openclaw/docs/cli/pairing.md

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CLI reference for `openclaw pairing` (approve/list pairing requests)	You're using pairing-mode DMs and need to approve senders	Pairing

openclaw pairing

Approve or inspect DM pairing requests (for channels that support pairing).

Related:

• Pairing flow: Pairing

Commands

openclaw pairing list telegram
openclaw pairing list --channel telegram --account work
openclaw pairing list telegram --json

openclaw pairing approve <code>
openclaw pairing approve telegram <code>
openclaw pairing approve --channel telegram --account work <code> --notify

pairing list

List pending pairing requests for one channel.

Options:

• [channel]: positional channel id
• --channel <channel>: explicit channel id
• --account <accountId>: account id for multi-account channels
• --json: machine-readable output

Notes:

• If multiple pairing-capable channels are configured, you must provide a channel either positionally or with --channel.
• Extension channels are allowed as long as the channel id is valid.

pairing approve

Approve a pending pairing code and allow that sender.

Usage:

• openclaw pairing approve <channel> <code>
• openclaw pairing approve --channel <channel> <code>
• openclaw pairing approve <code> when exactly one pairing-capable channel is configured

Options:

• --channel <channel>: explicit channel id
• --account <accountId>: account id for multi-account channels
• --notify: send a confirmation back to the requester on the same channel

Owner bootstrap:

• If commands.ownerAllowFrom is empty when you approve a pairing code, OpenClaw also records the approved sender as the command owner, using a channel-scoped entry such as telegram:123456789.
• This only bootstraps the first owner. Later pairing approvals do not replace or expand commands.ownerAllowFrom.
• The command owner is the human operator account allowed to run owner-only commands and approve dangerous actions such as /diagnostics, /export-trajectory, /config, and exec approvals.

Notes

• Channel input: pass it positionally (pairing list telegram) or with --channel <channel>.
• pairing list supports --account <accountId> for multi-account channels.
• pairing approve supports --account <accountId> and --notify.
• If only one pairing-capable channel is configured, pairing approve <code> is allowed.
• If you approved a sender before this bootstrap existed, run openclaw doctor; it warns when no command owner is configured and shows the openclaw config set commands.ownerAllowFrom ... command to fix it.

Related

• CLI reference
• Channel pairing