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openclaw/docs/cli/update.md
2026-04-27 08:24:26 +01:00

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---
summary: "CLI reference for `openclaw update` (safe-ish source update + gateway auto-restart)"
read_when:
- You want to update a source checkout safely
- You need to understand `--update` shorthand behavior
title: "Update"
---
# `openclaw update`
Safely update OpenClaw and switch between stable/beta/dev channels.
If you installed via **npm/pnpm/bun** (global install, no git metadata),
updates happen via the package-manager flow in [Updating](/install/updating).
## Usage
```bash
openclaw update
openclaw update status
openclaw update wizard
openclaw update --channel beta
openclaw update --channel dev
openclaw update --tag beta
openclaw update --tag main
openclaw update --dry-run
openclaw update --no-restart
openclaw update --yes
openclaw update --json
openclaw --update
```
## Options
- `--no-restart`: skip restarting the Gateway service after a successful update. Package-manager updates that do restart the Gateway verify the restarted service reports the expected updated version before the command succeeds.
- `--channel <stable|beta|dev>`: set the update channel (git + npm; persisted in config).
- `--tag <dist-tag|version|spec>`: override the package target for this update only. For package installs, `main` maps to `github:openclaw/openclaw#main`.
- `--dry-run`: preview planned update actions (channel/tag/target/restart flow) without writing config, installing, syncing plugins, or restarting.
- `--json`: print machine-readable `UpdateRunResult` JSON, including
`postUpdate.plugins.integrityDrifts` when npm plugin artifact drift is
detected during post-update plugin sync.
- `--timeout <seconds>`: per-step timeout (default is 1800s).
- `--yes`: skip confirmation prompts (for example downgrade confirmation).
<Warning>
Downgrades require confirmation because older versions can break configuration.
</Warning>
## `update status`
Show the active update channel + git tag/branch/SHA (for source checkouts), plus update availability.
```bash
openclaw update status
openclaw update status --json
openclaw update status --timeout 10
```
Options:
- `--json`: print machine-readable status JSON.
- `--timeout <seconds>`: timeout for checks (default is 3s).
## `update wizard`
Interactive flow to pick an update channel and confirm whether to restart the Gateway
after updating (default is to restart). If you select `dev` without a git checkout, it
offers to create one.
Options:
- `--timeout <seconds>`: timeout for each update step (default `1800`)
## What it does
When you switch channels explicitly (`--channel ...`), OpenClaw also keeps the
install method aligned:
- `dev` → ensures a git checkout (default: `~/openclaw`, override with `OPENCLAW_GIT_DIR`),
updates it, and installs the global CLI from that checkout.
- `stable` → installs from npm using `latest`.
- `beta` → prefers npm dist-tag `beta`, but falls back to `latest` when beta is
missing or older than the current stable release.
The Gateway core auto-updater (when enabled via config) reuses this same update path.
For package-manager installs, `openclaw update` resolves the target package
version before invoking the package manager. Even when the installed version
already matches the target, the command refreshes the global package install,
then runs plugin sync, a core-command completion refresh, and restart work. This
keeps packaged sidecars and channel-owned plugin records aligned with the
installed OpenClaw build while leaving full plugin-command completion rebuilds to
explicit `openclaw completion --write-state` runs.
## Git checkout flow
### Channel selection
- `stable`: checkout the latest non-beta tag, then build and doctor.
- `beta`: prefer the latest `-beta` tag, but fall back to the latest stable tag when beta is missing or older.
- `dev`: checkout `main`, then fetch and rebase.
### Update steps
<Steps>
<Step title="Verify clean worktree">
Requires no uncommitted changes.
</Step>
<Step title="Switch channel">
Switches to the selected channel (tag or branch).
</Step>
<Step title="Fetch upstream">
Dev only.
</Step>
<Step title="Preflight build (dev only)">
Runs lint and TypeScript build in a temp worktree. If the tip fails, walks back up to 10 commits to find the newest clean build.
</Step>
<Step title="Rebase">
Rebases onto the selected commit (dev only).
</Step>
<Step title="Install dependencies">
Uses the repo package manager. For pnpm checkouts, the updater bootstraps `pnpm` on demand (via `corepack` first, then a temporary `npm install pnpm@10` fallback) instead of running `npm run build` inside a pnpm workspace.
</Step>
<Step title="Build Control UI">
Builds the gateway and the Control UI.
</Step>
<Step title="Run doctor">
`openclaw doctor` runs as the final safe-update check.
</Step>
<Step title="Sync plugins">
Syncs plugins to the active channel. Dev uses bundled plugins; stable and beta use npm. Updates npm-installed plugins.
</Step>
</Steps>
<Warning>
If an exact pinned npm plugin update resolves to an artifact whose integrity differs from the stored install record, `openclaw update` aborts that plugin artifact update instead of installing it. Reinstall or update the plugin explicitly only after verifying that you trust the new artifact.
</Warning>
<Note>
Post-update plugin sync failures fail the update result and stop restart follow-up work. Fix the plugin install or update error, then rerun `openclaw update`.
When the updated Gateway starts, enabled bundled plugin runtime dependencies are staged before plugin activation. Update-triggered restarts drain any active runtime-dependency staging before closing the Gateway, so service-manager restarts do not interrupt an in-flight npm install.
If pnpm bootstrap still fails, the updater stops early with a package-manager-specific error instead of trying `npm run build` inside the checkout.
</Note>
## `--update` shorthand
`openclaw --update` rewrites to `openclaw update` (useful for shells and launcher scripts).
## Related
- `openclaw doctor` (offers to run update first on git checkouts)
- [Development channels](/install/development-channels)
- [Updating](/install/updating)
- [CLI reference](/cli)