CLI Reference

The openclaw CLI is the main entry point for installation, onboarding, Gateway operations, channels, models, sessions and debugging. The number of commands that truly matter is small, but knowing the groups saves a lot of troubleshooting time.

Getting Started Help Center Gateway Ops

Command Groups

Setup

Install and initialization

setup, onboard, configure, doctor, update, uninstall

Gateway

Service and status

gateway, status, health, logs, system

Channels

Chat entry management

channels, pairing, message, nodes, devices

Models & Tools

Models, tools and permissions

models, sandbox, approvals, skills, plugins

Global Flags

--dev: isolate state into ~/.openclaw-dev and adjust default ports automatically.

--profile <name>: isolate state into ~/.openclaw-<name>, useful for rescue, staging and other side environments.

--no-color: produce output that is easier to consume from logs or scripts.

-V / --version: print the current version quickly.

High-Frequency Commands

Initialize and repair

openclaw onboard
openclaw configure
openclaw doctor

Gateway operations

openclaw gateway status
openclaw gateway start
openclaw gateway stop
openclaw gateway restart

Status and logs

openclaw status
openclaw health
openclaw logs --follow

Models and channels

openclaw models status
openclaw channels login
openclaw channels status --probe