!openclaw plugins list 2>&1 | head -15 !openclaw channels list 2>&1 | head -15

OpenClaw Extend — Add New Capabilities

You are an OpenClaw extension operator. Add plugins, hooks, agents, channels, nodes, models, devices, and webhooks to expand the system's capabilities.

Scope

This skill covers adding new things to the system:

• Plugins — extend gateway functionality
• Hooks — agent lifecycle hooks
• Agents — isolated agent instances
• Channels — messaging integrations (WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Matrix)
• Nodes — remote execution nodes
• Models — AI model providers
• Devices — paired device management
• Webhooks — external event integrations
• Skills — inspect and manage available skills

For configuration tuning, use openclaw-admin. For diagnostics, use openclaw-doctor. For operational maintenance, use openclaw-maintain.

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Plugins

List & Inspect

openclaw plugins list           # all plugins
openclaw plugins info <name>    # plugin details
openclaw plugins doctor         # diagnose load issues

Install & Manage

openclaw plugins install <spec>   # install (path, archive, or npm spec)
openclaw plugins enable <name>    # enable a plugin
openclaw plugins disable <name>   # disable a plugin
openclaw plugins update           # update npm-installed plugins

After installing a plugin:

openclaw plugins list             # verify it appears
openclaw daemon restart           # restart to load
openclaw plugins doctor           # check for load issues

Plugin authoring guide: See references/plugin-hook-authoring.md.

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Hooks

List & Inspect

openclaw hooks list             # all hooks
openclaw hooks info <name>      # hook details
openclaw hooks check            # eligibility status

Install & Manage

openclaw hooks install <spec>   # install (path, archive, or npm spec)
openclaw hooks enable <name>    # enable a hook
openclaw hooks disable <name>   # disable a hook
openclaw hooks update           # update npm-installed hooks

After installing a hook:

openclaw hooks list             # verify it appears
openclaw hooks check            # verify eligibility
openclaw daemon restart         # restart to activate

Hook authoring guide: See references/plugin-hook-authoring.md.

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Agents

List & Manage

openclaw agents list            # all configured agents
openclaw agents add             # add a new agent (interactive)
openclaw agents set-identity <name>  # update identity (name/theme/emoji/avatar)
openclaw agents delete <name>   # delete agent + prune workspace/state

Each agent gets:

• Isolated workspace
• Isolated auth/credentials
• Routing rules (which channels/targets map to this agent)

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Channels

List & Status

openclaw channels list          # configured channels + auth profiles
openclaw channels status        # gateway channel status
openclaw channels status --probe  # deep probe all channels
openclaw channels capabilities  # per-provider features

Add & Configure

openclaw channels add           # add or update a channel account
openclaw channels login         # link a channel (if supported)
openclaw channels logout        # disconnect a session
openclaw channels remove        # disable or delete

Per-Channel Setup

Each channel type has different setup requirements. See references/channel-setup.md for:

• WhatsApp (Web link via QR)
• Telegram (Bot token)
• Discord (Bot token + guild setup)
• Matrix (homeserver + access token)

After adding a channel:

openclaw channels status --probe  # verify connection
openclaw channels capabilities    # check features
openclaw daemon restart           # if needed

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Nodes

List & Status

openclaw nodes list             # all nodes (paired + pending)
openclaw nodes status           # connection status + capabilities
openclaw nodes pending          # pending pairing requests
openclaw nodes describe <name>  # detailed capabilities

Pairing

openclaw nodes approve <id>     # approve a pending request
openclaw nodes reject <id>      # reject a pending request
openclaw nodes rename <id> <name>  # set display name

Node Operations

openclaw nodes invoke <node> <cmd>    # invoke command on node
openclaw nodes run <node> <command>   # run shell command (mac only)
openclaw nodes camera <node>          # capture camera
openclaw nodes screen <node>          # capture screen
openclaw nodes canvas <node>          # capture/render canvas
openclaw nodes location <node>        # get location
openclaw nodes notify <node> <msg>    # send notification (mac only)

Running a Node Host

openclaw node run               # run headless node host (foreground)
openclaw node install           # install as system service
openclaw node status            # check node host status
openclaw node restart           # restart node host
openclaw node stop              # stop node host
openclaw node uninstall         # remove service

Node architecture and security: See references/node-pairing.md.

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Models

Status

openclaw models status --probe  # probe all providers

Configure

Model configuration is done via openclaw config set (use openclaw-admin for the change discipline):

openclaw config get models      # current model config
openclaw config set agents.defaults.model "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-5"
openclaw config set agents.defaults.subagents.model "anthropic/claude-haiku-3-5"

Best practice: Use a cheaper model for sub-agents to reduce costs.

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Devices

List & Manage

openclaw devices list           # paired devices
openclaw devices approve <id>   # approve pairing request
openclaw devices reject <id>    # reject pairing request
openclaw devices revoke <id>    # revoke device token
openclaw devices rotate <id>    # rotate device token

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Webhooks

Gmail Integration

openclaw webhooks gmail         # Gmail Pub/Sub hooks (via gogcli)

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Skills

Inspect

openclaw skills list            # all skills
openclaw skills check           # readiness status
openclaw skills info <name>     # skill details

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Extension Workflow

When adding a new capability:

1. Install/add — Use the appropriate command
2. Verify — Check it appears in the list
3. Restart — openclaw daemon restart if gateway needs to load it
4. Test — Probe or invoke to confirm it works
5. Doctor — Run /openclaw-doctor to verify system health

Install → Verify → Restart → Test → Doctor

References

• references/plugin-hook-authoring.md — How to write plugins and hooks
• references/channel-setup.md — Per-channel setup guides
• references/node-pairing.md — Node architecture, pairing flow, security

Related Skills

• openclaw-doctor — Verify system health after adding new capabilities
• openclaw-admin — Apply config changes with verify-apply-verify discipline
• openclaw-maintain — Daemon ops, updates, cron, log rotation