--- summary: "Scripted onboarding and agent setup for the OpenClaw CLI" read_when: - You are automating onboarding in scripts or CI - You need non-interactive examples for specific providers title: "CLI automation" sidebarTitle: "CLI automation" --- Use `openclaw onboard --non-interactive` to script setup. It requires `--accept-risk`: non-interactive setup can write credentials and daemon config without a confirmation prompt, so the flag is the explicit risk acknowledgement. `--json` does not imply non-interactive mode. Pass `--non-interactive --accept-risk` explicitly for scripts. ## Baseline non-interactive example ```bash openclaw onboard --non-interactive --accept-risk \ --mode local \ --auth-choice apiKey \ --anthropic-api-key "$ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" \ --secret-input-mode plaintext \ --gateway-bind loopback \ --install-daemon \ --daemon-runtime node \ --skip-bootstrap \ --skip-skills ``` Add `--json` for a machine-readable summary. - `--gateway-port` defaults to `18789`; only pass it to override. - `--skip-bootstrap` skips creating default workspace files, for automation that pre-seeds its own workspace. - `--secret-input-mode ref` stores an env-backed reference (`{ source: "env", provider: "default", id: "" }`) in the auth profile instead of the plaintext key. In non-interactive `ref` mode, the provider env var must already be set in the process environment: passing an inline key flag without its matching env var fails fast. ```bash openclaw onboard --non-interactive --accept-risk \ --mode local \ --auth-choice openai-api-key \ --secret-input-mode ref ``` ## Provider-specific examples ```bash openclaw onboard --non-interactive --accept-risk \ --mode local \ --auth-choice apiKey \ --anthropic-api-key "$ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" \ --gateway-bind loopback ``` ```bash openclaw onboard --non-interactive --accept-risk \ --mode local \ --auth-choice cloudflare-ai-gateway-api-key \ --cloudflare-ai-gateway-account-id "your-account-id" \ --cloudflare-ai-gateway-gateway-id "your-gateway-id" \ --cloudflare-ai-gateway-api-key "$CLOUDFLARE_AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY" \ --gateway-bind loopback ``` ```bash openclaw onboard --non-interactive --accept-risk \ --mode local \ --auth-choice gemini-api-key \ --gemini-api-key "$GEMINI_API_KEY" \ --gateway-bind loopback ``` ```bash openclaw onboard --non-interactive --accept-risk \ --mode local \ --auth-choice mistral-api-key \ --mistral-api-key "$MISTRAL_API_KEY" \ --gateway-bind loopback ``` ```bash openclaw onboard --non-interactive --accept-risk \ --mode local \ --auth-choice moonshot-api-key \ --moonshot-api-key "$MOONSHOT_API_KEY" \ --gateway-bind loopback ``` ```bash openclaw onboard --non-interactive --accept-risk \ --mode local \ --auth-choice ollama \ --custom-model-id "qwen3.5:27b" \ --gateway-bind loopback ``` ```bash openclaw onboard --non-interactive --accept-risk \ --mode local \ --auth-choice opencode-zen \ --opencode-zen-api-key "$OPENCODE_API_KEY" \ --gateway-bind loopback ``` Swap to `--auth-choice opencode-go --opencode-go-api-key "$OPENCODE_API_KEY"` for the Go catalog. ```bash openclaw onboard --non-interactive --accept-risk \ --mode local \ --auth-choice synthetic-api-key \ --synthetic-api-key "$SYNTHETIC_API_KEY" \ --gateway-bind loopback ``` ```bash openclaw onboard --non-interactive --accept-risk \ --mode local \ --auth-choice ai-gateway-api-key \ --ai-gateway-api-key "$AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY" \ --gateway-bind loopback ``` ```bash openclaw onboard --non-interactive --accept-risk \ --mode local \ --auth-choice zai-api-key \ --zai-api-key "$ZAI_API_KEY" \ --gateway-bind loopback ``` ```bash openclaw onboard --non-interactive --accept-risk \ --mode local \ --auth-choice custom-api-key \ --custom-base-url "https://llm.example.com/v1" \ --custom-model-id "foo-large" \ --custom-api-key "$CUSTOM_API_KEY" \ --custom-provider-id "my-custom" \ --custom-compatibility anthropic \ --custom-image-input \ --gateway-bind loopback ``` `--custom-api-key` is optional; some endpoints do not require auth. If omitted, onboarding checks `CUSTOM_API_KEY` in env. `--custom-provider-id` is optional and auto-derived from the base URL when omitted. `--custom-compatibility` defaults to `openai` (other values: `openai-responses`, `anthropic`). OpenClaw infers image-input support from known vision model-id patterns (`gpt-4o`, `claude-3/4`, `gemini`, `-vl`/`vision` suffixes, and similar). Add `--custom-image-input` to force it on for an unrecognized vision model, or `--custom-text-input` to force text-only. Ref-mode variant, storing `apiKey` as `{ source: "env", provider: "default", id: "CUSTOM_API_KEY" }`: ```bash export CUSTOM_API_KEY="your-key" openclaw onboard --non-interactive --accept-risk \ --mode local \ --auth-choice custom-api-key \ --custom-base-url "https://llm.example.com/v1" \ --custom-model-id "foo-large" \ --secret-input-mode ref \ --custom-provider-id "my-custom" \ --custom-compatibility anthropic \ --custom-image-input \ --gateway-bind loopback ``` Anthropic setup-token auth remains supported, but OpenClaw prefers Claude CLI reuse when a local Claude CLI login is available. For production, prefer an Anthropic API key. ## Add another agent `openclaw agents add ` creates a separate agent with its own workspace, sessions, and auth profiles. Running it without `--workspace` (and no other flags) launches the interactive wizard; passing any of `--workspace`, `--model`, `--agent-dir`, `--bind`, or `--non-interactive` runs it non-interactively and then requires `--workspace`. ```bash openclaw agents add work \ --workspace ~/.openclaw/workspace-work \ --model openai/gpt-5.5 \ --bind whatsapp:biz \ --non-interactive \ --json ``` Config keys it writes (`agents.list[]` entry for the new agent id): - `name` - `workspace` - `agentDir` - `model` (only when `--model` is passed) Notes: - Default workspace (when `--workspace` is omitted in the interactive wizard): `~/.openclaw/workspace-`. - `--bind ` is repeatable; add bindings to route inbound messages to the new agent (the wizard can also do this interactively). - The agent name is normalized to a valid agent id; `main` is reserved. ## Related docs - Onboarding hub: [Onboarding (CLI)](/start/wizard) - Full reference: [CLI Setup Reference](/start/wizard-cli-reference) - Command reference: [`openclaw onboard`](/cli/onboard)