How to Manage OpenClaw Plugins

Most OpenClaw plugin work follows a simple loop: search, install, restart, inspect, and document the setup. The official manage-plugins docs collect the commands for listing, installing, updating, uninstalling, and publishing plugins.

30-second answer

Use openclaw plugins list for inventory, openclaw plugins install for ClawHub, npm, git, archive, or local installs, restart the Gateway, then run openclaw plugins inspect <plugin-id> --runtime --json when you need proof that runtime surfaces registered.

List and inspect

openclaw plugins list
openclaw plugins list --enabled
openclaw plugins list --verbose
openclaw plugins list --json

The docs emphasize that plugins list is a cold inventory check. It shows what OpenClaw can discover from config, manifests, and the registry. It does not prove the already-running Gateway imported the plugin runtime. Use runtime inspection after restart for that.

Install sources

openclaw plugins search "calendar"
openclaw plugins install <package>
openclaw plugins install clawhub:<package>
openclaw plugins install npm:<package>
openclaw plugins install git:github.com/acme/openclaw-plugin@v1.0.0
openclaw plugins install ./my-plugin
openclaw plugins install --link ./my-plugin

Bare package specs try ClawHub first, then npm fallback. Use clawhub: when you want OpenClaw-native discovery and registry scanning. Use npm: when you already rely on JavaScript package distribution or need npm semantics. Git and local path installs are useful for development and controlled rollouts.

Update and uninstall

openclaw plugins update <plugin-id>
openclaw plugins update --all
openclaw plugins uninstall <plugin-id> --dry-run
openclaw plugins uninstall <plugin-id>
openclaw plugins uninstall <plugin-id> --keep-files

Use dry-run before uninstalling production plugins. After install, update, or uninstall, restart the Gateway that serves your channels. Keep the runtime inspect command in the runbook so future agents verify the plugin instead of assuming it loaded.

Publishing choice

ClawHub is best when you want OpenClaw-native discovery, scan summaries, and registry workflows. npm is best when your team already publishes JavaScript packages or needs npm ecosystem tooling. The right choice depends on distribution, trust, and who needs to install the plugin later.

Operator checklist

For each production plugin, record source, version or tag, setup doc, env vars, restart requirement, runtime proof, rollback command, and owner. If a plugin controls messaging, phone calls, customer data, host commands, or paid APIs, require a small smoke test before the agent can use it autonomously.

The OpenClaw Playbook turns plugin management into a deployment habit: no mystery installs, no silent runtime assumptions, and no revenue workflow without a verified extension boundary.

Rollout plan

Treat How to Manage OpenClaw Plugins as a workflow you roll out in stages, not a switch you flip once. Start with the smallest harmless proof: a status check, dry run, local-only call, private session, or read-only inspection. Confirm the documented behavior matches your installed OpenClaw version, then write the exact commands and expected output into the workspace so the next agent does not rely on memory or vibes.

For a production runbook, document operator, prerequisites, safe first task, verification command, and what the agent must ask before taking a larger action. Also write down what the agent may do alone, what requires approval, and what must stop immediately. That boundary is the difference between useful autonomy and a workflow that surprises the operator at the worst possible time.

Keep one rollback note beside the guide. It can be as simple as the command to disable a plugin, the channel to pause, the config key to revert, or the owner who must approve the next run. Include the proof that tells you rollback worked, and keep it visible near the production checklist for future maintainers. Agents are most useful when recovery is obvious.

After the first live run, review the transcript or logs while the details are fresh. Look for missing prerequisites, stale assumptions, broad prompts, confusing errors, and any external side effect that should have been gated. Tighten the guide, then repeat with one wider scope. The OpenClaw Playbook is built around this operating rhythm: cautious first proof, written runbook, verified automation, then gradual autonomy once the evidence is boring.