services/openclaw/cli.md

Table of Contents

OpenClaw CLI, ClawdHub, and Maintenance

⚙️ OpenClaw CLI

Main command-line interface for managing the gateway daemon.

Gateway Management

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

Skills Management

openclaw skills list              # all available skills (--json for machines)
openclaw skills check             # readiness / visibility / missing requirements
openclaw skills install <name>    # from ClawHub, git, or a local directory
openclaw skills update            # update ClawHub-installed skills
openclaw skills search <query>    # search ClawHub
openclaw skills info <name>       # details for one skill

Note: it's openclaw skills … (plural), and there is no remove subcommand.

Diagnostics

openclaw doctor
openclaw status

📦 ClawdHub CLI

Skill marketplace and package manager. Browse skills at https://clawdhub.com

Installation

npm install -g clawdhub
npm install -g undici  # Required dependency

Common Commands

# Search for skills
clawdhub search "keyword"

# Install a skill
clawdhub install skill-name
clawdhub install skill-name --version 1.2.3

# List installed skills from ClawdHub
clawdhub list

# Update skills
clawdhub update skill-name
clawdhub update --all

# Publish (requires login)
clawdhub login
clawdhub publish ./my-skill --slug my-skill --name "My Skill" --version 1.0.0

🔧 Maintenance

Update OpenClaw

npm update -g openclaw
openclaw gateway restart

Check for updates periodically — new versions ship frequently. Breaking changes are noted on GitHub releases.

Update Skills

Skills installed via clawdhub need manual updates:

clawdhub update --all

Skills bundled with OpenClaw (in ~/.openclaw/plugin-skills/) update with OpenClaw itself.

Check Current Version

openclaw status

When to Update

  • OpenClaw itself: When a new feature or fix is relevant, or every few weeks
  • Skills: When they break or you need new capabilities
  • ClawdHub: npm update -g clawdhub if marketplace commands act up

Backup

Your config and data lives in ~/.openclaw/. Manual backup:

tar czf ~/Desktop/openclaw-backup-$(date +%Y%m%d).tar.gz ~/.openclaw