OpenClaw Platform Reference

Structured reference for the OpenClaw assistant platform. Source repo: ~/Projects/openclaw/. Tracking version: 2026.4.7 (refresh: 2026-04-07).

Quick Navigation

Load the relevant reference file based on the task:

Plugin & Extension System

• references/plugin-system.md - Plugin discovery, loading, manifest format, registration API, installation CLI, SDK exports. Read when building/debugging plugins or understanding how extensions are loaded.

Configuration

• references/configuration.md - Full config structure (OpenClawConfig), config paths, file format (JSON5), env var substitution, $include directives, validation (Zod), per-plugin config, programmatic read/write. Read when modifying or generating openclaw config.

Boot & Provisioning

• references/boot-provisioning.md - Gateway startup sequence, BOOT.md mechanism, onboarding flows (interactive/non-interactive), plugin loading during boot, sidecar startup order, health checks. Read when designing automated provisioning or debugging startup.

Channels & Extensions

• references/channels-extensions.md - All built-in channels (Telegram, Discord, Slack, Signal, iMessage, WhatsApp, Web) + extension channels (MS Teams, Matrix, Zalo, Voice Call, Feishu). Channel plugin registration, per-channel config, Telegram specifics. Read when adding/configuring channels.