OpenClaw CLI Command Reference and Power Tips

CLI Overview

The OpenClaw CLI (openclaw-cli) is the primary tool for configuring, managing, and troubleshooting your gateway. When running via Docker Compose, every CLI command follows this pattern:

docker compose run --rm openclaw-cli <command> [options]

Running --help shows the full command tree:

docker compose run --rm openclaw-cli --help

Command Categories

OpenClaw v2026.2.25 ships with 40+ top-level commands organized into logical groups:

Gateway & Infrastructure

openclaw gateway run and its subcommands

The gateway command group controls the WebSocket Gateway — the long-running process behind every channel and the Control UI. The usual entry point is openclaw gateway run, which starts the gateway in the foreground:

# Start the gateway in the foreground (Ctrl+C to stop)
openclaw gateway run

# Bind to a specific address/port (see bind modes)
openclaw gateway run --bind 0.0.0.0:18789

# Run detached, then check health and tail logs
openclaw gateway run --detach
openclaw gateway health
openclaw gateway logs --follow

Seeing non-loopback control ui requires gateway.controlui.allowedorigins when you run the gateway? That is the origin-allowlist requirement — see Fix OpenClaw ‘Non-Loopback Control UI’ Startup Error.

Configuration

Agent & Conversations

Channels & Communication

Security & Administration

Advanced

Essential Config Commands

Get a Config Value

docker compose run --rm openclaw-cli config get agents.defaults.memorySearch.provider

Set a Config Value

docker compose run --rm openclaw-cli config set \
  agents.defaults.compaction.memoryFlush.enabled true

Unset a Config Value

docker compose run --rm openclaw-cli config unset \
  agents.defaults.compaction.memoryFlush.systemPrompt

Batch Configuration

Run multiple config set commands in sequence. Each change generates a SHA-256 hash trail:

docker compose run --rm openclaw-cli config set key1 value1
docker compose run --rm openclaw-cli config set key2 value2
docker compose run --rm openclaw-cli config set key3 value3
docker compose restart openclaw-gateway

The config file tracks changes with hash chains:

sha256 d6d04328... -> dd9c4954...  (first change)
sha256 dd9c4954... -> 00585ebf...  (second change)
sha256 00585ebf... -> 77d13c91...  (third change)

Global Options

Profile Isolation

Profiles let you run multiple OpenClaw instances with separate state:

# Production
docker compose run --rm openclaw-cli config set gateway.port 18789

# Development (isolated state)
docker compose run --rm openclaw-cli --dev gateway
# Uses port 19001, state in ~/.openclaw-dev/

Power Tips

Tip 1: Suppress Warning Noise

When environment variables like CLAUDE_WEB_COOKIE aren’t set, Docker Compose emits warnings:

WARN[0000] The "CLAUDE_WEB_COOKIE" variable is not set.
Defaulting to a blank string.

Suppress these by adding empty defaults to your .env file:

cat >> ~/openclaw/.env <<'EOF'
CLAUDE_WEB_COOKIE=
CLAUDE_AI_SESSION_KEY=
CLAUDE_WEB_SESSION_KEY=
EOF

Tip 2: Use Shell History Wisely

OpenClaw CLI commands can be long. Create aliases:

# Add to ~/.bashrc
alias oc='docker compose run --rm openclaw-cli'
alias oc-config='docker compose run --rm openclaw-cli config'
alias oc-restart='docker compose restart openclaw-gateway'

Then:

oc config set agents.defaults.memorySearch.provider local
oc-restart

Tip 3: Inspect Config as JSON

View the current full config:

docker exec -it openclaw-openclaw-gateway-1 sh -lc \
  'cat /home/node/.openclaw/openclaw.json' | python3 -m json.tool

Tip 4: Diff Config Changes

Compare current config with the last backup:

docker exec -it openclaw-openclaw-gateway-1 sh -lc \
  'diff /home/node/.openclaw/openclaw.json.bak /home/node/.openclaw/openclaw.json'

Tip 5: Use the Doctor Command

When things aren’t working, doctor runs automated health checks:

docker compose run --rm openclaw-cli doctor

Tip 6: Generate Shell Completions

docker compose run --rm openclaw-cli completion > /tmp/openclaw-completion.sh
source /tmp/openclaw-completion.sh

The Lobster Taglines

You may notice the CLI prints a random tagline on every run:

🦞 OpenClaw 2026.2.25 (unknown)
   curl for conversations.

🦞 OpenClaw 2026.2.25 (unknown)
   I'm the reason your shell history looks like a hacker-movie montage.

🦞 OpenClaw 2026.2.25 (unknown)
   Your .env is showing; don't worry, I'll pretend I didn't see it.

These are built into the CLI binary — a nice touch of personality in an otherwise serious tool. Each invocation shows a different one.

Memory CLI Commands

# Search agent memory
docker compose run --rm openclaw-cli memory search "deployment configuration"

# Reindex memory files (after manual edits)
docker compose run --rm openclaw-cli memory reindex

# List memory contents
docker compose run --rm openclaw-cli memory list

Security Commands

# Run security audit
docker compose run --rm openclaw-cli security audit

# Check for dangerous config flags
docker compose run --rm openclaw-cli security check

Helpful Debugging Pattern

When troubleshooting, follow this sequence:

# 1. Check health
docker compose run --rm openclaw-cli health

# 2. Check channel status
docker compose run --rm openclaw-cli status

# 3. Run doctor
docker compose run --rm openclaw-cli doctor

# 4. Check logs
docker compose run --rm openclaw-cli logs

# 5. Verify config
docker compose run --rm openclaw-cli config get gateway

Series Navigation

• Previous: OpenClaw File-Backed Memory Notes for Durable Agent Knowledge
• Next: Docker Volume Permissions for OpenClaw on Linux
• Series index: What is OpenClaw AI Agent Gateway?

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