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Source-grounded rewrite of 529 published docs pages with per-unit information-loss verification: 1,713 factual corrections cited to src/**, generated surfaces regenerated, frontmatter titles preserved for i18n, release notes pages untouched. All docs gates green. Closes #100141
155 lines
6.6 KiB
Markdown
155 lines
6.6 KiB
Markdown
---
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summary: "Run agent turns from the CLI and optionally deliver replies to channels"
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read_when:
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- You want to trigger agent runs from scripts or the command line
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- You need to deliver agent replies to a chat channel programmatically
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title: "Agent send"
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---
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`openclaw agent` runs a single agent turn from the command line without an
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inbound chat message. Use it for scripted workflows, testing, and
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programmatic delivery. Full flag and behavior reference:
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[Agent CLI reference](/cli/agent).
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## Quick start
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<Steps>
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<Step title="Run a simple agent turn">
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```bash
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openclaw agent --agent main --message "What is the weather today?"
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```
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Sends the message through the Gateway and prints the reply.
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</Step>
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<Step title="Send a multiline prompt from a file">
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```bash
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openclaw agent --agent ops --message-file ./task.md
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```
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Reads a valid UTF-8 file as the agent message body.
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</Step>
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<Step title="Target a specific agent or session">
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```bash
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# Target a specific agent
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openclaw agent --agent ops --message "Summarize logs"
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# Target a phone number (derives session key)
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openclaw agent --to +15555550123 --message "Status update"
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# Reuse an existing session
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openclaw agent --session-id abc123 --message "Continue the task"
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# Target an exact session key
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openclaw agent --session-key agent:ops:incident-42 --message "Summarize status"
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```
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</Step>
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<Step title="Deliver the reply to a channel">
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```bash
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# Deliver to WhatsApp (default channel)
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openclaw agent --to +15555550123 --message "Report ready" --deliver
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# Deliver to Slack
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openclaw agent --agent ops --message "Generate report" \
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--deliver --reply-channel slack --reply-to "#reports"
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```
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</Step>
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</Steps>
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## Flags
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| Flag | Description |
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| --------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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| `--message <text>` | Inline message to send |
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| `--message-file <path>` | Read the message from a valid UTF-8 file |
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| `--to <dest>` | Derive session key from a target (phone, chat id) |
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| `--session-key <key>` | Use an explicit session key |
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| `--agent <id>` | Target a configured agent (uses its `main` session) |
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| `--session-id <id>` | Reuse an existing session by id |
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| `--model <id>` | Model override for this run (`provider/model` or model id) |
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| `--local` | Force local embedded runtime (skip Gateway) |
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| `--deliver` | Send the reply to a chat channel |
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| `--channel <name>` | Delivery channel (discord, slack, telegram, whatsapp, etc.) |
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| `--reply-to <target>` | Delivery target override |
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| `--reply-channel <name>` | Delivery channel override |
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| `--reply-account <id>` | Delivery account id override |
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| `--thinking <level>` | Set thinking level for the selected model profile |
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| `--verbose <on\|full\|off>` | Persist verbose level for the session (`full` also logs tool output) |
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| `--timeout <seconds>` | Override agent timeout (default 600, or config value) |
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| `--json` | Output structured JSON |
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## Behavior
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- By default, the CLI goes **through the Gateway**. Add `--local` to force the
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embedded runtime on the current machine.
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- Pass exactly one of `--message` or `--message-file`. File messages preserve
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multiline content after removing an optional UTF-8 BOM.
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- If the Gateway request fails, the CLI **falls back** to the local embedded
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run; a Gateway timeout falls back with a fresh session instead of racing the
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original transcript.
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- Session selection: `--to` derives the session key (group/channel targets
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preserve isolation; direct chats collapse to `main`).
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- `--session-key` selects an explicit key. Agent-prefixed keys must use
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`agent:<agent-id>:<session-key>`, and `--agent` must match that agent id when
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both are supplied. Bare non-sentinel keys are scoped to `--agent` when
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supplied; for example, `--agent ops --session-key incident-42` routes to
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`agent:ops:incident-42`. Without `--agent`, bare non-sentinel keys are scoped
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to the configured default agent. Literal `global` and `unknown` remain
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unscoped only when no `--agent` is supplied; the embedded fallback path
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resolves those sentinel sessions to the configured default agent.
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- `--channel`, `--reply-channel`, and `--reply-account` affect reply delivery,
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not session routing.
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- Thinking and verbose flags persist into the session store.
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- Output: plain text by default, or `--json` for structured payload + metadata.
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- With `--json --deliver`, the JSON includes delivery status for sent,
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suppressed, partial, and failed sends. See
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[JSON delivery status](/cli/agent#json-delivery-status).
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## Examples
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```bash
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# Simple turn with JSON output
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openclaw agent --to +15555550123 --message "Trace logs" --verbose on --json
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# Turn with a model override
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openclaw agent --agent ops --model openai/gpt-5.4 --message "Summarize logs"
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# Turn with thinking level
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openclaw agent --session-id 1234 --message "Summarize inbox" --thinking medium
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# Multiline prompt from a file
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openclaw agent --agent ops --message-file ./task.md
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# Exact session key
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openclaw agent --session-key agent:ops:incident-42 --message "Summarize status"
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# Legacy key scoped to an agent
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openclaw agent --agent ops --session-key incident-42 --message "Summarize status"
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# Deliver to a different channel than the session
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openclaw agent --agent ops --message "Alert" --deliver --reply-channel telegram --reply-to "@admin"
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```
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## Related
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<CardGroup cols={2}>
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<Card title="Agent CLI reference" href="/cli/agent" icon="terminal">
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Full `openclaw agent` flag and option reference.
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</Card>
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<Card title="Sub-agents" href="/tools/subagents" icon="users">
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Background sub-agent spawning.
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</Card>
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<Card title="Sessions" href="/concepts/session" icon="comments">
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How session keys work and how `--to`, `--agent`, and `--session-id` resolve them.
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</Card>
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<Card title="Slash commands" href="/tools/slash-commands" icon="slash">
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Native command catalog used inside agent sessions.
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</Card>
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</CardGroup>
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