Building plugins

Plugins extend OpenClaw without changing core. A plugin can add a messaging channel, model provider, local CLI backend, agent tool, hook, media provider, or another plugin-owned capability.

You do not need to add an external plugin to the OpenClaw repository. Publish the package to ClawHub and users install it with:

openclaw plugins install clawhub:<package-name>

Bare package specs still install from npm during the launch cutover. Use the clawhub: prefix when you want ClawHub resolution.

Requirements

Use Node 22.19 or newer and a package manager such as npm or pnpm.
Be familiar with TypeScript ESM modules.
For in-repo bundled plugin work, clone the repository and run pnpm install. Source-checkout plugin development is pnpm-only because OpenClaw loads bundled plugins from extensions/* workspace packages.

Choose the plugin shape

Channel plugin

Connect OpenClaw to a messaging platform.

Provider plugin

Add a model, media, search, fetch, speech, or realtime provider.

CLI backend plugin

Run a local AI CLI through OpenClaw model fallback.

Tool plugin

Quickstart

Build a minimal tool plugin by registering one required agent tool. This is the shortest useful plugin shape and shows the package, manifest, entry point, and local proof.

Create package metadata

{
  "name": "@myorg/openclaw-my-plugin",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "type": "module",
  "openclaw": {
    "extensions": ["./index.ts"],
    "compat": {
      "pluginApi": ">=2026.3.24-beta.2",
      "minGatewayVersion": "2026.3.24-beta.2"
    },
    "build": {
      "openclawVersion": "2026.3.24-beta.2",
      "pluginSdkVersion": "2026.3.24-beta.2"
    }
  }
}

{
  "id": "my-plugin",
  "name": "My Plugin",
  "description": "Adds a custom tool to OpenClaw",
  "contracts": {
    "tools": ["my_tool"]
  },
  "activation": {
    "onStartup": true
  },
  "configSchema": {
    "type": "object",
    "additionalProperties": false
  }
}

Published external plugins should point runtime entries at built JavaScript files. See SDK entry points for the full entry point contract.

Every plugin needs a manifest, even when it has no config. Runtime tools must appear in contracts.tools so OpenClaw can discover ownership without eagerly loading every plugin runtime. Set activation.onStartup intentionally. This example starts on Gateway startup.

For every manifest field, see Plugin manifest.

import { Type } from "typebox";
import { definePluginEntry } from "openclaw/plugin-sdk/plugin-entry";

export default definePluginEntry({
  id: "my-plugin",
  name: "My Plugin",
  description: "Adds a custom tool to OpenClaw",
  register(api) {
    api.registerTool({
      name: "my_tool",
      description: "Echo one input value",
      parameters: Type.Object({ input: Type.String() }),
      async execute(_id, params) {
        return {
          content: [{ type: "text", text: `Got: ${params.input}` }],
        };
      },
    });
  },
});

Use definePluginEntry for non-channel plugins. Channel plugins use defineChannelPluginEntry.

Test the runtime
For an installed or external plugin, inspect the loaded runtime:
Terminal window
```
openclaw plugins inspect my-plugin --runtime --json
```
If the plugin registers a CLI command, run that command too. For example, a demo command should have an execution proof such as openclaw demo-plugin ping.

For a bundled plugin in this repository, OpenClaw discovers source-checkout plugin packages from the extensions/* workspace. Run the closest targeted test:
Terminal window
```
pnpm test -- extensions/my-plugin/
pnpm check
```
Publish
Validate the package before publishing:
Terminal window
```
clawhub package publish your-org/your-plugin --dry-run
clawhub package publish your-org/your-plugin
```
The canonical ClawHub snippets live in docs/snippets/plugin-publish/.
Install
Install the published package through ClawHub:
Terminal window
```
openclaw plugins install clawhub:your-org/your-plugin
```

Registering tools

Tools can be required or optional. Required tools are always available when the plugin is enabled. Optional tools require user opt-in.

register(api) {
  api.registerTool(
    {
      name: "workflow_tool",
      description: "Run a workflow",
      parameters: Type.Object({ pipeline: Type.String() }),
      async execute(_id, params) {
        return { content: [{ type: "text", text: params.pipeline }] };
      },
    },
    { optional: true },
  );
}

Every tool registered with api.registerTool(...) must also be declared in the plugin manifest:

{
  "contracts": {
    "tools": ["workflow_tool"]
  },
  "toolMetadata": {
    "workflow_tool": {
      "optional": true
    }
  }
}

Users opt in with tools.allow:

{
  tools: { allow: ["workflow_tool"] }, // or ["my-plugin"] for all tools from one plugin
}

Use optional tools for side effects, unusual binaries, or capabilities that should not be exposed by default. Tool names must not conflict with core tools; conflicts are skipped and reported in plugin diagnostics. Malformed registrations, including tool descriptors without parameters, are skipped and reported the same way. Registered tools are typed functions the model can call after policy and allowlist checks pass.

Tool factories receive a runtime-supplied context object. Use ctx.activeModel when a tool needs to log, display, or adapt to the active model for the current turn. The object can include provider, modelId, and modelRef. Treat it as informational runtime metadata, not as a security boundary against the local operator, installed plugin code, or a modified OpenClaw runtime. Sensitive local tools should still require an explicit plugin or operator opt-in and fail closed when active-model metadata is missing or unsuitable.

The manifest declares ownership and discovery; execution still calls the live registered tool implementation. Keep `toolMetadata.

.optional: truealigned withapi.registerTool(…, { optional: true })` so OpenClaw can avoid loading that plugin runtime until the tool is explicitly allowlisted.

Import conventions

Import from focused SDK subpaths:

import { definePluginEntry } from "openclaw/plugin-sdk/plugin-entry";
import { createPluginRuntimeStore } from "openclaw/plugin-sdk/runtime-store";

Do not import from the deprecated root barrel:

import { definePluginEntry } from "openclaw/plugin-sdk";

Within your plugin package, use local barrel files such as api.ts and runtime-api.ts for internal imports. Do not import your own plugin through an SDK path. Provider-specific helpers should stay in the provider package unless the seam is truly generic.

Custom Gateway RPC methods are an advanced entry point. Keep them on a plugin-specific prefix; core admin namespaces such as config.*, exec.approvals.*, operator.admin.*, wizard.*, and update.* stay reserved and resolve to operator.admin. The openclaw/plugin-sdk/gateway-method-runtime bridge is reserved for plugin HTTP routes that declare contracts.gatewayMethodDispatch: ["authenticated-request"].

For the full import map, see Plugin SDK overview.

Pre-submission checklist

Test against beta releases

Watch for GitHub release tags on openclaw/openclaw and subscribe via Watch > Releases. Beta tags look like v2026.3.N-beta.1. You can also turn on notifications for the official OpenClaw X account @openclaw for release announcements.
Test your plugin against the beta tag as soon as it appears. The window before stable is typically only a few hours.
Post in your plugin’s thread in the plugin-forum Discord channel after testing with either all good or what broke. If you do not have a thread yet, create one.
If something breaks, open or update an issue titled `Beta blocker:

and apply thebeta-blockerlabel. Put the issue link in your thread. 5. Open a PR tomaintitledfix(

): beta blocker -

` and link the issue in both the PR and your Discord thread. Contributors cannot label PRs, so the title is the PR-side signal for maintainers and automation. Blockers with a PR get merged; blockers without one might ship anyway. Maintainers watch these threads during beta testing. 6. Silence means green. If you miss the window, your fix likely lands in the next cycle.