Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

Updating

Keep OpenClaw up to date.

Recommended:
text
`openclaw update`

The fastest way to update. It detects your install type (npm or git), fetches the latest version, runs

text

openclaw doctor

, and restarts the gateway.


bash
openclaw update

To switch channels or target a specific version:


bash
openclaw update --channel beta
openclaw update --channel dev
openclaw update --tag main
openclaw update --dry-run   # preview without applying

text

--channel beta

prefers beta, but the runtime falls back to stable/latest when the beta tag is missing or older than the latest stable release. Use

text

--tag beta

if you want the raw npm beta dist-tag for a one-off package update.

See Development channels for channel semantics.

Switch between npm and git installs

Use channels when you want to change the install type. The updater keeps your state, config, credentials, and workspace in

text

~/.openclaw

; it only changes which OpenClaw code install the CLI and gateway use.


bash
# npm package install -> editable git checkout
openclaw update --channel dev

# git checkout -> npm package install
openclaw update --channel stable

Run with

text

--dry-run

first to preview the exact install-mode switch:


bash
openclaw update --channel dev --dry-run
openclaw update --channel stable --dry-run

The

text

dev

channel ensures a git checkout, builds it, and installs the global CLI from that checkout. The

text

stable

and

text

beta

channels use package installs. If the gateway is already installed,

text

openclaw update

refreshes the service metadata and restarts it unless you pass

text

--no-restart

Alternative: re-run the installer


bash
curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash

Add

text

--no-onboard

to skip onboarding. To force a specific install type through the installer, pass

text

--install-method git --no-onboard

text

--install-method npm --no-onboard

text

openclaw update

fails after the npm package install phase, re-run the installer. The installer does not call the old updater; it runs the global package install directly and can recover a partially updated npm install.


bash
curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash -s -- --install-method npm

To pin the recovery to a specific version or dist-tag, add

text

--version


bash
curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash -s -- --install-method npm --version <version-or-dist-tag>

Alternative: manual npm, pnpm, or bun


bash
npm i -g openclaw@latest

When

text

openclaw update

manages a global npm install, it installs the target into a temporary npm prefix first, verifies the packaged

text

dist

inventory, then swaps the clean package tree into the real global prefix. That avoids npm overlaying a new package onto stale files from the old package. If the install command fails, OpenClaw retries once with

text

--omit=optional

. That retry helps hosts where native optional dependencies cannot compile, while keeping the original failure visible if the fallback also fails.


bash
pnpm add -g openclaw@latest


bash
bun add -g openclaw@latest

Advanced npm install topics

Auto-updater

The auto-updater is off by default. Enable it in

text

~/.openclaw/openclaw.json


json5
{
  update: {
    channel: "stable",
    auto: {
      enabled: true,
      stableDelayHours: 6,
      stableJitterHours: 12,
      betaCheckIntervalHours: 1,
    },
  },
}

Channel	Behavior
text `stable`	Waits text `stableDelayHours` , then applies with deterministic jitter across text `stableJitterHours` (spread rollout).
text `beta`	Checks every text `betaCheckIntervalHours` (default: hourly) and applies immediately.
text `dev`	No automatic apply. Use text `openclaw update` manually.

The gateway also logs an update hint on startup (disable with

text

update.checkOnStart: false

). For downgrade or incident recovery, set

text

OPENCLAW_NO_AUTO_UPDATE=1

in the gateway environment to block automatic applies even when

text

update.auto.enabled

is configured. Startup update hints can still run unless

text

update.checkOnStart

is also disabled.

After updating

### Run doctor


bash
openclaw doctor

Migrates config, audits DM policies, and checks gateway health. Details: Doctor

Restart the gateway


bash
openclaw gateway restart

Verify


bash
openclaw health

Rollback

Pin a version (npm)


bash
npm i -g openclaw@<version>
openclaw doctor
openclaw gateway restart

tip

`npm view openclaw version` shows the current published version.

Pin a commit (source)


bash
git fetch origin
git checkout "$(git rev-list -n 1 --before=\"2026-01-01\" origin/main)"
pnpm install && pnpm build
openclaw gateway restart

To return to latest:

text

git checkout main && git pull

If you are stuck

Run
text
openclaw doctor
again and read the output carefully.
For
text
openclaw update --channel dev
on source checkouts, the updater auto-bootstraps
text
pnpm
when needed. If you see a pnpm/corepack bootstrap error, install
text
pnpm
manually (or re-enable
text
corepack
) and rerun the update.
Check: Troubleshooting
Ask in Discord: https://discord.gg/clawd

Install overview: all installation methods.
Doctor: health checks after updates.
Migrating: major version migration guides.

OpenClaw Docs

Updating

Recommended:
text
`openclaw update`

Switch between npm and git installs

Alternative: re-run the installer

Alternative: manual npm, pnpm, or bun

Advanced npm install topics

Auto-updater

After updating

Restart the gateway

Verify

Rollback

Pin a version (npm)

tip

Pin a commit (source)

If you are stuck

Related

OpenClaw Docs

Updating

Recommended: textCopyopenclaw update

Switch between npm and git installs

Alternative: re-run the installer

Alternative: manual npm, pnpm, or bun

Advanced npm install topics

Auto-updater

After updating

Restart the gateway

Verify

Rollback

Pin a version (npm)

tip

Pin a commit (source)

If you are stuck

Related

Recommended:
text
`openclaw update`