OpenClaw Gateway Explained: Commands, Ports, Auth, and Common Fixes

OpenClaw Gateway — Practical Guide (Polished Draft)

1. What Is the Gateway? (One-Minute Primer)

If you searched for “openclaw gateway” or “openclaw gateway start,” you probably installed OpenClaw but are not sure what the Gateway does. In short: the Gateway is OpenClaw’s control plane. It receives messages from chat platforms (Telegram, LINE, Discord, and others), routes them to AI agents, and manages connections and authentication.

MIT Technology Review described AI agents in early 2025 as systems that can autonomously carry out multi-step tasks. OpenClaw’s Gateway is the infrastructure that makes that autonomy usable: without it, agents cannot reliably receive instructions, connect to external services, or run in a stable way. The orchestration layer—in OpenClaw, that is the Gateway—is what turns a standalone model into something that behaves like an agent.

Think of it as a switchboard: every inbound message goes through the Gateway first; it decides which agent handles the work, which model to use, and which security rules apply.

2. Gateway CLI — Quick Reference

These commands cover the vast majority of day-to-day Gateway management (per OpenClaw docs).

2.1 Status

Command	Purpose
`openclaw gateway status`	Running/stopped, port, PID
`openclaw gateway status --json`	Machine-readable output
`openclaw gateway status --deep`	Deeper check (e.g. WebSocket, channels)
`openclaw status`	Gateway + node + channels overview
`openclaw status --deep`	Full diagnostics
`openclaw health`	Quick “is the Gateway responding?” check

2.2 Start / stop / service

Command	Purpose
`openclaw gateway --port 18789`	Run in foreground (default port 18789); Ctrl+C stops
`openclaw gateway install --force`	Install/reinstall background service (systemd on Linux, launchd on macOS)
`openclaw gateway restart`	Restart the Gateway service (common after config changes)

Note: There are no separate gateway start / gateway stop subcommands. To run interactively, use openclaw gateway. For a service, use openclaw gateway install --force. To stop the service, use OS tools (e.g. systemctl stop openclaw-gateway on Linux, or launchctl unload on macOS as appropriate).

2.3 Diagnostics & security

Command	Purpose
`openclaw doctor`	Config, permissions, connectivity checks
`openclaw doctor --generate-gateway-token`	Generate token; can write into config
`openclaw logs --follow`	Stream logs (like `tail -f`)
`openclaw security audit`	Security scan
`openclaw security audit --deep`	Deeper scan (auth, tokens, exposure)
`openclaw security audit --fix`	Attempt automatic fixes

2.4 Configuration

Command	Example
`openclaw config get <key>`	`openclaw config get gateway.port`
`openclaw config set <key> <value>`	`openclaw config set gateway.port 28789`
`openclaw config unset <key>`	e.g. remove `gateway.auth.token`
`openclaw configure`	Interactive wizard
`openclaw onboard --install-daemon`	Full setup path (auth, gateway, channels, daemon)

3. Port Configuration (Most Common Startup Issues)

3.1 Default: 18789

The Gateway’s default WebSocket port is 18789. After install, the Control UI is usually at http://127.0.0.1:18789.

3.2 Change the port

CLI (recommended)

openclaw config set gateway.port 28789
openclaw config get gateway.port
openclaw gateway restart

Edit config — typically ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json (JSON5):

{
  gateway: {
    port: 28789,
    bind: "loopback"
  }
}

Temporary override (no persistent config change)

openclaw gateway --port 28789

3.3 `EADDRINUSE` (port already in use)

# macOS / Linux
sudo lsof -i :18789
kill -9 <PID>

Or pick another port via openclaw config set gateway.port … and restart.

4. Token & Authentication

Treat Gateway tokens like full-privilege operator credentials. Prefer strong auth, least exposure, and secrets via environment variables—not plaintext in config when avoidable.

4.1 Generate / set / verify

openclaw doctor --generate-gateway-token
openclaw config set gateway.auth.token "your-long-random-token"
openclaw config get gateway.auth.token

4.2 Auth modes (typical)

Mode	Config	When to use
Token	`gateway.auth.mode: "token"`	Default recommendation for many setups
Password	`gateway.auth.mode: "password"`	Often paired with `OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_PASSWORD`
Trusted proxy	`gateway.auth.mode: "trusted-proxy"`	Behind Nginx/Caddy with trusted identity headers

Example (token via env):

{
  gateway: {
    auth: {
      mode: "token",
      token: "${OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN}"
    }
  }
}

4.3 Environment files (priority)

Common pattern: ~/.openclaw/.env

OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN=...
OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_PASSWORD=...

Typical precedence: parent process env → .env in cwd → ~/.openclaw/.env.

5. Local vs Remote (Source of Many “Start Blocked” Errors)

5.1 Local (default)

Gateway accepts localhost traffic; common for dev/single machine:

openclaw config set gateway.mode local
openclaw config set gateway.bind loopback

5.2 Remote

Allows other devices on the network to connect. Usually requires auth before non-loopback bind—follow official docs for your version:

openclaw config set gateway.mode remote
openclaw doctor --generate-gateway-token
openclaw config set gateway.bind 0.0.0.0
openclaw gateway restart

Warning: 0.0.0.0 increases reachability; combine with firewall rules, VPN (e.g. Tailscale), or reverse proxy patterns as recommended.

5.3 SSH tunnel (often the safest remote-access pattern)

ssh -N -L 18789:127.0.0.1:18789 user@your-server

Gateway can stay on loopback; you access it locally via the tunnel.

6. Common Errors → Likely Fix

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
Gateway start blocked (local-related)	Mode/bind mismatch	Set `gateway.mode` / `gateway.bind` per docs
Refusing to bind without auth	Non-loopback without proper auth	Configure token/password/trusted proxy
`EADDRINUSE`	Another process or duplicate Gateway	Free the port or change `gateway.port`
Service missing	Daemon not installed	`openclaw gateway install --force`
`AUTH_TOKEN_MISMATCH`	Wrong/expired token	Regenerate / align client & server token
Runtime: stopped	Crash or exit	`openclaw logs --follow` + `openclaw doctor`

Standard triage order: openclaw gateway status → openclaw logs --follow → openclaw doctor.

7. Example `openclaw.json` (Gateway-focused)

{
  gateway: {
    mode: "local",
    port: 18789,
    bind: "loopback",
    auth: {
      mode: "token",
      token: "${OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN}"
    },
    reload: {
      mode: "hybrid"
    },
    remote: {
      url: "ws://127.0.0.1:18789",
      token: "remote-token"
    }
  }
}

Adjust remote when this machine is a client to another Gateway.

8. Linux: systemd (typical)

openclaw gateway install --force
systemctl status openclaw-gateway
systemctl restart openclaw-gateway
journalctl -u openclaw-gateway -f

9. Security Checklist (Before You Expose Anything)

Check	Command / action	Goal
Auth mode	`openclaw config get gateway.auth.mode`	Not “open by accident”
Bind	`openclaw config get gateway.bind`	Avoid public bind unless intended
Config perms	`ls -la ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json`	Restrictive permissions
Dir perms	`ls -ld ~/.openclaw/`	Restrictive permissions
Audit	`openclaw security audit --deep`	No critical findings
Logs	`openclaw config get logging.redactSensitive`	Reduce sensitive leakage

FAQ (Short)

Default port? 18789 — UI often at http://127.0.0.1:18789.
“Gateway start blocked”? Align gateway.mode / auth / bind with what remote access requires; see official error text for your build.
Phone control safely? Prefer SSH tunnel or VPN; avoid raw public exposure.
Forgot token? openclaw config get gateway.auth.token or regenerate with openclaw doctor --generate-gateway-token.
Multiple machines? Generally one Gateway per host/process design; avoid port conflicts and duplicate services.

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OpenClaw Gateway Explained: Commands, Ports, Auth, and Common Fixes

OpenClaw Gateway — Practical Guide (Polished Draft)

1. What Is the Gateway? (One-Minute Primer)

2. Gateway CLI — Quick Reference

2.1 Status

2.2 Start / stop / service

2.3 Diagnostics & security

2.4 Configuration

3. Port Configuration (Most Common Startup Issues)

3.1 Default: 18789

3.2 Change the port

3.3 `EADDRINUSE` (port already in use)

4. Token & Authentication

4.1 Generate / set / verify

4.2 Auth modes (typical)

4.3 Environment files (priority)

5. Local vs Remote (Source of Many “Start Blocked” Errors)

5.1 Local (default)

5.2 Remote

5.3 SSH tunnel (often the safest remote-access pattern)

6. Common Errors → Likely Fix

7. Example `openclaw.json` (Gateway-focused)

8. Linux: systemd (typical)

9. Security Checklist (Before You Expose Anything)

FAQ (Short)

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OpenClaw Gateway Explained: Commands, Ports, Auth, and Common Fixes

OpenClaw Gateway — Practical Guide (Polished Draft)

1. What Is the Gateway? (One-Minute Primer)

2. Gateway CLI — Quick Reference

2.1 Status

2.2 Start / stop / service

2.3 Diagnostics & security

2.4 Configuration

3. Port Configuration (Most Common Startup Issues)

3.1 Default: 18789

3.2 Change the port

3.3 EADDRINUSE (port already in use)

4. Token & Authentication

4.1 Generate / set / verify

4.2 Auth modes (typical)

4.3 Environment files (priority)

5. Local vs Remote (Source of Many “Start Blocked” Errors)

5.1 Local (default)

5.2 Remote

5.3 SSH tunnel (often the safest remote-access pattern)

6. Common Errors → Likely Fix

7. Example openclaw.json (Gateway-focused)

8. Linux: systemd (typical)

9. Security Checklist (Before You Expose Anything)

FAQ (Short)

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3.3 `EADDRINUSE` (port already in use)

7. Example `openclaw.json` (Gateway-focused)