OpenClaw CLI Commands
OpenClaw is a terminal-based management CLI for controlling gateways, channels, cron jobs, and configuration. Every command can be run directly in your shell or proxied into a running Docker container.
Docker usage: Replace
<name>with your container name —docker exec -it <name> openclaw <command>
Quick Reference
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
openclaw doctor |
Automated health check and auto-fix |
openclaw gateway restart |
Restarts the gateway service |
openclaw logs --follow |
Streams live logs |
openclaw channels status |
Checks active channels health |
openclaw config get |
Retrieves configuration settings |
openclaw cron list |
Lists scheduled jobs |
openclaw gateway status |
Status of gateway service |
openclaw gateway health |
Deep check on gateway dependencies |
openclaw channels list |
Lists all registered channels |
openclaw channels logs |
Fetches channel-specific logs |
openclaw config set |
Updates a configuration value |
openclaw status |
Global health summary |
openclaw cron status |
Cron daemon operational status |
openclaw cron runs |
History of recent scheduled jobs |
openclaw channels add |
Registers a new channel |
openclaw channels remove |
Deletes a channel configuration |
openclaw channels capabilities |
Inspects channel features |
openclaw cron add |
Adds a scheduled task |
openclaw cron edit |
Modifies an existing cron job |
openclaw cron rm |
Removes a scheduled task |
openclaw configure |
Launches setup wizard |
openclaw onboard |
Runs initial onboarding script |
Must Run After Installation & Monitoring
Essential commands to validate a fresh installation and establish a health baseline before going live.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
openclaw health |
Fetches health information from the running gateway |
openclaw security audit --deep |
Audits config with a live gateway probe |
openclaw security audit --fix |
Applies safe fixes to tighten security |
openclaw doctor |
Runs health checks across all services |
openclaw doctor --fix |
Runs health checks and applies quick fixes for the gateway |
Most Frequent
Commands you'll reach for daily — health checks, live log streaming, and active channel monitoring.
openclaw doctor
Runs an automated health check across all services and attempts to auto-fix detected issues. Start here whenever something feels off.
openclaw gateway restart
Restarts the gateway service. Use when the gateway is unresponsive or after a configuration change that requires a fresh start.
openclaw logs --follow
Streams live logs in real time. Equivalent to tail -f for the OpenClaw runtime — essential during debugging or deployment.
openclaw channels status
Checks the health of all active channels. Shows which channels are up, degraded, or disconnected at a glance.
openclaw config get
Retrieves the current configuration settings. Use this to inspect active values before making changes.
openclaw cron list
Lists all scheduled jobs and their next execution times. Useful for verifying that automations are registered correctly.
Medium Frequent
Commands for deeper diagnostics, channel management, and cron job history — reached for when issues need investigation.
openclaw gateway status
Shows the current operational status of the gateway service, including uptime and connection state.
openclaw gateway health
Performs a deep health check on gateway dependencies — useful when status shows degraded state and you need root cause.
openclaw channels list
Lists all registered channels with their identifiers and basic metadata.
openclaw channels logs
Fetches logs scoped to a specific channel. Useful for isolating issues to a single channel rather than the global log stream.
openclaw config set
Updates a configuration value at runtime. Changes take effect immediately without requiring a restart.
openclaw status
Returns a global health summary across all services — gateway, channels, cron, and config — in one view.
openclaw cron status
Reports whether the cron daemon is running and operational. Check this before investigating missed scheduled jobs.
openclaw cron runs
Displays the history of recently executed scheduled jobs, including timestamps and outcomes.
Less Frequent
Setup, onboarding, and structural changes — used during initial configuration or major changes to channels and schedules.
openclaw channels add
Registers a new channel with the OpenClaw runtime. Run this when integrating a new platform or endpoint.
openclaw channels remove
Deletes a channel configuration permanently. Verify the channel is no longer needed before removing.
openclaw channels capabilities
Inspects the feature set supported by a channel — useful when troubleshooting missing functionality.
openclaw cron add
Adds a new scheduled task to the cron daemon. Specify the schedule expression and target action.
openclaw cron edit
Modifies the schedule or parameters of an existing cron job without removing and re-adding it.
openclaw cron rm
Removes a scheduled task from the cron daemon entirely.
openclaw configure
Launches the interactive setup wizard for initial or advanced configuration. Guided and menu-driven.
openclaw onboard
Runs the initial onboarding script for a fresh OpenClaw installation. Typically used once during first-time setup.