openclaw-skill/openclaw-knowhow-skill/docs/reference/cli/index.md

Complete CLI Reference Documentation

Overview

This documentation provides comprehensive reference material for OpenClaw's command-line interface, detailing all available commands, options, and usage patterns.

Core Structure

The CLI organizes functionality through a primary command with subcommands:

openclaw [--dev] [--profile <name>] <command>

Global Options

The system supports several flags applicable across commands:

• --dev: Isolates state to ~/.openclaw-dev with shifted default ports
• --profile <name>: Isolates state to ~/.openclaw-<name>
• --no-color: Disables ANSI styling
• --version: Displays version information

Output Formatting

ANSI colors and progress indicators only render in TTY sessions. OSC-8 hyperlinks render as clickable links in supported terminals; otherwise we fall back to plain URLs.

Command Categories

Setup & Configuration

setup initializes configuration and workspace with options for workspace path, wizard mode, and remote gateway configuration.

onboard provides an interactive wizard supporting multiple flows (quickstart, advanced, manual) with authentication provider selection and gateway binding options.

configure launches an interactive configuration wizard for models, channels, skills, and gateway settings.

config offers non-interactive helpers for retrieving, setting, or removing configuration values using dot/bracket path notation.

doctor performs health checks and applies quick fixes for configuration, gateway, and legacy services.

Channel Management

channels manages chat channel accounts across platforms including WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Slack, Signal, iMessage, and Microsoft Teams.

Subcommands include:

• list: Display configured channels
• status: Check gateway reachability
• add: Wizard-style or non-interactive setup
• remove: Disable or delete configurations
• login/logout: Interactive authentication (platform-dependent)
• logs: Display recent channel activity

Skill & Plugin Management

skills lists available skills and readiness information:

• list: Enumerate all skills
• info <name>: Display specific skill details
• check: Summary of ready versus missing requirements

plugins manages extensions and their configuration:

• list: Discover available plugins
• install: Add plugins from various sources
• enable/disable: Toggle activation
• doctor: Report load errors

Messaging & Agent Control

message provides unified outbound messaging with subcommands for sending, polling, reacting, editing, deleting, and managing permissions across channels.

agent executes a single agent turn via the Gateway with options for message content, destination, session tracking, and verbose output.

agents manages isolated agent workspaces:

• list: Display configured agents
• add: Create new isolated agent
• delete: Remove agent and prune state

Gateway Operations

gateway runs the WebSocket Gateway with binding, authentication, and Tailscale options.

Gateway service management includes:

• status: Probe gateway health
• install: Install service
• start/stop/restart: Control service state

logs tails Gateway file logs via RPC, with support for colorized structured output in TTY sessions and JSON formatting.

System & Monitoring

status displays linked session health and recent recipients with options for comprehensive diagnostics and provider usage information.

health fetches current health status from the running Gateway.

sessions lists stored conversation sessions with filtering by activity duration.

system manages system-level operations:

• event: Enqueue system events
• heartbeat: Control heartbeat functionality
• presence: List system presence entries

Model Configuration

models manages AI model selection and authentication:

• list: Enumerate available models
• status: Display current configuration
• set: Designate primary model
• scan: Discover new models with filtering options
• auth: Configure authentication credentials
• aliases: Create model shortcuts
• fallbacks: Define backup models

Automation

cron manages scheduled jobs with support for:

• Time-based scheduling (--at, --every, --cron)
• System events or messaging payloads
• Job lifecycle management (enable/disable/edit)

Node Management

node operates headless node hosts or manages them as background services.

nodes communicates with Gateway-paired nodes supporting:

• Status monitoring and connection filtering
• Command invocation with timeout control
• Camera operations (snap, clip)
• Canvas and screen management
• Location tracking

Browser Control

browser controls dedicated Chrome/Brave/Edge/Chromium instances:

Management: status, start, stop, reset-profile, profiles, create-profile, delete-profile

Inspection: screenshot, snapshot with format and selector options

Actions: navigate, click, type, press, hover, drag, select, upload, fill, dialog, wait, evaluate, console, pdf

Additional Tools

memory enables vector search over markdown files:

• status: Display index statistics
• index: Rebuild index
• search: Execute semantic queries

approvals manages approval configurations with allowlist operations.

security provides audit functionality with optional deep probing and automatic fixes.

tui opens an interactive terminal user interface connected to the Gateway.

docs searches live documentation.

Reset & Cleanup

reset clears local configuration and state with scoping options (config only, config+credentials+sessions, or full reset).

uninstall removes the gateway service and associated data while preserving the CLI installation.

update manages version upgrades.

Color Palette

OpenClaw employs a distinctive color scheme for terminal output:

• accent (#FF5A2D): headings, labels, primary highlights
• accentBright (#FF7A3D): command names, emphasis
• success (#2FBF71): success states
• error (#E23D2D): errors, failures

This reference encompasses the complete command taxonomy with emphasis on practical usage patterns and option availability across the OpenClaw platform.