Clawbot Developer Guide | OpenClaw on GitHub, Architecture, Gateway API, and Plugin Development

This guide follows the official docs and GitHub README as of September 2026. The plugin APIs are marked experimental, so recheck the docs when you upgrade.

---

Where Is the Official Project?

The project finished its rename on January 30, 2026, moving GitHub, npm, and the docs site to OpenClaw. Repos like clawbot/... or URLs like api.clawbot.io are not the official project.

License and governance

• License: MIT, © OpenClaw Foundation (the License section of the README). Commercial use is allowed as long as you keep the license notice
• Governance: developed in the open by the OpenClaw Foundation, an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit that employs the core team and signs releases
• Sponsors: donors and infrastructure sponsors do not own or direct the project

---

Building from Source

The development flow from the official README:

git clone https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw.git
cd openclaw
pnpm install
pnpm build
pnpm ui:build

Notes:

• The repository is a pnpm workspace; plain npm install at the root is not supported
• You need Node 24.16+ or 26.1+
• To use your local build as the global command, the official install docs use pnpm add --global "openclaw@link:$PWD", then openclaw onboard --install-daemon
• For the full development loop, see the official Setup docs and CONTRIBUTING.md in the repo

---

Architecture: The Gateway Is the Core

From the official architecture docs:

• One Gateway per host: a long-lived service that owns every messaging connection (for example WhatsApp via Baileys and Telegram via grammY), plus Slack, Discord, Signal, iMessage, and WebChat
• Control-plane clients (the macOS app, CLI, web Control UI, and automations) connect to the Gateway over WebSocket, by default at 127.0.0.1:18789
• Nodes (macOS, iOS, Android, or headless devices) connect to the same WebSocket server but declare role: node, exposing device commands such as camera, screen recording, and location, with device-based pairing
• The Gateway exposes a typed WebSocket API (requests, responses, server-push events) and validates inbound frames against JSON Schema

---

How Do External Programs Integrate with OpenClaw?

OpenClaw has no hosted REST API. The integration paths listed in the official docs (the first four come from the "External apps" page; inbound webhooks come from the "Inbound webhooks" page):

The recommended path: connect to the Gateway → call the documented RPC methods → pin the OpenClaw version you tested against → recheck the RPC reference when upgrading. For agent runs, start with the agent RPC paired with agent.wait; for durable conversation state, use the sessions.* methods.

For webhook setup, see the OpenClaw AI agent automation guide.

Code that runs inside the OpenClaw process (plugins) should use the official openclaw/plugin-sdk/* subpaths rather than these external interfaces.

---

Extending OpenClaw: Skills

Skills are markdown instruction files that teach an agent how and when to use tools. Each skill is a directory containing a SKILL.md with YAML frontmatter. OpenClaw loads bundled skills plus local overrides and filters them by environment, config, and whether the required binaries are present.

Search and install skills from ClawHub:

openclaw skills search "calendar"
openclaw skills install @openclaw/demo
openclaw skills update --all

---

Extending OpenClaw: Plugins

Plugins extend OpenClaw without changing core. A plugin can add a messaging channel, model provider, local CLI backend, agent tool, hook, media provider, and more.

Requirements (from the official "Building plugins" docs):

• All plugin APIs are experimental: pin your OpenClaw host version and test each version you declare compatible
• Node 24.16+ or 26.1+, with npm or pnpm
• TypeScript ESM modules

External plugins don't need to be merged into the OpenClaw repository. Publish to ClawHub, and users install with:

openclaw plugins install clawhub:<package-name>

Bare package names install from npm. Registry operations such as publishing and auth use the separate clawhub CLI.

---

How to Contribute

• Contribution workflow: see CONTRIBUTING.md in the repo; the README says AI-assisted PRs are welcome
• Bugs and feature requests: use the GitHub issue chooser
• Setup questions: ask in the official Discord
• Security vulnerabilities: report privately following SECURITY.md
• New capabilities: the project suggests these usually belong in plugins shared through ClawHub rather than in core

---

Security Reminders for Developers

• Treat all inbound messages and web content as untrusted input
• Unless you configure sandboxing, tools in the main session run directly on the host
• One Gateway is one trust domain; mutually untrusting users need separate deployments
• Before publishing skills or plugins, follow ClawHub's security and moderation guidelines

---

FAQ

Does OpenClaw have an official REST API?

There is no hosted REST API. External programs integrate through the local Gateway's WebSocket protocol and RPC methods, or by calling the CLI or using webhooks.

What is OpenClaw's license? Can I use it commercially?

MIT, copyright the OpenClaw Foundation. MIT allows commercial use and modification, provided you keep the original license and copyright notice. See also THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md in the repo.

What about the old Clawdbot and Moltbot repos?

The project moved to github.com/openclaw/openclaw on January 30, 2026, and the npm package is published as openclaw. Use the new locations.

What language are plugins written in?

TypeScript ESM modules with Node 24.16+ or 26.1+. Plugin APIs are experimental, so pin the versions you tested.

What's the difference between skills and plugins?

Skills are markdown instructions for the agent, teaching it how to use existing tools; plugins are code that adds new capabilities such as channels, model providers, and tools.

---

Free Consultation: Find the Right AI Automation Solution for You

Want to integrate an AI assistant into your existing systems? CloudInsight offers free consultations for:

• Evaluating AI automation tools
• Designing automation workflows
• API integration and architecture advice

Book a free consultation -- we'll get back to you within 24 hours. All consultations are fully confidential, with absolutely no sales pressure.

---

References

1. OpenClaw GitHub README (openclaw/openclaw) - https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw
2. OpenClaw docs, "Architecture" - https://docs.openclaw.ai/concepts/architecture
3. OpenClaw docs, "Gateway integrations for external apps" - https://docs.openclaw.ai/gateway/external-apps
4. OpenClaw docs, "Skills" - https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/skills
5. OpenClaw docs, "Building plugins" - https://docs.openclaw.ai/plugins/building-plugins
6. OpenClaw docs, "ClawHub" - https://docs.openclaw.ai/clawhub
7. npm package openclaw - https://www.npmjs.com/package/openclaw