Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
FAQ
Quick answers plus deeper troubleshooting for real-world setups (local dev, VPS, multi-agent, OAuth/API keys, model failover). For runtime diagnostics, see Troubleshooting . For the full config reference, see Configuration .
First 60 seconds if something is broken
Quick status (first check)
Fast local summary: OS + update, gateway/service reachability, agents/sessions, provider config + runtime issues (when gateway is reachable).
Pasteable report (safe to share)
Read-only diagnosis with log tail (tokens redacted).
Daemon + port state
Shows supervisor runtime vs RPC reachability, the probe target URL, and which config the service likely used.
Deep probes
Runs a live gateway health probe, including channel probes when supported
(requires a reachable gateway). See Health .
Tail the latest log
If RPC is down, fall back to:
tail -f "$(ls -t /tmp/openclaw/openclaw-*.log | head -1)"
File logs are separate from service logs; see Logging and Troubleshooting .
Run the doctor (repairs)
Repairs/migrates config/state + runs health checks. See Doctor .
Gateway snapshot
openclaw health --json
openclaw health --verbose # shows the target URL + config path on errors
Asks the running gateway for a full snapshot (WS-only). See Health .
Quick start and first-run setup
First-run Q&A — install, onboard, auth routes, subscriptions, initial failures —
lives on the First-run FAQ .
What is OpenClaw?
What is OpenClaw, in one paragraph? I just set it up - what should I do first? What are the top five everyday use cases for OpenClaw? Can OpenClaw help with lead gen, outreach, ads, and blogs for a SaaS? What are the advantages vs Claude Code for web development?
Skills and automation
How do I customize skills without keeping the repo dirty? Can I load skills from a custom folder? How can I use different models for different tasks? The bot freezes while doing heavy work. How do I offload that? How do thread-bound subagent sessions work on Discord? A subagent finished, but the completion update went to the wrong place or never posted. What should I check? Cron or reminders do not fire. What should I check? Cron fired, but nothing was sent to the channel. Why? Why did an isolated cron run switch models or retry once? How do I install skills on Linux? Can OpenClaw run tasks on a schedule or continuously in the background? Can I run Apple macOS-only skills from Linux? Do you have a Notion or HeyGen integration? How do I use my existing signed-in Chrome with OpenClaw?
Sandboxing and memory
Is there a dedicated sandboxing doc? Docker feels limited - how do I enable full features? Can I keep DMs personal but make groups public/sandboxed with one agent? How do I bind a host folder into the sandbox? Memory keeps forgetting things. How do I make it stick? Does memory persist forever? What are the limits? Does semantic memory search require an OpenAI API key?
Where things live on disk
Is all data used with OpenClaw saved locally? Where does OpenClaw store its data? Where should AGENTS.md / SOUL.md / USER.md / MEMORY.md live? Recommended backup strategy How do I completely uninstall OpenClaw? Can agents work outside the workspace? Remote mode: where is the session store?
Config basics
What format is the config? Where is it? I set gateway.bind: "lan" (or "tailnet") and now nothing listens / the UI says unauthorized Why do I need a token on localhost now? Do I have to restart after changing config? How do I disable funny CLI taglines? How do I enable web search (and web fetch)? config.apply wiped my config. How do I recover and avoid this? How do I run a central Gateway with specialized workers across devices? Can the OpenClaw browser run headless? How do I use Brave for browser control?
Remote gateways and nodes
How do commands propagate between Telegram, the gateway, and nodes? How can my agent access my computer if the Gateway is hosted remotely? Tailscale is connected but I get no replies. What now? Can two OpenClaw instances talk to each other (local + VPS)? Do I need separate VPSes for multiple agents? Is there a benefit to using a node on my personal laptop instead of SSH from a VPS? Do nodes run a gateway service? Is there an API / RPC way to apply config? Minimal sane config for a first install How do I set up Tailscale on a VPS and connect from my Mac? How do I connect a Mac node to a remote Gateway (Tailscale Serve)? Should I install on a second laptop or just add a node?
Env vars and .env loading
How does OpenClaw load environment variables? I started the Gateway via the service and my env vars disappeared. What now? I set COPILOT_GITHUB_TOKEN, but models status shows "Shell env: off." Why?
Sessions and multiple chats
How do I start a fresh conversation? Do sessions reset automatically if I never send /new? Is there a way to make a team of OpenClaw instances (one CEO and many agents)? Why did context get truncated mid-task? How do I prevent it? How do I completely reset OpenClaw but keep it installed? I am getting "context too large" errors - how do I reset or compact? Why am I seeing "LLM request rejected: messages.content.tool_use.input field required"? Why am I getting heartbeat messages every 30 minutes? Do I need to add a "bot account" to a WhatsApp group? How do I get the JID of a WhatsApp group? Why does OpenClaw not reply in a group? Do groups/threads share context with DMs? How many workspaces and agents can I create? Can I run multiple bots or chats at the same time (Slack), and how should I set that up?
Models, failover, and auth profiles
Model Q&A — defaults, selection, aliases, switching, failover, auth profiles —
lives on the Models FAQ .
Gateway: ports, "already running", and remote mode
What port does the Gateway use? Why does openclaw gateway status say "Runtime: running" but "Connectivity probe: failed"? Why does openclaw gateway status show "Config (cli)" and "Config (service)" different? What does "another gateway instance is already listening" mean? How do I run OpenClaw in remote mode (client connects to a Gateway elsewhere)? The Control UI says "unauthorized" (or keeps reconnecting). What now? I set gateway.bind tailnet but it cannot bind and nothing listens Can I run multiple Gateways on the same host? What does "invalid handshake" / code 1008 mean?
Logging and debugging
How do I start/stop/restart the Gateway service? I closed my terminal on Windows - how do I restart OpenClaw? The Gateway is up but replies never arrive. What should I check? "Disconnected from gateway: no reason" - what now? Telegram setMyCommands fails. What should I check? TUI shows no output. What should I check? How do I completely stop then start the Gateway? ELI5: openclaw gateway restart vs openclaw gateway Fastest way to get more details when something fails
Media and attachments
My skill generated an image/PDF, but nothing was sent
Security and access control
Is it safe to expose OpenClaw to inbound DMs? Is prompt injection only a concern for public bots? Should my bot have its own email, GitHub account, or phone number? Can I give it autonomy over my text messages and is that safe? Can I use cheaper models for personal assistant tasks? I ran /start in Telegram but did not get a pairing code WhatsApp: will it message my contacts? How does pairing work?
Chat commands, aborting tasks, and "it will not stop"
How do I stop internal system messages from showing in chat? How do I stop/cancel a running task? How do I send a Discord message from Telegram? ("Cross-context messaging denied") Why does it feel like the bot "ignores" rapid-fire messages?
Miscellaneous
What is the default model for Anthropic with an API key?
Still stuck? Ask in Discord or open a GitHub discussion .
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