---
summary: "CLI reference for `openclaw onboard` (interactive onboarding)"
read_when:
  - You want to establish inference, then finish setup with Crestodian
title: "Onboard"
---

# `openclaw onboard`

Guided setup that establishes inference first: it detects existing AI access,
requires a live completion, persists only the working route, and then starts
Crestodian to configure the rest. `openclaw setup` is the same entry point;
`openclaw setup --baseline` only writes the baseline config/workspace.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="CLI onboarding hub" href="/start/wizard" icon="rocket">
    Walkthrough of the interactive CLI flow.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Onboarding overview" href="/start/onboarding-overview" icon="map">
    How OpenClaw onboarding fits together.
  </Card>
  <Card title="CLI setup reference" href="/start/wizard-cli-reference" icon="book">
    Outputs, internals, and per-step behavior.
  </Card>
  <Card title="CLI automation" href="/start/wizard-cli-automation" icon="terminal">
    Non-interactive flags and scripted setups.
  </Card>
  <Card title="macOS app onboarding" href="/start/onboarding" icon="apple">
    Onboarding flow for the macOS menu bar app.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Examples

```bash
openclaw onboard
openclaw onboard --classic
openclaw onboard --modern
openclaw onboard --flow quickstart
openclaw onboard --flow manual
openclaw onboard --flow import
openclaw onboard --import-from hermes --import-source ~/.hermes
openclaw onboard --skip-bootstrap
openclaw onboard --mode remote --remote-url wss://gateway-host:18789
```

- `--classic`: opens the full step-by-step wizard. It cannot be combined with
  `--non-interactive`; omit `--classic` for automated setup.
- `--flow quickstart`: opens the classic wizard with minimal prompts and
  auto-generates a gateway token.
- `--flow manual` (alias `advanced`): opens the classic wizard with full prompts
  for port, bind, and auth.
- `--flow import`: runs a detected migration provider (for example Hermes via `--import-from hermes`), previews the plan, then applies after confirmation. Import only runs against a fresh OpenClaw setup - reset config, credentials, sessions, and workspace state first if any exist. Use [`openclaw migrate`](/cli/migrate) for dry-run plans, overwrite mode, reports, and exact mappings.
- `--modern` is a compatibility alias for the Crestodian conversational setup
  assistant. It uses the same live-inference gate as `openclaw crestodian` and
  accepts only `--workspace`, `--accept-risk`,
  `--non-interactive`, and `--json`. Other setup flags are rejected instead of
  being silently ignored.

## Guided flow

Plain `openclaw onboard` starts the guided flow. It shows the security notice,
detects AI access already available through configured models, API-key
environment variables, and supported local CLIs, then tests the recommended
candidate with a real completion. If that candidate fails, onboarding shows
the reason and automatically tries the next usable candidate.

If automatic detection is exhausted, choose another detected candidate or enter
a provider API key in a masked prompt. A manual key is tested through the same
live completion path. Guided onboarding
does not offer Crestodian or a skip-AI exit before a candidate passes. OpenClaw
persists only the verified model route and its credential after the test
succeeds; a failed candidate does not replace the configured model or save the
attempted credential. Workspace and Gateway setup remain unchanged until
Crestodian starts.

In guided mode, `--workspace <dir>` supplies Crestodian's proposed workspace
and the isolated inference context. It is not persisted until you approve the
Crestodian setup proposal. Classic and noninteractive onboarding persist their
workspace through their normal setup flow.

After inference passes, guided onboarding immediately starts Crestodian with
the verified model. Crestodian can then configure the workspace, Gateway,
channels, agents, plugins, and other optional features. Inside Crestodian, use
`open channel wizard for <channel>` to hand channel credential collection to a
masked terminal wizard. To change the model provider or its authentication,
exit Crestodian and run `openclaw onboard`; Crestodian does not open the guided
or classic provider flows.

On a configured install, running `openclaw onboard` again verifies the current
default model first, so the same flow acts as a verification and repair pass.
If that check fails, the configured model is never replaced automatically —
onboarding stops and asks how to continue. The check runs outside your
workspace, so a model provided by a workspace plugin can fail here while still
working in the agent.
Use `openclaw onboard --classic` for provider-specific auth, channels, skills,
remote Gateway setup, imports, or full Gateway controls. For conversational
non-inference setup and repair, run `openclaw crestodian`; `openclaw onboard
--modern` is a compatibility alias through the same inference gate. The classic
wizard can optionally verify the default model with a live completion, but
Crestodian will not start until its own live inference check passes.

In an interactive terminal, bare `openclaw` (no subcommand) routes by config
state:

- If the active config file is missing or has no authored settings (empty or
  metadata-only), it starts guided onboarding.
- If the config file exists but fails validation, it starts the classic
  onboarding path with `openclaw doctor` guidance. Crestodian needs working
  inference and is not used to repair this pre-inference state.
- If the config file is valid, it opens the normal agent TUI. A reachable
  configured Gateway with an agent and model goes directly to that UI without
  onboarding or Crestodian. On a configured install, reach Crestodian with
  `/crestodian` inside the TUI or `openclaw crestodian`.

Plaintext `ws://` is accepted for loopback, private IP literals, `.local`, and Tailnet `*.ts.net` gateway URLs. For other trusted private-DNS names, set `OPENCLAW_ALLOW_INSECURE_PRIVATE_WS=1` in the onboarding process environment.

## Reset

```bash
openclaw onboard --reset
openclaw onboard --reset --reset-scope full
```

`--reset` wipes state before running setup. `--reset-scope` controls how much: `config` (config only), `config+creds+sessions` (default when `--reset` is passed without a scope), or `full` (also resets the workspace). Workspace reset only happens with `--reset-scope full`.

## Locale

Interactive onboarding uses the CLI wizard locale for fixed setup copy. Resolve order:

1. `OPENCLAW_LOCALE`
2. `LC_ALL`
3. `LC_MESSAGES`
4. `LANG`
5. English fallback

Supported wizard locales are `en`, `zh-CN`, and `zh-TW`. Locale values may use underscore or POSIX suffix forms such as `zh_CN.UTF-8`. Product names, command names, config keys, URLs, provider IDs, model IDs, and plugin/channel labels remain literal.

```bash
OPENCLAW_LOCALE=zh-CN openclaw onboard
```

## Non-interactive setup

`--non-interactive` requires `--accept-risk` (acknowledges that agents are powerful and full system access is risky). `--mode` defaults to `local`.

```bash
openclaw onboard --non-interactive \
  --auth-choice custom-api-key \
  --custom-base-url "https://llm.example.com/v1" \
  --custom-model-id "foo-large" \
  --custom-api-key "$CUSTOM_API_KEY" \
  --secret-input-mode plaintext \
  --custom-compatibility openai \
  --custom-image-input
```

`--custom-api-key` is optional; if omitted, onboarding checks `CUSTOM_API_KEY` in env. OpenClaw marks common vision model IDs (GPT-4o/4.1/5.x, Claude 3/4, Gemini, Qwen-VL, LLaVA, Pixtral, and similar) as image-capable automatically. Pass `--custom-image-input` for unknown custom vision IDs, or `--custom-text-input` to force text-only metadata. Use `--custom-compatibility openai-responses` for OpenAI-compatible endpoints that support `/v1/responses` but not `/v1/chat/completions`; valid values are `openai` (default), `openai-responses`, `anthropic`.

LM Studio also has a provider-specific key flag:

```bash
openclaw onboard --non-interactive \
  --auth-choice lmstudio \
  --custom-base-url "http://localhost:1234/v1" \
  --custom-model-id "qwen/qwen3.5-9b" \
  --lmstudio-api-key "$LM_API_TOKEN" \
  --accept-risk
```

Non-interactive Ollama:

```bash
openclaw onboard --non-interactive \
  --auth-choice ollama \
  --custom-base-url "http://ollama-host:11434" \
  --custom-model-id "qwen3.5:27b" \
  --accept-risk
```

`--custom-base-url` defaults to `http://127.0.0.1:11434`. `--custom-model-id` is optional; if omitted, onboarding uses Ollama's suggested defaults. Cloud model IDs such as `kimi-k2.5:cloud` also work here.

Store provider keys as refs instead of plaintext:

```bash
openclaw onboard --non-interactive \
  --auth-choice openai-api-key \
  --secret-input-mode ref \
  --accept-risk
```

With `--secret-input-mode ref`, onboarding writes env-backed refs instead of plaintext key values: for auth-profile-backed providers this writes `keyRef: { source: "env", provider: "default", id: <envVar> }`; for custom providers it writes `models.providers.<id>.apiKey` the same way (for example `{ source: "env", provider: "default", id: "CUSTOM_API_KEY" }`). Contract: set the provider env var in the onboarding process environment (for example `OPENAI_API_KEY`) and do not also pass an inline key flag unless that env var is set - a flag value without the matching env var fails fast with guidance.

### Gateway auth (non-interactive)

- `--gateway-auth token --gateway-token <token>` stores a plaintext token. `token` is the default auth mode.
- `--gateway-auth token --gateway-token-ref-env <name>` stores `gateway.auth.token` as an env SecretRef. Requires a non-empty env var of that name in the onboarding process environment.
- `--gateway-token` and `--gateway-token-ref-env` are mutually exclusive.
- With `--install-daemon`: a SecretRef-managed `gateway.auth.token` is validated but not persisted as resolved plaintext in supervisor service environment metadata; if the ref is unresolved, install fails closed with remediation guidance. If both `gateway.auth.token` and `gateway.auth.password` are configured and `gateway.auth.mode` is unset, install blocks until mode is set explicitly.
- Local onboarding writes `gateway.mode="local"` into the config. A later config file missing `gateway.mode` indicates config damage or an incomplete manual edit, not a valid local-mode shortcut.
- Local onboarding installs downloadable plugins the chosen setup path requires (for example a Codex or Copilot runtime plugin for those auth choices). Remote onboarding only writes connection info for the remote Gateway - it never installs local plugin packages.
- `--allow-unconfigured` is a separate `openclaw gateway run` escape hatch; it does not let onboarding skip `gateway.mode`.

```bash
export OPENAI_API_KEY="your-provider-key"
export OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN="your-token"
openclaw onboard --non-interactive \
  --mode local \
  --auth-choice openai-api-key \
  --secret-input-mode ref \
  --gateway-auth token \
  --gateway-token-ref-env OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN \
  --accept-risk
```

### Local gateway health

- Unless you pass `--skip-health`, onboarding waits for a reachable local gateway before exiting successfully.
- `--install-daemon` starts the managed gateway install path first. Without it, a local gateway must already be running (for example `openclaw gateway run`).
- `--skip-health` skips the wait if you only want config/workspace/bootstrap writes in automation.
- `--skip-bootstrap` sets `agents.defaults.skipBootstrap: true` and skips creating `AGENTS.md`, `SOUL.md`, `TOOLS.md`, `IDENTITY.md`, `USER.md`, `HEARTBEAT.md`, and `BOOTSTRAP.md`.
- On native Windows, `--install-daemon` tries Scheduled Tasks first and falls back to a per-user Startup-folder login item if task creation is denied.

### Interactive ref mode

- Choose **Use secret reference** when prompted, then either **Environment variable** or a configured secret provider (`file` or `exec`).
- Onboarding runs a fast preflight validation before saving the ref and lets you retry on failure.

### Z.AI endpoint choices

<Note>
`--auth-choice zai-api-key` auto-detects the best Z.AI endpoint and model for your key: Coding Plan endpoints prefer `zai/glm-5.2` (falling back to `glm-5.1` if unavailable); general API endpoints default to `zai/glm-5.1`. To force a Coding Plan endpoint, pick `zai-coding-global` or `zai-coding-cn` directly.
</Note>

```bash
# Promptless endpoint selection
openclaw onboard --non-interactive \
  --auth-choice zai-coding-global \
  --zai-api-key "$ZAI_API_KEY"

# Other Z.AI endpoint choices: zai-coding-cn, zai-global, zai-cn
```

Mistral:

```bash
openclaw onboard --non-interactive \
  --auth-choice mistral-api-key \
  --mistral-api-key "$MISTRAL_API_KEY"
```

## Additional non-interactive flags

Token-based model auth (used with `--auth-choice token`):

| Flag                            | Description                                                                                                                 |
| ------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `--token-provider <id>`         | Token provider id issuing the token                                                                                         |
| `--token <token>`               | Token value for model authentication                                                                                        |
| `--token-profile-id <id>`       | Auth profile id (default `<provider>:manual`; some provider-owned flows use their own default, such as `anthropic:default`) |
| `--token-expires-in <duration>` | Optional token expiry duration (e.g. `365d`, `12h`)                                                                         |

Cloudflare AI Gateway: `--cloudflare-ai-gateway-account-id <id>`, `--cloudflare-ai-gateway-gateway-id <id>`.

Daemon install control: `--no-install-daemon` / `--skip-daemon` (aliases; skip gateway service install), `--daemon-runtime <node>`.

Skills: `--node-manager <npm|pnpm|bun>` (default `npm`), `--skip-skills`.

UI and hook setup: `--skip-ui` (skip Control UI/TUI prompts), `--skip-hooks` (skip webhook/hook setup), `--skip-channels`, `--skip-search`.

Output: `--suppress-gateway-token-output` suppresses token-bearing Gateway/UI output (token hints, auto-login URL with embedded token, and automatic Control UI launch) - useful in shared terminals and CI.

<Note>
`--json` does not imply non-interactive mode in guided or classic onboarding.
With `--modern`, JSON is a one-shot Crestodian overview and exits after that
single result. Use `--non-interactive` for other scripts.
</Note>

## Provider prefiltering

When an auth choice implies a preferred provider, onboarding prefilters the default-model and allowlist pickers to that provider's models. The filter also matches other providers owned by the same plugin, which covers coding-plan variants such as `volcengine`/`volcengine-plan` and `byteplus`/`byteplus-plan`. If the preferred-provider filter yields no loaded models, onboarding falls back to the unfiltered catalog instead of leaving the picker empty.

## Web-search follow-ups

Some web-search providers trigger provider-specific follow-up prompts during onboarding:

- **Grok** can offer optional `x_search` setup with the same xAI auth and an `x_search` model choice.
- **Kimi** can ask for the Moonshot API region (`api.moonshot.ai` vs `api.moonshot.cn`) and the default Kimi web-search model.

## Other behaviors

- Local onboarding DM scope behavior: [CLI setup reference](/start/wizard-cli-reference#outputs-and-internals).
- Fastest first chat: `openclaw dashboard` (Control UI, no channel setup).
- Custom provider: connect any OpenAI- or Anthropic-compatible endpoint, including hosted providers not listed. Use **Unknown** compatibility to auto-detect via a live probe.
- If Hermes state is detected, onboarding offers a migration flow (see `--flow import` above).

## Common follow-up commands

Use `openclaw configure` later for targeted non-inference changes and `openclaw
channels add` for channel-only setup. For model provider or auth route changes,
run `openclaw onboard` instead.

```bash
openclaw channels add
openclaw configure
openclaw agents add <name>
```