openclaw/docs/cli/node.md

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CLI reference for `openclaw node` (headless node host)	Running the headless node host Pairing a non-macOS node for system.run	Node

openclaw node

Run a headless node host that connects to the Gateway WebSocket and exposes system.run / system.which on this machine.

On macOS, the menu bar app already embeds this node-host runtime into its own node connection and adds native Mac capabilities. Use openclaw node run on a Mac only when you intentionally want a headless node without the app. Running both creates two node identities for the same machine.

Why use a node host?

Use a node host when you want agents to run commands on other machines in your network without installing a full macOS companion app there.

Common use cases:

• Run commands on remote Linux/Windows boxes (build servers, lab machines, NAS).
• Keep exec sandboxed on the gateway, but delegate approved runs to other hosts.
• Provide a lightweight, headless execution target for automation or CI nodes.

Execution is still guarded by exec approvals and per-agent allowlists on the node host, so you can keep command access scoped and explicit.

openclaw node run can publish plugin or MCP-backed tools after it connects. The Gateway trusts descriptors from the paired node by default, while requiring each descriptor's command to remain in the node's approved command surface. The agent sees each accepted descriptor as a normal plugin tool, but execution still goes through node.invoke, so disconnecting the node removes the tool from new agent runs. Gateway operators can disable publication with gateway.nodes.pluginTools.enabled: false.

For declarative MCP tools, add the normal MCP server shape under nodeHost.mcp.servers in openclaw.json on the node machine, then restart the node host. The node declares the approval-gated mcp.tools.call.v1 command family and publishes listed tools after connecting; changing the server list later does not require re-pairing. See Node-hosted MCP servers.

Browser proxy (zero-config)

Node hosts automatically advertise a browser proxy if browser.enabled is not disabled on the node. This lets the agent use browser automation on that node without extra configuration.

By default, the proxy exposes the node's normal browser profile surface. If you set nodeHost.browserProxy.allowProfiles, the proxy becomes restrictive: non-allowlisted profile targeting is rejected, and persistent profile create/delete routes are blocked through the proxy.

Disable it on the node if needed:

{
  nodeHost: {
    browserProxy: {
      enabled: false,
    },
  },
}

Run (foreground)

openclaw node run --host <gateway-host> --port 18789

Options:

• --host <host>: Gateway WebSocket host (default: 127.0.0.1)
• --port <port>: Gateway WebSocket port (default: 18789)
• --context-path <path>: Gateway WebSocket context path (e.g. /openclaw-gw). Appended to the WebSocket URL.
• --tls: Use TLS for the gateway connection
• --no-tls: Force a plaintext Gateway connection even when the local Gateway config enables TLS
• --tls-fingerprint <sha256>: Expected TLS certificate fingerprint (sha256)
• --node-id <id>: Override the client instance ID stored in shared SQLite state (does not reset pairing)
• --display-name <name>: Override the node display name

Gateway auth for node host

openclaw node run and openclaw node install resolve gateway auth from config/env (no --token/--password flags on node commands):

• OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN / OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_PASSWORD are checked first.
• Then local config fallback: gateway.auth.token / gateway.auth.password.
• In local mode, node host intentionally does not inherit gateway.remote.token / gateway.remote.password.
• If gateway.auth.token / gateway.auth.password is explicitly configured via SecretRef and unresolved, node auth resolution fails closed (no remote fallback masking).
• In gateway.mode=remote, remote client fields (gateway.remote.token / gateway.remote.password) are also eligible per remote precedence rules.
• Node host auth resolution only honors OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_* env vars.

For a node connecting to a plaintext ws:// Gateway, loopback, private IP literals, .local, and Tailnet *.ts.net hosts are accepted. For other trusted private-DNS names, set OPENCLAW_ALLOW_INSECURE_PRIVATE_WS=1; without it, node startup fails closed and asks you to use wss://, an SSH tunnel, or Tailscale. This is a process-environment opt-in, not an openclaw.json config key. openclaw node install persists it into the supervised node service when it is present in the install command environment.

Service (background)

Install a headless node host as a user service (launchd on macOS, systemd on Linux, Windows Task Scheduler on Windows).

openclaw node install --host <gateway-host> --port 18789

Options:

• --host <host>: Gateway WebSocket host (default: 127.0.0.1)
• --port <port>: Gateway WebSocket port (default: 18789)
• --context-path <path>: Gateway WebSocket context path (e.g. /openclaw-gw). Appended to the WebSocket URL.
• --tls: Use TLS for the gateway connection
• --tls-fingerprint <sha256>: Expected TLS certificate fingerprint (sha256)
• --node-id <id>: Override the client instance ID stored in shared SQLite state (does not reset pairing)
• --display-name <name>: Override the node display name
• --runtime <runtime>: Service runtime (node)
• --force: Reinstall/overwrite if already installed

Linux (systemd user service): Run sudo loginctl enable-linger <user> after install. Without lingering, systemd --user tears down the node service when your last SSH session ends, so the node silently goes offline after logout. openclaw node install prints this warning when it detects lingering is disabled.

Manage the service:

openclaw node status
openclaw node start
openclaw node stop
openclaw node restart
openclaw node uninstall

Use openclaw node run for a foreground node host (no service).

Service commands accept --json for machine-readable output.

The node host retries Gateway restart and network closes in-process. If the Gateway reports a terminal token/password/bootstrap auth pause, the node host logs the close detail and exits non-zero so launchd/systemd/Task Scheduler can restart it with fresh config and credentials. Pairing-required pauses stay in the foreground flow so the pending request can be approved.

Pairing

The first connection creates a pending device pairing request (role: node) on the Gateway.

When the Gateway host can SSH to the node host non-interactively (same user, trusted host key), the pending request is approved automatically: the Gateway runs openclaw node identity --json on the node host over SSH and approves on an exact device-key match. This is on by default; see SSH-verified device auto-approval for requirements and how to disable it (gateway.nodes.pairing.sshVerify: false).

Otherwise approve manually via:

openclaw devices list
openclaw devices approve <requestId>

Inspect the local node identity the Gateway verifies against:

openclaw node identity --json

It prints the device ID and public key from the primary row in state/openclaw.sqlite and never creates the database or a new identity.

On tightly controlled node networks, the Gateway operator can explicitly opt in to auto-approving first-time node pairing from trusted CIDRs:

{
  gateway: {
    nodes: {
      pairing: {
        autoApproveCidrs: ["192.168.1.0/24"],
      },
    },
  },
}

This is disabled by default (autoApproveCidrs is unset). It only applies to fresh role: node pairing with no requested scopes, from a client IP the Gateway trusts. Operator/browser clients, Control UI, WebChat, and role, scope, metadata, or public-key upgrades still require manual approval.

If the node retries pairing with changed auth details (role/scopes/public key), the previous pending request is superseded and a new requestId is created. Run openclaw devices list again before approval.

Identity and pairing state

The headless node separates its client instance ID from the signed device identity that the Gateway uses for pairing and routing. This state lives in the OpenClaw state directory (~/.openclaw by default, or $OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR when set):

State	Purpose
state/openclaw.sqlite (node_host_config)	Client instance ID, display name, and Gateway connection metadata. The client sends this ID as instanceId.
state/openclaw.sqlite (device_identities, primary)	Signed Ed25519 keypair and derived device ID. For signed connections, this device ID is the routed node ID and pairing identity.
state/openclaw.sqlite (device_auth_tokens)	Paired device tokens, keyed by cryptographic device ID and role.

--node-id changes only the client instance ID in shared SQLite state. It does not change the cryptographic device ID or clear pairing auth. Migrating a retired node.json with openclaw doctor --fix likewise does not reset pairing. To revoke and re-pair a node:

1. On the Gateway, run openclaw nodes remove --node <id|name|ip>.
2. On the node, restart the installed service with openclaw node restart, or stop and rerun the foreground openclaw node run command. This starts the device-pairing flow. If openclaw devices list does not show a request and the node reports AUTH_DEVICE_TOKEN_MISMATCH, restart or rerun it once more. The rejected attempt clears the now-revoked local token; the next attempt can request pairing.
3. On the Gateway, run openclaw devices list, then openclaw devices approve <deviceRequestId>.
4. Restart or rerun the node again. A client paused for pairing does not resume automatically after approval; this reconnect creates the separate command-surface request.
5. On the Gateway, run openclaw nodes pending, then openclaw nodes approve <nodeRequestId>.

The two request IDs are distinct. An applicable trusted-CIDR policy can auto-approve the first-time device-pairing step; command-surface approval remains a separate check.

Older OpenClaw releases stored node-host state in node.json, the signed identity in identity/device.json, and paired auth in identity/device-auth.json. Stop the node host and run openclaw doctor --fix once; Doctor claims each retired source, validates it, imports and verifies the canonical SQLite row, then removes the old file. Normal node commands fail closed with this repair instruction while either retired file or an interrupted Doctor claim remains. Keep state/openclaw.sqlite private; it contains the device keypair and auth tokens.

Exec approvals

system.run is gated by local exec approvals:

• $OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR/state/openclaw.sqlite#exec_approvals_config, or ~/.openclaw/state/openclaw.sqlite#exec_approvals_config when the variable is unset
• Exec approvals
• openclaw approvals --node <id|name|ip> (edit from the Gateway)

For approved async node exec, OpenClaw prepares a canonical systemRunPlan before prompting. The later approved system.run forward reuses that stored plan, so edits to command/cwd/session fields after the approval request was created are rejected instead of changing what the node executes.

Related

• CLI reference
• Nodes