openclaw/docs/cli/mcp.md

---
summary: "Expose OpenClaw channel conversations over MCP and manage saved MCP server definitions"
read_when:
  - Connecting Codex, Claude Code, or another MCP client to OpenClaw-backed channels
  - Running `openclaw mcp serve`
  - Managing OpenClaw-saved MCP server definitions
title: "mcp"
---

# mcp

`openclaw mcp` has two jobs:

- run OpenClaw as an MCP server with `openclaw mcp serve`
- manage OpenClaw-owned outbound MCP server definitions with `list`, `show`,
  `set`, and `unset`

In other words:

- `serve` is OpenClaw acting as an MCP server
- `list` / `show` / `set` / `unset` is OpenClaw acting as an MCP client-side
  registry for other MCP servers its runtimes may consume later

Use [`openclaw acp`](/cli/acp) when OpenClaw should host a coding harness
session itself and route that runtime through ACP.

## OpenClaw as an MCP server

This is the `openclaw mcp serve` path.

## When to use `serve`

Use `openclaw mcp serve` when:

- Codex, Claude Code, or another MCP client should talk directly to
  OpenClaw-backed channel conversations
- you already have a local or remote OpenClaw Gateway with routed sessions
- you want one MCP server that works across OpenClaw's channel backends instead
  of running separate per-channel bridges

Use [`openclaw acp`](/cli/acp) instead when OpenClaw should host the coding
runtime itself and keep the agent session inside OpenClaw.

## How it works

`openclaw mcp serve` starts a stdio MCP server. The MCP client owns that
process. While the client keeps the stdio session open, the bridge connects to a
local or remote OpenClaw Gateway over WebSocket and exposes routed channel
conversations over MCP.

Lifecycle:

1. the MCP client spawns `openclaw mcp serve`
2. the bridge connects to Gateway
3. routed sessions become MCP conversations and transcript/history tools
4. live events are queued in memory while the bridge is connected
5. if Claude channel mode is enabled, the same session can also receive
   Claude-specific push notifications

Important behavior:

- live queue state starts when the bridge connects
- older transcript history is read with `messages_read`
- Claude push notifications only exist while the MCP session is alive
- when the client disconnects, the bridge exits and the live queue is gone

## Choose a client mode

Use the same bridge in two different ways:

- Generic MCP clients: standard MCP tools only. Use `conversations_list`,
  `messages_read`, `events_poll`, `events_wait`, `messages_send`, and the
  approval tools.
- Claude Code: standard MCP tools plus the Claude-specific channel adapter.
  Enable `--claude-channel-mode on` or leave the default `auto`.

Today, `auto` behaves the same as `on`. There is no client capability detection
yet.

## What `serve` exposes

The bridge uses existing Gateway session route metadata to expose channel-backed
conversations. A conversation appears when OpenClaw already has session state
with a known route such as:

- `channel`
- recipient or destination metadata
- optional `accountId`
- optional `threadId`

This gives MCP clients one place to:

- list recent routed conversations
- read recent transcript history
- wait for new inbound events
- send a reply back through the same route
- see approval requests that arrive while the bridge is connected

## Usage

```bash
# Local Gateway
openclaw mcp serve

# Remote Gateway
openclaw mcp serve --url wss://gateway-host:18789 --token-file ~/.openclaw/gateway.token

# Remote Gateway with password auth
openclaw mcp serve --url wss://gateway-host:18789 --password-file ~/.openclaw/gateway.password

# Enable verbose bridge logs
openclaw mcp serve --verbose

# Disable Claude-specific push notifications
openclaw mcp serve --claude-channel-mode off
```

## Bridge tools

The current bridge exposes these MCP tools:

- `conversations_list`
- `conversation_get`
- `messages_read`
- `attachments_fetch`
- `events_poll`
- `events_wait`
- `messages_send`
- `permissions_list_open`
- `permissions_respond`

### `conversations_list`

Lists recent session-backed conversations that already have route metadata in
Gateway session state.

Useful filters:

- `limit`
- `search`
- `channel`
- `includeDerivedTitles`
- `includeLastMessage`

### `conversation_get`

Returns one conversation by `session_key`.

### `messages_read`

Reads recent transcript messages for one session-backed conversation.

### `attachments_fetch`

Extracts non-text message content blocks from one transcript message. This is a
metadata view over transcript content, not a standalone durable attachment blob
store.

### `events_poll`

Reads queued live events since a numeric cursor.

### `events_wait`

Long-polls until the next matching queued event arrives or a timeout expires.

Use this when a generic MCP client needs near-real-time delivery without a
Claude-specific push protocol.

### `messages_send`

Sends text back through the same route already recorded on the session.

Current behavior:

- requires an existing conversation route
- uses the session's channel, recipient, account id, and thread id
- sends text only

### `permissions_list_open`

Lists pending exec/plugin approval requests the bridge has observed since it
connected to the Gateway.

### `permissions_respond`

Resolves one pending exec/plugin approval request with:

- `allow-once`
- `allow-always`
- `deny`

## Event model

The bridge keeps an in-memory event queue while it is connected.

Current event types:

- `message`
- `exec_approval_requested`
- `exec_approval_resolved`
- `plugin_approval_requested`
- `plugin_approval_resolved`
- `claude_permission_request`

Important limits:

- the queue is live-only; it starts when the MCP bridge starts
- `events_poll` and `events_wait` do not replay older Gateway history by
  themselves
- durable backlog should be read with `messages_read`

## Claude channel notifications

The bridge can also expose Claude-specific channel notifications. This is the
OpenClaw equivalent of a Claude Code channel adapter: standard MCP tools remain
available, but live inbound messages can also arrive as Claude-specific MCP
notifications.

Flags:

- `--claude-channel-mode off`: standard MCP tools only
- `--claude-channel-mode on`: enable Claude channel notifications
- `--claude-channel-mode auto`: current default; same bridge behavior as `on`

When Claude channel mode is enabled, the server advertises Claude experimental
capabilities and can emit:

- `notifications/claude/channel`
- `notifications/claude/channel/permission`

Current bridge behavior:

- inbound `user` transcript messages are forwarded as
  `notifications/claude/channel`
- Claude permission requests received over MCP are tracked in-memory
- if the linked conversation later sends `yes abcde` or `no abcde`, the bridge
  converts that to `notifications/claude/channel/permission`
- these notifications are live-session only; if the MCP client disconnects,
  there is no push target

This is intentionally client-specific. Generic MCP clients should rely on the
standard polling tools.

## MCP client config

Example stdio client config:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "openclaw": {
      "command": "openclaw",
      "args": [
        "mcp",
        "serve",
        "--url",
        "wss://gateway-host:18789",
        "--token-file",
        "/path/to/gateway.token"
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

For most generic MCP clients, start with the standard tool surface and ignore
Claude mode. Turn Claude mode on only for clients that actually understand the
Claude-specific notification methods.

## Options

`openclaw mcp serve` supports:

- `--url <url>`: Gateway WebSocket URL
- `--token <token>`: Gateway token
- `--token-file <path>`: read token from file
- `--password <password>`: Gateway password
- `--password-file <path>`: read password from file
- `--claude-channel-mode <auto|on|off>`: Claude notification mode
- `-v`, `--verbose`: verbose logs on stderr

Prefer `--token-file` or `--password-file` over inline secrets when possible.

## Security and trust boundary

The bridge does not invent routing. It only exposes conversations that Gateway
already knows how to route.

That means:

- sender allowlists, pairing, and channel-level trust still belong to the
  underlying OpenClaw channel configuration
- `messages_send` can only reply through an existing stored route
- approval state is live/in-memory only for the current bridge session
- bridge auth should use the same Gateway token or password controls you would
  trust for any other remote Gateway client

If a conversation is missing from `conversations_list`, the usual cause is not
MCP configuration. It is missing or incomplete route metadata in the underlying
Gateway session.

## Testing

OpenClaw ships a deterministic Docker smoke for this bridge:

```bash
pnpm test:docker:mcp-channels
```

That smoke:

- starts a seeded Gateway container
- starts a second container that spawns `openclaw mcp serve`
- verifies conversation discovery, transcript reads, attachment metadata reads,
  live event queue behavior, and outbound send routing
- validates Claude-style channel and permission notifications over the real
  stdio MCP bridge

This is the fastest way to prove the bridge works without wiring a real
Telegram, Discord, or iMessage account into the test run.

For broader testing context, see [Testing](/help/testing).

## Troubleshooting

### No conversations returned

Usually means the Gateway session is not already routable. Confirm that the
underlying session has stored channel/provider, recipient, and optional
account/thread route metadata.

### `events_poll` or `events_wait` misses older messages

Expected. The live queue starts when the bridge connects. Read older transcript
history with `messages_read`.

### Claude notifications do not show up

Check all of these:

- the client kept the stdio MCP session open
- `--claude-channel-mode` is `on` or `auto`
- the client actually understands the Claude-specific notification methods
- the inbound message happened after the bridge connected

### Approvals are missing

`permissions_list_open` only shows approval requests observed while the bridge
was connected. It is not a durable approval history API.

## OpenClaw as an MCP client registry

This is the `openclaw mcp list`, `show`, `set`, and `unset` path.

These commands do not expose OpenClaw over MCP. They manage OpenClaw-owned MCP
server definitions under `mcp.servers` in OpenClaw config.

Those saved definitions are for runtimes that OpenClaw launches or configures
later, such as embedded Pi and other runtime adapters. OpenClaw stores the
definitions centrally so those runtimes do not need to keep their own duplicate
MCP server lists.

Important behavior:

- these commands only read or write OpenClaw config
- they do not connect to the target MCP server
- they do not validate whether the command, URL, or remote transport is
  reachable right now
- runtime adapters decide which transport shapes they actually support at
  execution time

## Saved MCP server definitions

OpenClaw also stores a lightweight MCP server registry in config for surfaces
that want OpenClaw-managed MCP definitions.

Commands:

- `openclaw mcp list`
- `openclaw mcp show [name]`
- `openclaw mcp set <name> <json>`
- `openclaw mcp unset <name>`

Examples:

```bash
openclaw mcp list
openclaw mcp show context7 --json
openclaw mcp set context7 '{"command":"uvx","args":["context7-mcp"]}'
openclaw mcp set docs '{"url":"https://mcp.example.com"}'
openclaw mcp unset context7
```

Example config shape:

```json
{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "context7": {
        "command": "uvx",
        "args": ["context7-mcp"]
      },
      "docs": {
        "url": "https://mcp.example.com"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

Typical fields:

- `command`
- `args`
- `env`
- `cwd` or `workingDirectory`
- `url`

These commands manage saved config only. They do not start the channel bridge,
open a live MCP client session, or prove the target server is reachable.

## Current limits

This page documents the bridge as shipped today.

Current limits:

- conversation discovery depends on existing Gateway session route metadata
- no generic push protocol beyond the Claude-specific adapter
- no message edit or react tools yet
- no dedicated HTTP MCP transport yet
- `permissions_list_open` only includes approvals observed while the bridge is
  connected