Gateway: add SecretRef support for gateway.auth.token with auth-mode guardrails (#35094)

docs/cli/configure.md

@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ Notes:
 
 - Choosing where the Gateway runs always updates `gateway.mode`. You can select "Continue" without other sections if that is all you need.
 - Channel-oriented services (Slack/Discord/Matrix/Microsoft Teams) prompt for channel/room allowlists during setup. You can enter names or IDs; the wizard resolves names to IDs when possible.
+- If you run the daemon install step, token auth requires a token, and `gateway.auth.token` is SecretRef-managed, configure validates the SecretRef but does not persist resolved plaintext token values into supervisor service environment metadata.
+- If token auth requires a token and the configured token SecretRef is unresolved, configure blocks daemon install with actionable remediation guidance.
+- If both `gateway.auth.token` and `gateway.auth.password` are configured and `gateway.auth.mode` is unset, configure blocks daemon install until mode is set explicitly.
 
 ## Examples
 

docs/cli/daemon.md

@@ -38,6 +38,13 @@ openclaw daemon uninstall
 - `install`: `--port`, `--runtime <node|bun>`, `--token`, `--force`, `--json`
 - lifecycle (`uninstall|start|stop|restart`): `--json`
 
+Notes:
+
+- `status` resolves configured auth SecretRefs for probe auth when possible.
+- When token auth requires a token and `gateway.auth.token` is SecretRef-managed, `install` validates that the SecretRef is resolvable but does not persist the resolved token into service environment metadata.
+- If token auth requires a token and the configured token SecretRef is unresolved, install fails closed.
+- If both `gateway.auth.token` and `gateway.auth.password` are configured and `gateway.auth.mode` is unset, install is blocked until mode is set explicitly.
+
 ## Prefer
 
 Use [`openclaw gateway`](/cli/gateway) for current docs and examples.

docs/cli/dashboard.md

@@ -14,3 +14,9 @@ Open the Control UI using your current auth.
 openclaw dashboard
 openclaw dashboard --no-open
 ```
+
+Notes:
+
+- `dashboard` resolves configured `gateway.auth.token` SecretRefs when possible.
+- For SecretRef-managed tokens (resolved or unresolved), `dashboard` prints/copies/opens a non-tokenized URL to avoid exposing external secrets in terminal output, clipboard history, or browser-launch arguments.
+- If `gateway.auth.token` is SecretRef-managed but unresolved in this command path, the command prints a non-tokenized URL and explicit remediation guidance instead of embedding an invalid token placeholder.

docs/cli/gateway.md

@@ -105,6 +105,11 @@ Options:
 - `--no-probe`: skip the RPC probe (service-only view).
 - `--deep`: scan system-level services too.
 
+Notes:
+
+- `gateway status` resolves configured auth SecretRefs for probe auth when possible.
+- If a required auth SecretRef is unresolved in this command path, probe auth can fail; pass `--token`/`--password` explicitly or resolve the secret source first.
+
 ### `gateway probe`
 
 `gateway probe` is the “debug everything” command. It always probes:
@@ -162,6 +167,10 @@ openclaw gateway uninstall
 Notes:
 
 - `gateway install` supports `--port`, `--runtime`, `--token`, `--force`, `--json`.
+- When token auth requires a token and `gateway.auth.token` is SecretRef-managed, `gateway install` validates that the SecretRef is resolvable but does not persist the resolved token into service environment metadata.
+- If token auth requires a token and the configured token SecretRef is unresolved, install fails closed instead of persisting fallback plaintext.
+- In inferred auth mode, shell-only `OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_PASSWORD`/`CLAWDBOT_GATEWAY_PASSWORD` does not relax install token requirements; use durable config (`gateway.auth.password` or config `env`) when installing a managed service.
+- If both `gateway.auth.token` and `gateway.auth.password` are configured and `gateway.auth.mode` is unset, install is blocked until mode is set explicitly.
 - Lifecycle commands accept `--json` for scripting.
 
 ## Discover gateways (Bonjour)

docs/cli/index.md

@@ -359,6 +359,7 @@ Options:
 - `--gateway-bind <loopback|lan|tailnet|auto|custom>`
 - `--gateway-auth <token|password>`
 - `--gateway-token <token>`
+- `--gateway-token-ref-env <name>` (non-interactive; store `gateway.auth.token` as an env SecretRef; requires that env var to be set; cannot be combined with `--gateway-token`)
 - `--gateway-password <password>`
 - `--remote-url <url>`
 - `--remote-token <token>`

docs/cli/onboard.md

@@ -61,6 +61,28 @@ Non-interactive `ref` mode contract:
 - Do not pass inline key flags (for example `--openai-api-key`) unless that env var is also set.
 - If an inline key flag is passed without the required env var, onboarding fails fast with guidance.
 
+Gateway token options in non-interactive mode:
+
+- `--gateway-auth token --gateway-token <token>` stores a plaintext token.
+- `--gateway-auth token --gateway-token-ref-env <name>` stores `gateway.auth.token` as an env SecretRef.
+- `--gateway-token` and `--gateway-token-ref-env` are mutually exclusive.
+- `--gateway-token-ref-env` requires a non-empty env var in the onboarding process environment.
+- With `--install-daemon`, when token auth requires a token, SecretRef-managed gateway tokens are validated but not persisted as resolved plaintext in supervisor service environment metadata.
+- With `--install-daemon`, if token mode requires a token and the configured token SecretRef is unresolved, onboarding fails closed with remediation guidance.
+- With `--install-daemon`, if both `gateway.auth.token` and `gateway.auth.password` are configured and `gateway.auth.mode` is unset, onboarding blocks install until mode is set explicitly.
+
+Example:
+
+```bash
+export OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN="your-token"
+openclaw onboard --non-interactive \
+  --mode local \
+  --auth-choice skip \
+  --gateway-auth token \
+  --gateway-token-ref-env OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN \
+  --accept-risk
+```
+
 Interactive onboarding behavior with reference mode:
 
 - Choose **Use secret reference** when prompted.

docs/cli/qr.md

@@ -35,7 +35,10 @@ openclaw qr --url wss://gateway.example/ws --token '<token>'
 
 - `--token` and `--password` are mutually exclusive.
 - With `--remote`, if effectively active remote credentials are configured as SecretRefs and you do not pass `--token` or `--password`, the command resolves them from the active gateway snapshot. If gateway is unavailable, the command fails fast.
-- Without `--remote`, local `gateway.auth.password` SecretRefs are resolved when password auth can win (explicit `gateway.auth.mode="password"` or inferred password mode with no winning token from auth/env), and no CLI auth override is passed.
+- Without `--remote`, local gateway auth SecretRefs are resolved when no CLI auth override is passed:
+  - `gateway.auth.token` resolves when token auth can win (explicit `gateway.auth.mode="token"` or inferred mode where no password source wins).
+  - `gateway.auth.password` resolves when password auth can win (explicit `gateway.auth.mode="password"` or inferred mode with no winning token from auth/env).
+- If both `gateway.auth.token` and `gateway.auth.password` are configured (including SecretRefs) and `gateway.auth.mode` is unset, setup-code resolution fails until mode is set explicitly.
 - Gateway version skew note: this command path requires a gateway that supports `secrets.resolve`; older gateways return an unknown-method error.
 - After scanning, approve device pairing with:
   - `openclaw devices list`

docs/cli/tui.md

@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@ Related:
 
 - TUI guide: [TUI](/web/tui)
 
+Notes:
+
+- `tui` resolves configured gateway auth SecretRefs for token/password auth when possible (`env`/`file`/`exec` providers).
+
 ## Examples
 
 ```bash