onboard: clearer security disclaimer, loading spinners, api key placeholder

src/flows/model-picker.ts

@@ -427,7 +427,13 @@ export async function promptDefaultModel(
   const resolvedKey = modelKey(resolved.provider, resolved.model);
   const configuredKey = configuredRaw ? resolvedKey : "";
 
-  const catalog = await loadModelCatalog({ config: cfg, useCache: false });
+  const catalogProgress = params.prompter.progress("Loading available models");
+  let catalog: Awaited<ReturnType<typeof loadModelCatalog>>;
+  try {
+    catalog = await loadModelCatalog({ config: cfg, useCache: false });
+  } finally {
+    catalogProgress.stop();
+  }
   if (catalog.length === 0) {
     return promptManualModel({
       prompter: params.prompter,
@@ -532,6 +538,7 @@ export async function promptDefaultModel(
     message: params.message ?? "Default model",
     options,
     initialValue,
+    searchable: true,
   });
   const selectedValue = selection ?? "";
   if (selectedValue === KEEP_VALUE) {
@@ -603,7 +610,13 @@ export async function promptModelAllowlist(params: {
     ? initialSeeds.filter((key) => allowedKeySet.has(key))
     : initialSeeds;
 
-  const catalog = await loadModelCatalog({ config: cfg, useCache: false });
+  const allowlistProgress = params.prompter.progress("Loading available models");
+  let catalog: Awaited<ReturnType<typeof loadModelCatalog>>;
+  try {
+    catalog = await loadModelCatalog({ config: cfg, useCache: false });
+  } finally {
+    allowlistProgress.stop();
+  }
   if (catalog.length === 0 && allowedKeys.length === 0) {
     const raw = await params.prompter.text({
       message:

src/plugins/provider-auth-input.ts

@@ -214,6 +214,7 @@ export async function ensureApiKeyFromEnvOrPrompt(params: {
 
   const key = await params.prompter.text({
     message: params.promptMessage,
+    placeholder: "API key",
     validate: params.validate,
   });
   const apiKey = params.normalize(key ?? "");

src/terminal/note.ts

@@ -186,5 +186,6 @@ export function note(message: string, title?: string) {
   const columns = resolveNoteColumns(process.stdout.columns);
   clackNote(wrapNoteMessage(message, { columns }), stylePromptTitle(title), {
     output: createNoteOutput(columns),
+    format: (line) => line,
   });
 }

src/wizard/setup.security-note.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+import chalk from "chalk";
+import { formatCliCommand } from "../cli/command-format.js";
+import { theme } from "../terminal/theme.js";
+
+export const SECURITY_NOTE_TITLE = "Security disclaimer";
+
+export const SECURITY_CONFIRM_MESSAGE =
+  "I understand this is personal-by-default and shared/multi-user use requires lock-down. Continue?";
+
+const heading = (text: string) => chalk.bold(text);
+
+export const SECURITY_NOTE_MESSAGE = [
+  theme.warn("⚠ OpenClaw is in Beta - expect sharp edges"),
+  "- By default, OpenClaw is a personal agent: one trusted operator boundary.",
+  "- This bot can read files and run actions if tools are enabled.",
+  "- A bad prompt can trick it into doing unsafe things.",
+  "",
+  heading("How OpenClaw treats trust"),
+  "- OpenClaw is not a hostile multi-tenant boundary by default.",
+  "- If multiple users can message one tool-enabled agent, they share that delegated tool authority.",
+  "",
+  heading("When not to run OpenClaw"),
+  "- If you’re not comfortable with security hardening and access control, don’t run OpenClaw.",
+  "- Ask someone experienced to help before enabling tools or exposing it to the internet.",
+  "",
+  heading("Recommended baseline"),
+  "- Pairing/allowlists + mention gating.",
+  "- Multi-user/shared inbox: split trust boundaries (separate gateway/credentials, ideally separate OS users/hosts).",
+  "- Sandbox + least-privilege tools.",
+  "- Shared inboxes: isolate DM sessions (session.dmScope: per-channel-peer) and keep tool access minimal.",
+  "- Keep secrets out of the agent’s reachable filesystem.",
+  "- Use the strongest available model for any bot with tools or untrusted inboxes.",
+  "",
+  heading("Run regularly"),
+  formatCliCommand("openclaw security audit --deep"),
+  formatCliCommand("openclaw security audit --fix"),
+  "",
+  heading("Learn more"),
+  "- https://docs.openclaw.ai/gateway/security",
+].join("\n");

src/wizard/setup.ts

@@ -19,6 +19,11 @@ import { defaultRuntime } from "../runtime.js";
 import { resolveUserPath } from "../utils.js";
 import { WizardCancelledError, type WizardPrompter } from "./prompts.js";
 import { resolveSetupSecretInputString } from "./setup.secret-input.js";
+import {
+  SECURITY_CONFIRM_MESSAGE,
+  SECURITY_NOTE_MESSAGE,
+  SECURITY_NOTE_TITLE,
+} from "./setup.security-note.js";
 import type { QuickstartGatewayDefaults, WizardFlow } from "./setup.types.js";
 
 type AuthChoiceModule = typeof import("../commands/auth-choice.js");
@@ -108,41 +113,10 @@ async function requireRiskAcknowledgement(params: {
     return;
   }
 
-  await params.prompter.note(
-    [
-      "Security warning — please read.",
-      "",
-      "OpenClaw is a hobby project and still in beta. Expect sharp edges.",
-      "By default, OpenClaw is a personal agent: one trusted operator boundary.",
-      "This bot can read files and run actions if tools are enabled.",
-      "A bad prompt can trick it into doing unsafe things.",
-      "",
-      "OpenClaw is not a hostile multi-tenant boundary by default.",
-      "If multiple users can message one tool-enabled agent, they share that delegated tool authority.",
-      "",
-      "If you’re not comfortable with security hardening and access control, don’t run OpenClaw.",
-      "Ask someone experienced to help before enabling tools or exposing it to the internet.",
-      "",
-      "Recommended baseline:",
-      "- Pairing/allowlists + mention gating.",
-      "- Multi-user/shared inbox: split trust boundaries (separate gateway/credentials, ideally separate OS users/hosts).",
-      "- Sandbox + least-privilege tools.",
-      "- Shared inboxes: isolate DM sessions (`session.dmScope: per-channel-peer`) and keep tool access minimal.",
-      "- Keep secrets out of the agent’s reachable filesystem.",
-      "- Use the strongest available model for any bot with tools or untrusted inboxes.",
-      "",
-      "Run regularly:",
-      "openclaw security audit --deep",
-      "openclaw security audit --fix",
-      "",
-      "Must read: https://docs.openclaw.ai/gateway/security",
-    ].join("\n"),
-    "Security",
-  );
+  await params.prompter.note(SECURITY_NOTE_MESSAGE, SECURITY_NOTE_TITLE);
 
   const ok = await params.prompter.confirm({
-    message:
-      "I understand this is personal-by-default and shared/multi-user use requires lock-down. Continue?",
+    message: SECURITY_CONFIRM_MESSAGE,
     initialValue: false,
   });
   if (!ok) {