openclaw-cli

irangareddy/openclaw-essentials · updated Apr 8, 2026

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$npx skills add https://github.com/irangareddy/openclaw-essentials --skill openclaw-cli
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summary

Complete reference for openclaw command-line interface operations.

skill.md

OpenClaw CLI

Complete reference for openclaw command-line interface operations.

When to Use

Managing OpenClaw gateway, agents, channels, skills, hooks, and automation.

Core Commands

Setup & Onboarding

Initial setup:

# Quick onboarding with daemon install
openclaw onboard --install-daemon

# Setup workspace and config
openclaw setup --workspace ~/.openclaw/workspace

# Interactive configuration
openclaw configure

Health check:

openclaw doctor

Gateway Management

Run gateway:

# Interactive mode
openclaw gateway

# With specific port
openclaw gateway --port 18789

# With tailscale
openclaw gateway --tailscale serve

Gateway service:

# Install as system service
openclaw gateway install

# Control service
openclaw gateway start
openclaw gateway stop
openclaw gateway restart
openclaw gateway status

Gateway health:

openclaw status
openclaw status --deep     # Probe channels
openclaw health

Agent Management

List agents:

openclaw agents list
openclaw agents list --bindings    # Show routing

Add agent:

# Interactive wizard
openclaw agents add <name>

# Non-interactive
openclaw agents add dev \
  --workspace ~/.openclaw/workspace-dev \
  --model claude-sonnet-4.5 \
  --non-interactive

Delete agent:

openclaw agents delete <id>

Set identity:

# From IDENTITY.md
openclaw agents set-identity --agent main --from-identity

# Explicit values
openclaw agents set-identity --agent main \
  --name "MyAgent" \
  --emoji "🤖" \
  --avatar avatars/bot.png

Skills Management

List skills:

openclaw skills list
openclaw skills list --eligible    # Only ready skills
openclaw skills list --json        # JSON output

Skill info:

openclaw skills info <skill-name>

Check eligibility:

openclaw skills check

Hooks Management

List hooks:

openclaw hooks list
openclaw hooks list --eligible
openclaw hooks list --verbose      # Show missing requirements

Hook info:

openclaw hooks info <hook-name>

Enable/disable:

openclaw hooks enable session-memory
openclaw hooks disable command-logger

Install hooks:

# From npm
openclaw hooks install @openclaw/my-hooks

# Local directory
openclaw hooks install ./my-hooks

# Link (development)
openclaw hooks install -l ./my-hooks

Update hooks:

openclaw hooks update <id>
openclaw hooks update --all

Channel Management

List channels:

openclaw channels list

Channel status:

openclaw channels status
openclaw channels status --probe

Add channel:

# Interactive
openclaw channels add

# Telegram bot
openclaw channels add --channel telegram \
  --account alerts \
  --name "Alerts Bot" \
  --token $TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN

# Discord
openclaw channels add --channel discord \
  --account work \
  --token $DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN

Remove channel:

openclaw channels remove --channel telegram --account alerts
openclaw channels remove --channel discord --account work --delete

WhatsApp login:

openclaw channels login --channel whatsapp

Channel logs:

openclaw channels logs
openclaw channels logs --channel whatsapp --lines 100

Models & Authentication

Status:

openclaw models status
openclaw models status --probe               # Live check
openclaw models status --probe-provider anthropic

List models:

openclaw models list
openclaw models list --all
openclaw models list --provider anthropic

Set default:

openclaw models set claude-sonnet-4.5
openclaw models set-image claude-sonnet-4.5

Auth setup:

# Anthropic (recommended)
claude setup-token
openclaw models auth setup-token --provider anthropic

# Or paste token
openclaw models auth paste-token --provider anthropic

Fallbacks:

openclaw models fallbacks list
openclaw models fallbacks add claude-opus-4.6
openclaw models fallbacks remove claude-haiku-4.5
openclaw models fallbacks clear

Scan for models:

openclaw models scan
openclaw models scan --set-default

Messaging

Send message:

openclaw message send \
  --target +15555550123 \
  --message "Hello from OpenClaw"

# Discord channel
openclaw message send \
  --channel discord \
  --target channel:123456 \
  --message "Deployment complete"

Send poll:

openclaw message poll \
  --channel discord \
  --target channel:123 \
  --poll-question "Lunch?" \
  --poll-option "Pizza" \
  --poll-option "Sushi"

Other message operations:

openclaw message read --target +15555550123
openclaw message react --target <id> --emoji "👍"
openclaw message edit --target <id> --message "Updated"
openclaw message delete --target <id>

Browser Control

Status & control:

openclaw browser status
openclaw browser start
openclaw browser stop
openclaw browser tabs

Navigate:

openclaw browser open https://example.com
openclaw browser navigate https://example.com --target-id <id>

Interact:

openclaw browser click "#submit-button"
openclaw browser type "#email" "[email protected]"
openclaw browser press Enter

Capture:

openclaw browser screenshot
openclaw browser screenshot --full-page
openclaw browser snapshot --format ai

Profiles:

openclaw browser profiles
openclaw browser create-profile --name dev
openclaw browser delete-profile --name old

Nodes & Devices

List nodes:

openclaw nodes list
openclaw nodes status --connected

Node operations:

# Describe node
openclaw nodes describe --node <id>

# Run command on node
openclaw nodes run --node <id> --cwd /path -- ls -la

# Notify (macOS)
openclaw nodes notify --node <id> \
  --title "Build Complete" \
  --body "Success" \
  --sound default

Camera:

openclaw nodes camera list --node <id>
openclaw nodes camera snap --node <id> --facing front
openclaw nodes camera clip --node <id> --duration 10s

Canvas:

openclaw nodes canvas snapshot --node <id>
openclaw nodes canvas present --node <id> --target index.html
openclaw nodes canvas hide --node <id>

Screen recording:

openclaw nodes screen record --node <id> --duration 30s

System Commands

System event:

openclaw system event --text "Deployment complete" --mode now
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how to use openclaw-cli

How to use openclaw-cli on Cursor

AI-first code editor with Composer

1

Prerequisites

Before installing skills in Cursor, ensure your development environment meets these requirements:

  • Cursor installed and configured on your development machine
  • Node.js version 16.0+ with npm package manager (verify with node --version)
  • Active project directory or workspace where you want to add openclaw-cli
2

Execute installation command

Execute the skills CLI command in your project's root directory to begin installation:

$npx skills add https://github.com/irangareddy/openclaw-essentials --skill openclaw-cli

The skills CLI fetches openclaw-cli from GitHub repository irangareddy/openclaw-essentials and configures it for Cursor.

3

Select Cursor when prompted

The CLI will show a list of available agents. Use arrow keys to navigate and space to select Cursor:

◆ Which agents do you want to install to?
│ ── Universal (.agents/skills) ── always included ────
│ • Amp
│ • Antigravity
│ • Cline
│ • Codex
│ ●Cursor(selected)
│ • Cursor
│ • Windsurf
4

Verify installation

Confirm successful installation by checking the skill directory location:

.cursor/skills/openclaw-cli

Reload or restart Cursor to activate openclaw-cli. Access the skill through slash commands (e.g., /openclaw-cli) or your agent's skill management interface.

Security & Verification Notice

We perform automated surface-level scans (Gen AI Scanner, Socket, Snyk) during installation. These checks detect common vulnerabilities but do not guarantee complete security. Always review skill source code and verify the publisher's reputation before production use.

Skills execute code in your development environment. Always verify the publisher's identity, review recent commits, and test in isolated environments before production deployment.

List & Monetize Your Skill

Submit your Claude Code skill and start earning

GET_STARTED →

Use Cases

User Story & Requirements Generation

Create detailed user stories, acceptance criteria, and feature specs

Example

Generate user stories for 'password reset feature' with acceptance criteria, edge cases, and test scenarios

Reduce spec writing time by 50%, ensure comprehensive coverage

Competitive Analysis

Research competitors, compare features, identify gaps

Example

Analyze 5 competitor products, create feature comparison matrix, suggest differentiation opportunities

Complete competitive research in 2 hours instead of 2 days

Roadmap Prioritization

Evaluate features using frameworks (RICE, ICE, Kano) and create prioritized backlogs

Example

Score 20 feature ideas using RICE framework, generate prioritized roadmap with rationale

Make data-driven prioritization decisions faster

Stakeholder Communication

Draft PRDs, status updates, and stakeholder presentations

Example

Create executive summary of Q3 roadmap, monthly progress report, feature launch announcement

Save 3-5 hours/week on communication overhead

Implementation Guide

Prerequisites

  • Claude Desktop or compatible AI client
  • Access to product documentation and roadmap tools (Jira, Notion, etc.)
  • Understanding of product management frameworks (RICE, Jobs-to-be-Done, etc.)
  • Stakeholder contact information and communication channels

Time Estimate

30-60 minutes to see productivity improvements

Installation Steps

  1. 1.Install product management skill
  2. 2.Start with user story generation for known feature
  3. 3.Progress to competitive analysis: research 2-3 competitors
  4. 4.Use for roadmap prioritization: apply RICE/ICE scoring
  5. 5.Draft stakeholder communications and refine based on feedback
  6. 6.Build template library for recurring PM tasks
  7. 7.Share effective prompts with product team

Common Pitfalls

  • Not validating competitive research—verify facts before sharing
  • Accepting user stories without involving engineering team
  • Over-relying on frameworks without qualitative judgment
  • Not customizing outputs to company culture and communication style
  • Skipping stakeholder validation of generated requirements

Best Practices

✓ Do

  • +Validate research and competitive analysis with real data
  • +Collaborate with engineering when generating technical requirements
  • +Customize frameworks and templates to your company context
  • +Use skill for first drafts, refine with stakeholder input
  • +Document successful prompt patterns for PM tasks
  • +Combine AI efficiency with human judgment and intuition

✗ Don't

  • Don't publish competitive analysis without fact-checking
  • Don't finalize user stories without engineering review
  • Don't make prioritization decisions solely on AI scoring
  • Don't skip customer validation of generated requirements
  • Don't ignore company-specific context and culture

💡 Pro Tips

  • Provide context: company goals, constraints, customer feedback
  • Ask for alternatives: 'Show 3 ways to prioritize this roadmap'
  • Request stakeholder-specific formatting: 'Executive summary vs. engineering spec'
  • Use skill for 70% generation + 30% customization to company needs

When to Use This

✓ Use When

Use for user story writing, competitive research, roadmap prioritization, stakeholder communication, and PRD drafting. Best for reducing repetitive documentation and research work.

✗ Avoid When

Avoid for strategic product vision (requires deep customer empathy), pricing decisions (needs market and financial expertise), or when face-to-face customer discovery is more valuable than speed.

Learning Path

  1. 1Basic: user stories, feature specs, status updates
  2. 2Intermediate: competitive analysis, prioritization frameworks, PRDs
  3. 3Advanced: product strategy, go-to-market planning, OKR setting
  4. 4Expert: product vision, market positioning, business model innovation

Discussion

Product Hunt–style comments (not star reviews)
  • No comments yet — start the thread.
general reviews

Ratings

4.732 reviews
  • Shikha Mishra· Dec 24, 2024

    Solid pick for teams standardizing on skills: openclaw-cli is focused, and the summary matches what you get after install.

  • Neel Desai· Dec 8, 2024

    Useful defaults in openclaw-cli — fewer surprises than typical one-off scripts, and it plays nicely with `npx skills` flows.

  • Chen Chawla· Nov 27, 2024

    openclaw-cli is among the better-maintained entries we tried; worth keeping pinned for repeat workflows.

  • Kaira Tandon· Oct 18, 2024

    Keeps context tight: openclaw-cli is the kind of skill you can hand to a new teammate without a long onboarding doc.

  • Tariq Ndlovu· Sep 21, 2024

    Useful defaults in openclaw-cli — fewer surprises than typical one-off scripts, and it plays nicely with `npx skills` flows.

  • Kiara Wang· Sep 9, 2024

    We added openclaw-cli from the explainx registry; install was straightforward and the SKILL.md answered most questions upfront.

  • Oshnikdeep· Sep 5, 2024

    I recommend openclaw-cli for anyone iterating fast on agent tooling; clear intent and a small, reviewable surface area.

  • Amelia Gill· Sep 1, 2024

    Solid pick for teams standardizing on skills: openclaw-cli is focused, and the summary matches what you get after install.

  • Kiara Thompson· Aug 28, 2024

    openclaw-cli fits our agent workflows well — practical, well scoped, and easy to wire into existing repos.

  • Ganesh Mohane· Aug 24, 2024

    Useful defaults in openclaw-cli — fewer surprises than typical one-off scripts, and it plays nicely with `npx skills` flows.

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