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188 lines
7.0 KiB
Markdown
188 lines
7.0 KiB
Markdown
---
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summary: "OAuth in OpenClaw: token exchange, storage, and multi-account patterns"
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read_when:
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- You want to understand OpenClaw OAuth end-to-end
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- You hit token invalidation / logout issues
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- You want Claude CLI or OAuth auth flows
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- You want multiple accounts or profile routing
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title: "OAuth"
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---
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# OAuth
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OpenClaw supports “subscription auth” via OAuth for providers that offer it
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(notably **OpenAI Codex (ChatGPT OAuth)**). For Anthropic, the practical split
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is now:
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- **Anthropic API key**: normal Anthropic API billing
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- **Anthropic subscription auth inside OpenClaw**: Anthropic notified OpenClaw
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users on **April 4, 2026 at 12:00 PM PT / 8:00 PM BST** that this now
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requires **Extra Usage**
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OpenAI Codex OAuth is explicitly supported for use in external tools like
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OpenClaw. This page explains:
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For Anthropic in production, API key auth is the safer recommended path.
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- how the OAuth **token exchange** works (PKCE)
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- where tokens are **stored** (and why)
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- how to handle **multiple accounts** (profiles + per-session overrides)
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OpenClaw also supports **provider plugins** that ship their own OAuth or API‑key
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flows. Run them via:
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```bash
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openclaw models auth login --provider <id>
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```
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## The token sink (why it exists)
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OAuth providers commonly mint a **new refresh token** during login/refresh flows. Some providers (or OAuth clients) can invalidate older refresh tokens when a new one is issued for the same user/app.
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Practical symptom:
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- you log in via OpenClaw _and_ via Claude Code / Codex CLI → one of them randomly gets “logged out” later
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To reduce that, OpenClaw treats `auth-profiles.json` as a **token sink**:
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- the runtime reads credentials from **one place**
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- we can keep multiple profiles and route them deterministically
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- when credentials are reused from an external CLI like Codex CLI, OpenClaw
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mirrors them with provenance and re-reads that external source instead of
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rotating the refresh token itself
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## Storage (where tokens live)
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Secrets are stored **per-agent**:
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- Auth profiles (OAuth + API keys + optional value-level refs): `~/.openclaw/agents/<agentId>/agent/auth-profiles.json`
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- Legacy compatibility file: `~/.openclaw/agents/<agentId>/agent/auth.json`
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(static `api_key` entries are scrubbed when discovered)
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Legacy import-only file (still supported, but not the main store):
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- `~/.openclaw/credentials/oauth.json` (imported into `auth-profiles.json` on first use)
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All of the above also respect `$OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR` (state dir override). Full reference: [/gateway/configuration](/gateway/configuration-reference#auth-storage)
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For static secret refs and runtime snapshot activation behavior, see [Secrets Management](/gateway/secrets).
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## Anthropic legacy token compatibility
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<Warning>
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Anthropic's public Claude Code docs say direct Claude Code use stays within
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Claude subscription limits. Separately, Anthropic told OpenClaw users on
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**April 4, 2026 at 12:00 PM PT / 8:00 PM BST** that **OpenClaw counts as a
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third-party harness**. Existing Anthropic token profiles remain technically
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usable in OpenClaw, but Anthropic says the OpenClaw path now requires **Extra
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Usage** (pay-as-you-go billed separately from the subscription) for that
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traffic.
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For Anthropic's current direct-Claude-Code plan docs, see [Using Claude Code
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with your Pro or Max
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plan](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11145838-using-claude-code-with-your-pro-or-max-plan)
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and [Using Claude Code with your Team or Enterprise
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plan](https://support.anthropic.com/en/articles/11845131-using-claude-code-with-your-team-or-enterprise-plan/).
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If you want other subscription-style options in OpenClaw, see [OpenAI
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Codex](/providers/openai), [Qwen Cloud Coding
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Plan](/providers/qwen), [MiniMax Coding Plan](/providers/minimax),
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and [Z.AI / GLM Coding Plan](/providers/glm).
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</Warning>
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OpenClaw now exposes Anthropic setup-token again as a legacy/manual path.
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Anthropic's OpenClaw-specific billing notice still applies to that path, so
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use it with the expectation that Anthropic requires **Extra Usage** for
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OpenClaw-driven Claude-login traffic.
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## Anthropic Claude CLI migration
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Anthropic no longer has a supported local Claude CLI migration path in
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OpenClaw. Use Anthropic API keys for Anthropic traffic, or keep legacy
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token-based auth only where it is already configured and with the expectation
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that Anthropic treats that OpenClaw path as **Extra Usage**.
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## OAuth exchange (how login works)
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OpenClaw’s interactive login flows are implemented in `@mariozechner/pi-ai` and wired into the wizards/commands.
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### Anthropic setup-token
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Flow shape:
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1. start Anthropic setup-token or paste-token from OpenClaw
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2. OpenClaw stores the resulting Anthropic credential in an auth profile
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3. model selection stays on `anthropic/...`
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4. existing Anthropic auth profiles remain available for rollback/order control
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### OpenAI Codex (ChatGPT OAuth)
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OpenAI Codex OAuth is explicitly supported for use outside the Codex CLI, including OpenClaw workflows.
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Flow shape (PKCE):
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1. generate PKCE verifier/challenge + random `state`
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2. open `https://auth.openai.com/oauth/authorize?...`
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3. try to capture callback on `http://127.0.0.1:1455/auth/callback`
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4. if callback can’t bind (or you’re remote/headless), paste the redirect URL/code
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5. exchange at `https://auth.openai.com/oauth/token`
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6. extract `accountId` from the access token and store `{ access, refresh, expires, accountId }`
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Wizard path is `openclaw onboard` → auth choice `openai-codex`.
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## Refresh + expiry
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Profiles store an `expires` timestamp.
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At runtime:
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- if `expires` is in the future → use the stored access token
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- if expired → refresh (under a file lock) and overwrite the stored credentials
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- exception: reused external CLI credentials stay externally managed; OpenClaw
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re-reads the CLI auth store and never spends the copied refresh token itself
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The refresh flow is automatic; you generally don't need to manage tokens manually.
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## Multiple accounts (profiles) + routing
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Two patterns:
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### 1) Preferred: separate agents
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If you want “personal” and “work” to never interact, use isolated agents (separate sessions + credentials + workspace):
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```bash
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openclaw agents add work
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openclaw agents add personal
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```
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Then configure auth per-agent (wizard) and route chats to the right agent.
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### 2) Advanced: multiple profiles in one agent
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`auth-profiles.json` supports multiple profile IDs for the same provider.
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Pick which profile is used:
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- globally via config ordering (`auth.order`)
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- per-session via `/model ...@<profileId>`
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Example (session override):
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- `/model Opus@anthropic:work`
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How to see what profile IDs exist:
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- `openclaw channels list --json` (shows `auth[]`)
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Related docs:
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- [/concepts/model-failover](/concepts/model-failover) (rotation + cooldown rules)
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- [/tools/slash-commands](/tools/slash-commands) (command surface)
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## Related
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- [Authentication](/gateway/authentication) — model provider auth overview
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- [Secrets](/gateway/secrets) — credential storage and SecretRef
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- [Configuration Reference](/gateway/configuration-reference#auth-storage) — auth config keys
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