This is the full list of OpenClaw CLI commands, ranked by how often they come up in real usage. If you run your OpenClaw bot on ClawCloud, you can execute these directly from the Console tab in your dashboard without SSH access.
Everyday Commands
These are the ones you'll use most. Health checks, logs, and quick status overviews.
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
openclaw doctor | Full health check with auto-fixes — flags DM policy issues, broken allowlists, gateway problems, model mismatches |
openclaw status | Quick overview of sessions, models, usage, and connected channels |
openclaw sessions | List active sessions and conversation history |
openclaw logs | Tail the gateway logs (add --follow for live streaming) |
openclaw gateway restart | Restart the gateway — required after config changes like DM policy or model switches |
openclaw config get | View any setting (openclaw config get channels.telegram for one channel) |
openclaw config set | Change a setting (openclaw config set channels.telegram.dmPolicy allowlist) |
Most users run doctor first, then status, then logs if something looks off.
Channel and Security Commands
These matter when you're adjusting who can talk to your bot. See also: How to Unlock DM Access and How to Change the OpenClaw DM Policy.
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
openclaw channels list | List all configured channels |
openclaw channels status | Show connection state per channel |
openclaw pairing list <channel> | Show pending pairing requests (e.g. pairing list telegram) |
openclaw pairing approve <channel> <code> | Approve a pairing request |
openclaw config set channels.<ch>.dmPolicy <policy> | Change DM policy: open, pairing, allowlist, or disabled |
openclaw config set channels.<ch>.allowFrom '["+15551234567"]' | Set the DM allowlist (JSON array of user IDs) |
After any DM policy change, run openclaw gateway restart and then openclaw doctor to confirm.
Model Commands
Switch models or check what's available. For a walkthrough, see How to Switch AI Models.
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
openclaw models list --all --plain | List every available model ID |
openclaw models list --provider openrouter --all --plain | List models for a specific provider |
openclaw models status | Show the currently active model |
openclaw models set <model> | Switch to a different model |
Agent, Tools, and Skills
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
openclaw agents list | List configured agents |
openclaw agents add | Add a new agent |
openclaw tools list | List installed tools |
openclaw tools install <name> | Install a tool |
openclaw tools uninstall <name> | Remove a tool |
openclaw skills list | List available skills |
openclaw cron list | List scheduled cron jobs |
openclaw cron status | Check cron job state |
Messaging
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
openclaw message send --to <id> --message "text" | Send a message from the bot |
openclaw agent --message "Do X for me" | Run a one-off agent task |
Setup Commands (Run Once)
These are only needed during initial setup or after large configuration changes. On ClawCloud, provisioning handles all of this automatically.
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
openclaw onboard | Interactive setup wizard |
openclaw setup | Create workspace and config |
openclaw configure | Full interactive config wizard |
Chat Slash Commands
Once your bot is running, you can also use these inside the chat itself (Telegram, Discord, WhatsApp):
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
/status | Bot status and uptime |
/help | List available commands |
/commands | Same as /help |
/whoami | Show your sender ID (alias: /id) — useful for finding your Telegram or Discord user ID |
/model | Show or switch the active model |
/reset | Reset conversation context |
/new | Start a new conversation |
/compact | Summarize and compress the conversation history |
/think high | Enable extended thinking mode |
/allowlist | View or modify the DM allowlist |
Daily Workflow Cheat Sheet
openclaw doctor # check everything
openclaw status # see what's running
openclaw logs # check recent logs
openclaw channels status # verify channel connections
If you're on ClawCloud, open the Console tab in your dashboard and click any of the quick-command buttons to run these.
For more details on specific topics, see the OpenClaw documentation or the OpenClaw model providers guide.