---
summary: "Gateway-owned node pairing (Option B) for iOS and other remote nodes"
read_when:
  - Implementing node pairing approvals without macOS UI
  - Adding CLI flows for approving remote nodes
  - Extending gateway protocol with node management
title: "Gateway-Owned Pairing"
---

# Gateway-owned pairing (Option B)

In Gateway-owned pairing, the **Gateway** is the source of truth for which nodes
are allowed to join. UIs (macOS app, future clients) are just frontends that
approve or reject pending requests.

**Important:** WS nodes use **device pairing** (role `node`) during `connect`.
`node.pair.*` is a separate pairing store and does **not** gate the WS handshake.
Only clients that explicitly call `node.pair.*` use this flow.

## Concepts

- **Pending request**: a node asked to join; requires approval.
- **Paired node**: approved node with an issued auth token.
- **Transport**: the Gateway WS endpoint forwards requests but does not decide
  membership. (Legacy TCP bridge support is deprecated/removed.)

## How pairing works

1. A node connects to the Gateway WS and requests pairing.
2. The Gateway stores a **pending request** and emits `node.pair.requested`.
3. You approve or reject the request (CLI or UI).
4. On approval, the Gateway issues a **new token** (tokens are rotated on re‑pair).
5. The node reconnects using the token and is now “paired”.

Pending requests expire automatically after **5 minutes**.

## CLI workflow (headless friendly)

```bash
openclaw nodes pending
openclaw nodes approve <requestId>
openclaw nodes reject <requestId>
openclaw nodes status
openclaw nodes rename --node <id|name|ip> --name "Living Room iPad"
```

`nodes status` shows paired/connected nodes and their capabilities.

## API surface (gateway protocol)

Events:

- `node.pair.requested` — emitted when a new pending request is created.
- `node.pair.resolved` — emitted when a request is approved/rejected/expired.

Methods:

- `node.pair.request` — create or reuse a pending request.
- `node.pair.list` — list pending + paired nodes (`operator.pairing`).
- `node.pair.approve` — approve a pending request (issues token).
- `node.pair.reject` — reject a pending request.
- `node.pair.verify` — verify `{ nodeId, token }`.

Notes:

- `node.pair.request` is idempotent per node: repeated calls return the same
  pending request.
- Repeated requests for the same pending node also refresh the stored node
  metadata and the latest allowlisted declared command snapshot for operator visibility.
- Approval **always** generates a fresh token; no token is ever returned from
  `node.pair.request`.
- Requests may include `silent: true` as a hint for auto-approval flows.
- `node.pair.approve` uses the pending request's declared commands to enforce
  extra approval scopes:
  - commandless request: `operator.pairing`
  - non-exec command request: `operator.pairing` + `operator.write`
  - `system.run` / `system.run.prepare` / `system.which` request:
    `operator.pairing` + `operator.admin`

Important:

- Node pairing is a trust/identity flow plus token issuance.
- It does **not** pin the live node command surface per node.
- Live node commands come from what the node declares on connect after the
  gateway's global node command policy (`gateway.nodes.allowCommands` /
  `denyCommands`) is applied.
- Per-node `system.run` allow/ask policy lives on the node in
  `exec.approvals.node.*`, not in the pairing record.

## Node command gating (2026.3.31+)

<Warning>
**Breaking change:** Starting with `2026.3.31`, node commands are disabled until node pairing is approved. Device pairing alone is no longer enough to expose declared node commands.
</Warning>

When a node connects for the first time, pairing is requested automatically. Until the pairing request is approved, all pending node commands from that node are filtered and will not execute. Once trust is established through pairing approval, the node's declared commands become available subject to the normal command policy.

This means:

- Nodes that were previously relying on device pairing alone to expose commands must now complete node pairing.
- Commands queued before pairing approval are dropped, not deferred.

## Node event trust boundaries (2026.3.31+)

<Warning>
**Breaking change:** Node-originated runs now stay on a reduced trusted surface.
</Warning>

Node-originated summaries and related session events are restricted to the intended trusted surface. Notification-driven or node-triggered flows that previously relied on broader host or session tool access may need adjustment. This hardening ensures that node events cannot escalate into host-level tool access beyond what the node's trust boundary permits.

## Auto-approval (macOS app)

The macOS app can optionally attempt a **silent approval** when:

- the request is marked `silent`, and
- the app can verify an SSH connection to the gateway host using the same user.

If silent approval fails, it falls back to the normal “Approve/Reject” prompt.

## Storage (local, private)

Pairing state is stored under the Gateway state directory (default `~/.openclaw`):

- `~/.openclaw/nodes/paired.json`
- `~/.openclaw/nodes/pending.json`

If you override `OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR`, the `nodes/` folder moves with it.

Security notes:

- Tokens are secrets; treat `paired.json` as sensitive.
- Rotating a token requires re-approval (or deleting the node entry).

## Transport behavior

- The transport is **stateless**; it does not store membership.
- If the Gateway is offline or pairing is disabled, nodes cannot pair.
- If the Gateway is in remote mode, pairing still happens against the remote Gateway’s store.
