openclaw/docs/cli/tui.md

summary, read_when, title

summary	read_when	title
CLI reference for `openclaw tui` (Gateway-backed or local embedded terminal UI)	You want a terminal UI for the Gateway (remote-friendly) You want to pass url/token/session from scripts You want to run the TUI in local embedded mode without a Gateway You want to use openclaw chat or openclaw tui --local	TUI

openclaw tui

Open the terminal UI connected to the Gateway, or run it in local embedded mode.

Related:

• TUI guide: TUI

Options

Flag	Default	Description
--local	false	Run against the local embedded agent runtime instead of a Gateway.
--url <url>	gateway.remote.url from config	Gateway WebSocket URL.
--token <token>	(none)	Gateway token if required.
--password <pass>	(none)	Gateway password if required.
--session <key>	main (or global when scope is global)	Session key. Inside an agent workspace it auto-selects that agent unless prefixed.
--deliver	false	Deliver assistant replies through configured channels.
--thinking <level>	(model default)	Thinking level override.
--message <text>	(none)	Send an initial message after connecting.
--timeout-ms <ms>	agents.defaults.timeoutSeconds	Agent timeout. Invalid values log a warning and are ignored.
--history-limit <n>	200	History entries to load on attach.

Aliases: openclaw chat and openclaw terminal invoke the same command with --local implied.

Notes:

• chat and terminal are aliases for openclaw tui --local.
• --local cannot be combined with --url, --token, or --password.
• tui resolves configured gateway auth SecretRefs for token/password auth when possible (env/file/exec providers).
• When launched from inside a configured agent workspace directory, TUI auto-selects that agent for the session key default (unless --session is explicitly agent:<id>:...).
• Local mode uses the embedded agent runtime directly. Most local tools work, but Gateway-only features are unavailable.
• Local mode adds /auth [provider] inside the TUI command surface.
• Plugin approval gates still apply in local mode. Tools that require approval prompt for a decision in the terminal; nothing is silently auto-approved because the Gateway is not involved.
• Session goals appear in the footer and can be managed with /goal.

Examples

openclaw chat
openclaw tui --local
openclaw tui
openclaw tui --url ws://127.0.0.1:18789 --token <token>
openclaw tui --session main --deliver
openclaw chat --message "Compare my config to the docs and tell me what to fix"
# when run inside an agent workspace, infers that agent automatically
openclaw tui --session bugfix

Config repair loop

Use local mode when the current config already validates and you want the embedded agent to inspect it, compare it against the docs, and help repair it from the same terminal:

If openclaw config validate is already failing, use openclaw configure or openclaw doctor --fix first. openclaw chat does not bypass the invalid- config guard.

openclaw chat

Then inside the TUI:

!openclaw config file
!openclaw docs gateway auth token secretref
!openclaw config validate
!openclaw doctor

Apply targeted fixes with openclaw config set or openclaw configure, then rerun openclaw config validate. See TUI and Config.

Related

• CLI reference
• TUI
• Goal