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Onboarding reference

This is the full reference for openclaw onboard. For a high-level overview, see Onboarding (CLI).

Flow details (local mode)

Section titled “Flow details (local mode)”

  1. Existing config detection

    • If ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json exists, choose Keep current values, Review and update, or Reset before setup.
    • Re-running onboarding does not wipe anything unless you explicitly choose Reset (or pass --reset).
    • CLI --reset defaults to config+creds+sessions; use --reset-scope full to also remove workspace.
    • If the config is invalid or contains legacy keys, the wizard stops and asks you to run openclaw doctor before continuing.
    • Reset uses trash (never rm) and offers scopes:
      • Config only
      • Config + credentials + sessions
      • Full reset (also removes workspace)

  2. Model/Auth

    • Anthropic API key: uses ANTHROPIC_API_KEY if present or prompts for a key, then saves it for daemon use.
    • Anthropic API key: preferred Anthropic assistant choice in onboarding/configure.
    • Anthropic setup-token: still available in onboarding/configure, though OpenClaw now prefers Claude CLI reuse when available.
    • OpenAI Code (Codex) subscription (OAuth): browser flow; paste the code#state.
      • Sets agents.defaults.model to openai/gpt-5.5 through the Codex runtime when model is unset or already OpenAI-family.
    • OpenAI Code (Codex) subscription (device pairing): browser pairing flow with a short-lived device code.
      • Sets agents.defaults.model to openai/gpt-5.5 through the Codex runtime when model is unset or already OpenAI-family.
    • OpenAI API key: uses OPENAI_API_KEY if present or prompts for a key, then stores it in auth profiles.
      • Sets agents.defaults.model to openai/gpt-5.5 when model is unset, openai/*, or openai-codex/*.
    • xAI (Grok) OAuth / API key: signs in with xAI OAuth when chosen, or prompts for XAI_API_KEY on the API-key path, and configures xAI as a model provider.
    • OpenCode: prompts for OPENCODE_API_KEY (or OPENCODE_ZEN_API_KEY, get it at https://opencode.ai/auth) and lets you pick the Zen or Go catalog.
    • Ollama: offers Cloud + Local, Cloud only, or Local only first. Cloud only prompts for OLLAMA_API_KEY and uses https://ollama.com; the host-backed modes prompt for the Ollama base URL, discover available models, and auto-pull the selected local model when needed; Cloud + Local also checks whether that Ollama host is signed in for cloud access.
    • More detail: Ollama
    • API key: stores the key for you.
    • Vercel AI Gateway (multi-model proxy): prompts for AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY.
    • More detail: Vercel AI Gateway
    • Cloudflare AI Gateway: prompts for Account ID, Gateway ID, and CLOUDFLARE_AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY.
    • More detail: Cloudflare AI Gateway
    • MiniMax: config is auto-written; hosted default is MiniMax-M2.7. API-key setup uses minimax/..., and OAuth setup uses minimax-portal/....
    • More detail: MiniMax
    • StepFun: config is auto-written for StepFun standard or Step Plan on China or global endpoints.
    • Standard currently includes step-3.5-flash, and Step Plan also includes step-3.5-flash-2603.
    • More detail: StepFun
    • Synthetic (Anthropic-compatible): prompts for SYNTHETIC_API_KEY.
    • More detail: Synthetic
    • Moonshot (Kimi K2): config is auto-written.
    • Kimi Coding: config is auto-written.
    • More detail: Moonshot AI (Kimi + Kimi Coding)
    • Skip: no auth configured yet.
    • Pick a default model from detected options (or enter provider/model manually). For best quality and lower prompt-injection risk, choose the strongest latest-generation model available in your provider stack.
    • Onboarding runs a model check and warns if the configured model is unknown or missing auth.
    • API key storage mode defaults to plaintext auth-profile values. Use --secret-input-mode ref to store env-backed refs instead (for example keyRef: { source: "env", provider: "default", id: "OPENAI_API_KEY" }).
    • Auth profiles live in `~/.openclaw/agents/

    /agent/auth-profiles.json(API keys + OAuth).~/.openclaw/credentials/oauth.json` is legacy import-only. - More detail: /concepts/oauth

  3. Workspace

    • Default ~/.openclaw/workspace (configurable).
    • Seeds the workspace files needed for the agent bootstrap ritual.
    • Full workspace layout + backup guide: Agent workspace

  4. Gateway

    • Port, bind, auth mode, tailscale exposure.
    • Auth recommendation: keep Token even for loopback so local WS clients must authenticate.
    • In token mode, interactive setup offers:
      • Generate/store plaintext token (default)
      • Use SecretRef (opt-in)
      • Quickstart reuses existing gateway.auth.token SecretRefs across env, file, and exec providers for onboarding probe/dashboard bootstrap.
      • If that SecretRef is configured but cannot be resolved, onboarding fails early with a clear fix message instead of silently degrading runtime auth.
    • In password mode, interactive setup also supports plaintext or SecretRef storage.
    • Non-interactive token SecretRef path: `—gateway-token-ref-env

    . - Requires a non-empty env var in the onboarding process environment. - Cannot be combined with —gateway-token`. - Disable auth only if you fully trust every local process. - Non-loopback binds still require auth.

  5. Channels

    • WhatsApp: optional QR login.
    • Telegram: bot token.
    • Discord: bot token.
    • Google Chat: service account JSON + webhook audience.
    • Mattermost (plugin): bot token + base URL.
    • Signal: optional signal-cli install + account config.
    • iMessage: imsg CLI path + Messages DB access; use an SSH wrapper when the Gateway runs off-Mac.
    • DM security: default is pairing. First DM sends a code; approve via `openclaw pairing approve

    ` or use allowlists.

Non-interactive mode

Section titled “Non-interactive mode”

Use --non-interactive to automate or script onboarding:

Terminal window
openclaw onboard --non-interactive \
  --mode local \
  --auth-choice apiKey \
  --anthropic-api-key "$ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" \
  --gateway-port 18789 \
  --gateway-bind loopback \
  --install-daemon \
  --daemon-runtime node \
  --skip-skills

Add --json for a machine-readable summary.

Gateway token SecretRef in non-interactive mode:

Terminal window
export OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN="your-token"
openclaw onboard --non-interactive \
  --mode local \
  --auth-choice skip \
  --gateway-auth token \
  --gateway-token-ref-env OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN

--gateway-token and --gateway-token-ref-env are mutually exclusive.

Provider-specific command examples live in CLI Automation. Use this reference page for flag semantics and step ordering.

Add agent (non-interactive)

Section titled “Add agent (non-interactive)”
Terminal window
openclaw agents add work \
  --workspace ~/.openclaw/workspace-work \
  --model openai/gpt-5.5 \
  --bind whatsapp:biz \
  --non-interactive \
  --json

Gateway wizard RPC

Section titled “Gateway wizard RPC”

The Gateway exposes the onboarding flow over RPC (wizard.start, wizard.next, wizard.cancel, wizard.status). Clients (macOS app, Control UI) can render steps without re-implementing onboarding logic.

Signal setup (signal-cli)

Section titled “Signal setup (signal-cli)”

Onboarding can install signal-cli from GitHub releases:

  • Downloads the appropriate release asset.
  • Stores it under ~/.openclaw/tools/signal-cli/<version>/.
  • Writes channels.signal.cliPath to your config.

Notes:

  • JVM builds require Java 21.
  • Native builds are used when available.
  • Windows uses WSL2; signal-cli install follows the Linux flow inside WSL.

What the wizard writes

Section titled “What the wizard writes”

Typical fields in ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json:

  • agents.defaults.workspace
  • agents.defaults.model / models.providers (if Minimax chosen)
  • tools.profile (local onboarding defaults to "coding" when unset; existing explicit values are preserved)
  • gateway.* (mode, bind, auth, tailscale)
  • session.dmScope (behavior details: CLI Setup Reference)
  • channels.telegram.botToken, channels.discord.token, channels.matrix.*, channels.signal.*, channels.imessage.*
  • Channel allowlists (Slack/Discord/Matrix/Microsoft Teams) when you opt in during the prompts (names resolve to IDs when possible).
  • skills.install.nodeManager
    • setup --node-manager accepts npm, pnpm, or bun.
    • Manual config can still use yarn by setting skills.install.nodeManager directly.
  • wizard.lastRunAt
  • wizard.lastRunVersion
  • wizard.lastRunCommit
  • wizard.lastRunCommand
  • wizard.lastRunMode

openclaw agents add writes agents.list[] and optional bindings.

WhatsApp credentials go under ~/.openclaw/credentials/whatsapp/<accountId>/. Sessions are stored under ~/.openclaw/agents/<agentId>/sessions/.

Some channels are delivered as plugins. When you pick one during setup, onboarding will prompt to install it (npm or a local path) before it can be configured.

Section titled “Related docs”