaw models remove <provider> [flags]

Flags:

Example:

# Remove an entire provider
openclaw models remove local

# Remove a specific model
openclaw models remove openai --model gpt-3.5-turbo

# Force removal without confirmation
openclaw models remove local --force

openclaw models default

Gets or sets the default model used for agent interactions.

Syntax:

openclaw models default [provider/model]

Example:

# Show current default
openclaw models default

# Set a new default
openclaw models default anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-20250514

openclaw models test

Runs a quick test prompt against a specified model to verify connectivity and response quality.

Syntax:

openclaw models test <provider/model> [flags]

Flags:

Example:

# Test default model
openclaw models test

# Test a specific model with custom prompt
openclaw models test anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-20250514 --prompt "What is 2+2?"

Channel Commands

Channels are OpenClaw's mechanism for multi-platform communication. Each channel represents a messaging platform (email, WhatsApp, Telegram, SMS, Slack) that the agent can use.

openclaw channels list

Lists all configured channels and their current status.

Syntax:

openclaw channels list [flags]

Flags:

Example:

# List all channels
openclaw channels list

# List only active channels
openclaw channels list --status active

Sample output:

CHANNEL       TYPE        STATUS    PROVIDER
personal      email       active    gmail
work-slack    slack       active    slack-api
whatsapp      whatsapp    active    twilio
sms-alerts    sms         inactive  inbounter

openclaw channels add

Adds a new communication channel.

Syntax:

openclaw channels add <type> [flags]

Supported types: email, sms, whatsapp, telegram, slack, discord, webhook

Flags:

Example:

# Add an email channel via Gmail
openclaw channels add email --name personal --provider gmail

# Add SMS via Inbounter
openclaw channels add sms --name alerts --provider inbounter --token ibnt_xxxx

# Add a WhatsApp channel via Twilio
openclaw channels add whatsapp --name support --provider twilio --token twl_xxxx

# Add a Telegram bot
openclaw channels add telegram --name my-bot --token bot_xxxx

For email and SMS channels, Inbounter provides a developer-friendly API that integrates seamlessly with OpenClaw. Its channel setup takes under two minutes.

openclaw channels remove

Removes a configured channel.

Syntax:

openclaw channels remove <name> [flags]

Flags:

Example:

# Remove a channel
openclaw channels remove work-slack

# Force removal
openclaw channels remove old-email --force

openclaw channels test

Sends a test message through a channel to verify it is working.

Syntax:

openclaw channels test <name> [flags]

Flags:

Example:

# Test email channel
openclaw channels test personal --to you@example.com

# Test SMS with custom message
openclaw channels test sms-alerts --to +15551234567 --message "Test from OpenClaw"

Skills Commands

Skills are installable plugins that extend OpenClaw's capabilities. They range from web browsing and file manipulation to domain-specific automation tools.

openclaw skills install

Installs a skill from the OpenClaw skills registry.

Syntax:

openclaw skills install <skill-name> [flags]

Flags:

Example:

# Install a skill
openclaw skills install web-browser

# Install a specific version
openclaw skills install file-manager --version 2.1.0

# Install from local development
openclaw skills install ./my-skill --dev

openclaw skills uninstall

Removes an installed skill.

Syntax:

openclaw skills uninstall <skill-name> [flags]

Flags:

Example:

# Uninstall a skill
openclaw skills uninstall web-browser

# Uninstall and remove all data
openclaw skills uninstall file-manager --purge

openclaw skills list

Lists all installed skills and their status.

Syntax:

openclaw skills list [flags]

Flags:

Example:

# List all installed skills
openclaw skills list

# Show outdated skills
openclaw skills list --outdated

Sample output:

SKILL              VERSION    STATUS     UPDATE
web-browser        1.4.2      enabled    -
file-manager       2.1.0      enabled    2.2.0
email-summarizer   1.0.1      disabled   -
calendar-sync      3.0.0      enabled    -

openclaw skills search

Searches the skills registry for available skills.

Syntax:

openclaw skills search <query> [flags]

Flags:

Example:

# Search for email-related skills
openclaw skills search email

# Search productivity skills sorted by downloads
openclaw skills search productivity --category automation --sort downloads

openclaw skills enable / openclaw skills disable

Toggles a skill on or off without uninstalling it.

Syntax:

openclaw skills enable <skill-name>
openclaw skills disable <skill-name>

Example:

# Disable a skill temporarily
openclaw skills disable email-summarizer

# Re-enable it later
openclaw skills enable email-summarizer

openclaw skills update

Updates one or all skills to their latest versions.

Syntax:

openclaw skills update [skill-name] [flags]

Flags:

Example:

# Update a specific skill
openclaw skills update web-browser

# Update all skills
openclaw skills update --all

Chat and Messaging Commands

These commands handle direct interaction with the AI agent and message dispatch across channels.

openclaw chat

Opens an interactive chat session with the agent in your terminal.

Syntax:

openclaw chat [flags]

Flags:

Example:

# Start a chat session
openclaw chat

# Chat with a specific model
openclaw chat --model anthropic/claude-opus-4-20250514

# Chat with context from a file
openclaw chat --context ./project-notes.md

# Chat with responses also sent to Slack
openclaw chat --channel work-slack

openclaw send

Sends a single message through a specified channel without starting an interactive session.

Syntax:

openclaw send <channel> <message> [flags]

Flags:

Example:

# Send an email
openclaw send personal "Meeting notes attached" --to boss@company.com --subject "Q2 Planning" --attach ./notes.pdf

# Send an SMS
openclaw send sms-alerts "Server CPU at 95%" --to +15551234567

# Let AI compose and send
openclaw send personal --ai "Write a follow-up email to the client about the project delay" --to client@example.com

# Schedule a message
openclaw send work-slack "Reminder: standup in 15 minutes" --schedule "Mon-Fri 9:45am"

openclaw reply

Replies to a specific message in a conversation thread.

Syntax:

openclaw reply <message-id> <message> [flags]

Flags:

Example:

# Reply to a message
openclaw reply msg_abc123 "Thanks, I'll review this today"

# AI-composed reply
openclaw reply msg_abc123 --ai "Write a polite decline"

Cron and Scheduling Commands

Cron commands let you set up recurring automated tasks that the agent runs on a schedule.

openclaw cron add

Creates a new scheduled task.

Syntax:

openclaw cron add <schedule> <command> [flags]

Flags:

Example:

# Daily email digest at 8 AM
openclaw cron add "0 8 * * *" "Summarize my unread emails and send a digest" --name morning-digest --channel personal

# Weekly report every Friday at 5 PM
openclaw cron add "0 17 * * 5" "Generate weekly project status report" --name weekly-report --channel work-slack

# Hourly server health check
openclaw cron add "0 * * * *" "Check server status and alert if issues" --name health-check --channel sms-alerts

# Custom timezone
openclaw cron add "0 9 * * 1-5" "Good morning briefing" --timezone America/New_York --name morning-brief

openclaw cron list

Lists all scheduled cron jobs.

Syntax:

openclaw cron list [flags]

Flags:

Example:

# List all cron jobs
openclaw cron list

# List only active jobs
openclaw cron list --active

Sample output:

ID    NAME              SCHEDULE        NEXT RUN           STATUS
1     morning-digest    0 8 * * *       2026-04-06 08:00   active
2     weekly-report     0 17 * * 5      2026-04-11 17:00   active
3     health-check      0 * * * *       2026-04-05 14:00   active
4     old-task          0 12 * * *      -                  paused

openclaw cron remove

Removes a scheduled cron job.

Syntax:

openclaw cron remove <id|name> [flags]

Flags:

Example:

# Remove by name
openclaw cron remove old-task

# Remove by ID
openclaw cron remove 4 --force

openclaw cron pause / openclaw cron resume

Pauses or resumes a cron job without deleting it.

Syntax:

openclaw cron pause <id|name>
openclaw cron resume <id|name>

Example:

# Pause a job during vacation
openclaw cron pause morning-digest

# Resume when back
openclaw cron resume morning-digest

openclaw cron run

Manually triggers a cron job immediately, outside its schedule.

Syntax:

openclaw cron run <id|name> [flags]

Flags:

Example:

# Manually trigger the morning digest
openclaw cron run morning-digest

# Dry run to test
openclaw cron run health-check --dry-run

Configuration Commands

Configuration commands manage OpenClaw's settings, stored in ~/.openclaw/config.yaml.

openclaw config get

Reads a configuration value.

Syntax:

openclaw config get <key>

Example:

# Get the default model
openclaw config get default_model

# Get the gateway port
openclaw config get gateway.port

# Get all config (dump)
openclaw config get .

openclaw config set

Sets a configuration value.

Syntax:

openclaw config set <key> <value> [flags]

Flags:

Example:

# Set default model
openclaw config set default_model anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-20250514

# Set gateway port
openclaw config set gateway.port 8080

# Set a project-local config
openclaw config set context_file ./CONTEXT.md --local

openclaw config reset

Resets configuration to defaults.

Syntax:

openclaw config reset [key] [flags]

Flags:

Example:

# Reset a specific key
openclaw config reset gateway.port

# Reset everything
openclaw config reset --all --force

openclaw config edit

Opens the configuration file in your default editor.

Syntax:

openclaw config edit [flags]

Flags:

Example:

# Open in default editor
openclaw config edit

# Open in VS Code
openclaw config edit --editor code

Security Commands

Security commands help you audit your OpenClaw setup for potential vulnerabilities and manage access controls.

openclaw audit

Runs a security audit of your OpenClaw installation, checking for exposed credentials, insecure configurations, and skill permissions.

Syntax:

openclaw audit [flags]

Flags:

Example:

# Full audit
openclaw audit

# Audit only skills
openclaw audit --scope skills

# Strict audit with report
openclaw audit --strict --report ./audit-report.json

# Auto-fix issues
openclaw audit --fix

Sample output:

[PASS] Config file permissions: 600
[PASS] API keys: encrypted at rest
[WARN] Skill 'web-browser': has network access (expected)
[FAIL] Channel 'old-webhook': token expired
[PASS] Gateway: TLS enabled
[PASS] No credentials in environment variables

3 passed, 1 warning, 1 failure

openclaw audit permissions

Reviews and manages skill permissions.

Syntax:

openclaw audit permissions [skill-name]

Example:

# Review all skill permissions
openclaw audit permissions

# Review a specific skill
openclaw audit permissions web-browser

Status and Logging Commands

These commands give you visibility into what OpenClaw is doing, what has happened, and the health of the system.

openclaw status

Shows the current state of all OpenClaw components.

Syntax:

openclaw status [flags]

Flags:

Example:

# Full status overview
openclaw status

# Watch mode
openclaw status -w

# Check specific component
openclaw status --component gateway

Sample output:

OpenClaw v2.4.1

Gateway:    running (port 7654, uptime 3d 14h)
Model:      anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-20250514 (online)
Channels:   4 active, 1 inactive
Skills:     3 enabled, 1 disabled
Cron Jobs:  3 active, 1 paused
Queue:      0 pending, 247 processed today
Memory:     42 MB RSS

openclaw logs

Displays OpenClaw's operational logs.

Syntax:

openclaw logs [flags]

Flags:

Example:

# Show last 50 log lines
openclaw logs -n 50

# Stream logs in real time
openclaw logs -f

# Show only errors from the last hour
openclaw logs --level error --since 1h

# Search for specific events
openclaw logs --search "channel:email" --since 24h

# Filter by component
openclaw logs --component gateway -f

openclaw logs export

Exports logs to a file for sharing or analysis.

Syntax:

openclaw logs export <file> [flags]

Flags:

Example:

# Export last 24h of logs as JSON
openclaw logs export ./logs.json --format json --since 24h

# Export error logs for a date range
openclaw logs export ./errors.csv --format csv --level error --since 2026-04-01 --until 2026-04-05

Additional Utility Commands

A few more commands that are worth knowing.

openclaw upgrade

Upgrades OpenClaw to the latest version.

Syntax:

openclaw upgrade [flags]

Flags:

Example:

# Check for updates
openclaw upgrade --check

# Upgrade to latest
openclaw upgrade

openclaw reset

Resets parts or all of the OpenClaw installation.

Syntax:

openclaw reset [scope] [flags]

Scopes: config, channels, skills, cron, all

Example:

# Reset only channels
openclaw reset channels

# Full factory reset
openclaw reset all --force

openclaw completions

Generates shell completion scripts.

Syntax:

openclaw completions <shell>

Supported shells: bash, zsh, fish, powershell

Example:

# Generate zsh completions
openclaw completions zsh > ~/.zsh/completions/_openclaw

# Generate bash completions
openclaw completions bash >> ~/.bashrc

Printable Cheat Sheet Table

Here is every command on a single table. Print this out or keep it in a second monitor.

FAQ

How do I update OpenClaw to the latest version?

Run openclaw upgrade. Use openclaw upgrade --check first to see what version is available without installing it.

Where is the OpenClaw configuration file stored?

The global config lives at ~/.openclaw/config.yaml. Project-local configs are stored in .openclaw/config.yaml in your project root.

Can I use multiple LLM providers at the same time?

Yes. Add as many providers as you want with openclaw models add. Each model is identified by provider/model-name. Set your preferred default with openclaw models default.

How do I add email or SMS capabilities?

Use openclaw channels add email or openclaw channels add sms. For a reliable API-first approach, Inbounter provides Email and SMS APIs that are designed for AI agent integration and work seamlessly with OpenClaw's channel system.

Can I run OpenClaw without the gateway?

Some basic commands like openclaw chat work without the gateway, but channels, cron jobs, and skills require the gateway to be running. Start it with openclaw gateway start -d.

How do I debug a failing cron job?

Use openclaw cron run <name> --dry-run to test the job without executing it, then check openclaw logs --search "cron:<name>" for error details.

Is OpenClaw safe to use with API keys?

Run openclaw audit to verify your setup. API keys are encrypted at rest, and the audit command checks for common misconfigurations like exposed credentials or overly permissive file permissions.

How do I contribute a custom skill?

Build your skill following the OpenClaw Skills SDK, test it locally with openclaw skills install ./my-skill --dev, and submit it to the registry via the OpenClaw community portal.

Wrapping Up

This cheat sheet covers every OpenClaw CLI command available as of April 2026. The CLI is the fastest way to configure, automate, and interact with your OpenClaw agent, and knowing these commands will save you significant time as you build more sophisticated workflows.

For the latest updates and new commands, check the official OpenClaw documentation or run openclaw --help at any time.

If you are building AI agents that need reliable email and SMS delivery, take a look at Inbounter's Email and SMS API --- it is built specifically for the programmatic, high-volume messaging that AI agents require.

Related articles:

• OpenClaw vs Claude Code: Which AI Agent Should You Use?
• OpenClaw vs Cursor: AI Agent vs AI IDE
• 10 Best OpenClaw Alternatives in 2026