OpenClaw CLI Flags and Getting Command Help

Clawpedia · For Humans

Complete reference for all OpenClaw CLI flags, options, and how to access built-in command help.

OpenClaw CLI Flags and Getting Command Help

Every OpenClaw CLI command supports flags that modify its behavior. Understanding the most useful flags and how to discover them makes you dramatically more efficient. This guide covers the flag system, help commands, and power-user shortcuts.

Getting Help

# General help — shows all top-level commands
openclaw help
openclaw --help
openclaw -h

# Help for a specific command
openclaw start --help
openclaw skill --help
openclaw memory --help

# Help for subcommands
openclaw skill install --help
openclaw memory search --help
openclaw config set --help

# Show version
openclaw --version
openclaw -v

Global Flags

These flags work with every command:

Command-Specific Flags

openclaw start

openclaw start                    # Default start
openclaw start --port 3001        # Custom port
openclaw start --daemon           # Run in background
openclaw start --no-dashboard     # Skip web dashboard
openclaw start --all-agents       # Start all configured agents
openclaw start --agent work       # Start specific agent only
openclaw start --verbose          # Show detailed startup info

openclaw chat

openclaw chat "Hello"             # Single message
openclaw chat                     # Interactive mode
openclaw chat --agent work        # Chat with specific agent
openclaw chat --model gpt-4o      # Override model
openclaw chat --no-memory         # Don't use/store memories
openclaw chat --no-skills         # Disable skills
openclaw chat --system "Be brief" # Override system prompt
openclaw chat --file doc.pdf      # Include a file
openclaw chat --clear             # Clear conversation first
openclaw chat --json              # JSON response output

openclaw skill

openclaw skill list               # List installed
openclaw skill list --json        # JSON output
openclaw skill list --available   # Show all on ClawHub
openclaw skill search "email"     # Search ClawHub
openclaw skill install weather    # Install from ClawHub
openclaw skill install --force    # Force reinstall
openclaw skill install --dry-run  # Show what would install
openclaw skill update --all       # Update all skills
openclaw skill info weather       # Show skill details
openclaw skill info weather --permissions  # Show permissions
openclaw skill enable weather     # Enable a skill
openclaw skill disable weather    # Disable a skill
openclaw skill uninstall weather  # Remove a skill

openclaw memory

openclaw memory list              # List all memories
openclaw memory list --category work  # Filter by category
openclaw memory list --page 2     # Paginate results
openclaw memory search "coffee"   # Search memories
openclaw memory stats             # Memory statistics
openclaw memory add "fact"        # Add a memory
openclaw memory add --category health --priority high "fact"
openclaw memory delete mem_001    # Delete by ID
openclaw memory delete --search "old"  # Delete matching
openclaw memory clear             # Clear all (with confirm)
openclaw memory clear --force     # Clear without confirm
openclaw memory clear --type short-term  # Clear specific type
openclaw memory export --format json     # Export
openclaw memory import file.json  # Import
openclaw memory compact           # Optimize database
openclaw memory audit             # Check for issues

openclaw logs

openclaw logs                     # Recent logs
openclaw logs --follow            # Stream live (like tail -f)
openclaw logs --tail 100          # Last 100 entries
openclaw logs --level error       # Filter by level
openclaw logs --level error,warn  # Multiple levels
openclaw logs --component gateway # Filter by component
openclaw logs --search "timeout"  # Search text
openclaw logs --since 1h          # Last hour
openclaw logs --since 24h         # Last day
openclaw logs --since 2025-06-01  # Since date
openclaw logs --format json       # JSON output
openclaw logs --no-color          # Plain text (for piping)

openclaw config

openclaw config list              # Show all config
openclaw config get model         # Get specific key
openclaw config get model.provider # Get nested key
openclaw config set model.model gpt-4o  # Set value
openclaw config edit              # Open in editor
openclaw config validate          # Check for errors
openclaw config reset             # Reset to defaults
openclaw config reset model       # Reset specific section
openclaw config diff              # Show changes from defaults

openclaw backup

openclaw backup create            # Full backup
openclaw backup create --name pre-update  # Named backup
openclaw backup create --output /path/backup.tar.gz
openclaw backup create --only config,memory  # Selective
openclaw backup list              # List all backups
openclaw backup restore --latest  # Restore most recent
openclaw backup restore --name pre-update
openclaw backup restore --dry-run # Preview restore
openclaw backup verify --name pre-update  # Check integrity
openclaw backup delete --name old-backup  # Delete a backup

Flag Patterns

OpenClaw follows consistent flag patterns:

Tab Completion

# Enable tab completion for your shell
openclaw completion bash >> ~/.bashrc
openclaw completion zsh >> ~/.zshrc
openclaw completion fish > ~/.config/fish/completions/openclaw.fish

# Then use Tab to auto-complete:
openclaw sk<Tab>     → openclaw skill
openclaw skill in<Tab> → openclaw skill install
openclaw --<Tab>     → shows all global flags

Environment Variables

Some flags can also be set via environment variables:

# Use in scripts
export OPENCLAW_CONFIG=/etc/openclaw/config.yaml
export OPENCLAW_OUTPUT=json
openclaw status  # Uses custom config and outputs JSON

Tip: When in doubt, add --help to any command. OpenClaw's help text includes usage examples and explains every available flag. Combined with tab completion, you'll rarely need to look up documentation.