OpenClaw Cheat Sheet

You ──▶ Channel ──▶ Gateway ──▶ Agent ──▶ Skill
                        │                    │
                        ▼                    ▼
                     Memory              External APIs

# Install OpenClaw globally
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/openclaw
 
# Run the onboarding wizard — sets up config, API keys, and first channel
openclaw onboard
 
# Verify installation
openclaw --version

# Start the Gateway (foreground)
openclaw start
 
# Start the Gateway (background/daemon)
openclaw start --daemon
 
# Stop the Gateway
openclaw stop
 
# Restart the Gateway
openclaw restart
 
# Check if the Gateway is running and healthy
openclaw status

# Open the main config file in your default editor
openclaw config
 
# View current configuration (read-only)
openclaw config --show
 
# Set a specific config value
openclaw config set <key> <value>
 
# Set your default AI model
openclaw config set model claude-sonnet-4-20250514
 
# Set up API keys
openclaw config set anthropicApiKey sk-ant-xxxxx
openclaw config set openaiApiKey sk-xxxxx

# Browse available skills on ClawHub
openclaw skill list
 
# Search for a specific skill
openclaw skill search <keyword>
 
# Install a skill
openclaw skill install <skill-name>
 
# Uninstall a skill
openclaw skill uninstall <skill-name>
 
# List installed skills
openclaw skill installed
 
# Update all installed skills
openclaw skill update

# List available channel types
openclaw channel list
 
# Add a new channel
openclaw channel add <channel-type>
 
# Remove a channel
openclaw channel remove <channel-name>
 
# Test a channel connection
openclaw channel test <channel-name>

# View recent memory entries
openclaw memory list
 
# Search memory
openclaw memory search <query>
 
# Clear memory (use with caution)
openclaw memory clear
 
# View Gateway logs
openclaw logs
 
# View logs with filtering
openclaw logs --level error
openclaw logs --tail 50

# Full system diagnostic — checks all components, connections, and configs
openclaw doctor
 
# Test AI model connectivity
openclaw test model
 
# Test a specific channel
openclaw test channel <channel-name>

{
  "channels": {
    "imessage": {
      "enabled": true,
      "pairedDevices": ["+1234567890"]
    }
  }
}

{
  "channels": {
    "slack": {
      "enabled": true,
      "botToken": "xoxb-your-bot-token",
      "appToken": "xapp-your-app-token",
      "signingSecret": "your-signing-secret"
    }
  }
}

{
  "channels": {
    "whatsapp": {
      "enabled": true,
      "phoneNumber": "+1234567890",
      "bridge": "whatsapp-web"
    }
  }
}

{
  "channels": {
    "telegram": {
      "enabled": true,
      "botToken": "123456:ABC-DEF1234ghIkl-zyx57W2v1u123ew11"
    }
  }
}

{
  "channels": {
    "discord": {
      "enabled": true,
      "botToken": "your-discord-bot-token",
      "guildId": "your-server-id"
    }
  }
}

{
  "channels": {
    "signal": {
      "enabled": true,
      "phoneNumber": "+1234567890"
    }
  }
}

http://localhost:18789

{
  "security": {
    "dmPolicy": "paired-only",
    "groupPolicy": "allowlisted",
    "allowlistedGroups": []
  }
}

{
  "security": {
    "sandboxEnabled": true,
    "allowedPaths": ["~/Documents", "~/Downloads"],
    "networkAccess": "restricted",
    "maxTokensPerRequest": 4096
  }
}

┌────────── minute (0-59)
│ ┌──────── hour (0-23)
│ │ ┌────── day of month (1-31)
│ │ │ ┌──── month (1-12)
│ │ │ │ ┌── day of week (0-7, 0 and 7 = Sunday)
│ │ │ │ │
* * * * *

{
  "schedule": "0 7 * * 1-5",
  "prompt": "Deliver my daily briefing: weather, calendar, top tasks, and any overnight alerts.",
  "channel": "imessage"
}

{
  "schedule": "0 8,12,17 * * 1-5",
  "prompt": "Check my inbox for new messages since the last check. Triage by urgency. Draft responses for routine items.",
  "channel": "slack"
}

{
  "schedule": "0 17 * * 5",
  "prompt": "Weekly review: summarize what I accomplished this week, what's still open, and what's on deck for next week. Check memory for commitments I made.",
  "channel": "slack"
}

{
  "schedule": "0 10 * * 1",
  "prompt": "Weekly competitive intelligence: search for news, product updates, and social media activity from [Competitor A], [Competitor B], and [Competitor C] in the past 7 days.",
  "channel": "slack"
}

{
  "schedule": "0 9,11,13,15,17 * * 1-5",
  "prompt": "Quick reminder: drink some water.",
  "channel": "imessage"
}

{
  "schedule": "0 8 1 * *",
  "prompt": "It's the first of the month. List all active clients and the invoices I need to send today. Include amounts if I've told you.",
  "channel": "imessage"
}

# Check if something else is using port 18789
lsof -i :18789
 
# Kill the existing process if needed
kill -9 <PID>
 
# Or change the port in openclaw.json
openclaw config set port 18790
 
# Check Node.js version (requires 22+)
node --version

# Verify your API key is set
openclaw config --show | grep -i apikey
 
# Test model connectivity
openclaw test model
 
# Check your provider dashboard for:
# - API key validity
# - Spending limits reached
# - Rate limit status

You are my personal assistant. Be concise and direct. No pleasantries
unless I initiate them. Prefer bullet points over paragraphs.
When uncertain, ask rather than guess.

## About Me
- Name: [Your name]
- Location: [City, State]
- Timezone: [e.g., America/Los_Angeles]
- Work: [Job title] at [Company]
- Communication preference: Brief and direct

## General Rules
- Never share my personal information with anyone
- If you are unsure about something, ask before acting
- Save important facts I tell you to memory automatically
- When I say "remind me," create a reminder and confirm the time

{
  "model": "claude-sonnet-4-20250514",
  "anthropicApiKey": "sk-ant-xxxxx",
  "port": 18789,
  "security": {
    "dmPolicy": "paired-only",
    "groupPolicy": "allowlisted",
    "sandboxEnabled": true
  },
  "channels": {
    "imessage": {
      "enabled": true,
      "pairedDevices": ["+1234567890"]
    }
  },
  "cron": [
    {
      "schedule": "0 7 * * *",
      "prompt": "Good morning. Deliver my daily briefing.",
      "channel": "imessage"
    }
  ],
  "memory": {
    "enabled": true,
    "backend": "local"
  }
}

{
  "model": "claude-sonnet-4-20250514",
  "fallbackModels": ["gpt-4o", "gemini-2.0-flash"],
  "fallbackOnError": true
}

export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-xxxxx"
export OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-xxxxx"