OpenClaw Plugin Entry Points Explained

OpenClaw plugin entry points are the runtime objects a plugin exports after the manifest has described its static shape. The SDK docs provide helpers for creating them: definePluginEntry, defineChannelPluginEntry, and defineSetupPluginEntry.

30-second answer

Every plugin exports a default entry object. Use definePluginEntry for provider plugins, tool plugins, hook plugins, and anything that is not a messaging channel. Use channel-specific helpers for messaging channels, and setup entries when a plugin needs setup metadata or setup-time behavior.

Package discovery

For installed plugins, package.json should point runtime loading at built JavaScript when available. The docs show extensions, runtimeExtensions, setupEntry, and runtimeSetupEntry. Source entries remain valid for workspace and git development; runtime entries are preferred for installed npm packages.

Explicit runtime entries are required in important cases. If an installed package only declares a TypeScript source entry, OpenClaw can use a matching built dist/*.js peer when one exists, then fall back to source. Missing declared runtime artifacts fail install or discovery instead of silently hiding the problem.

Boundary checks

All entry paths must stay inside the plugin package directory. Runtime entries and inferred built JavaScript peers do not make an escaping source path valid. That protects operators from plugin packages that try to reach outside their own install boundary during discovery.

Register function

A normal plugin entry registers through a register(api) function. That function receives the plugin API and should use public SDK and runtime helpers. This is where providers, tools, hooks, and other runtime surfaces are registered after static config validation has already passed.

Development versus production

During local development, source entries make iteration faster. For production installs, built runtime entries reduce startup surprises and avoid requiring TypeScript compilation at runtime. If a plugin ships both, document which path production should load and how to verify it.

Operator checklist

When a plugin fails to load, inspect manifest validity, package discovery fields, entry path boundaries, built artifact existence, setup entry pairing, and runtime inspection output. Do not assume a plugin is broken at the business-logic layer until entrypoint discovery is clean.

The OpenClaw Playbook explains this as a two-step contract: the manifest tells OpenClaw what the plugin is before execution; the entrypoint registers what it does at runtime. Mixing those responsibilities is where many extension bugs start.

Rollout plan

Treat OpenClaw Plugin Entry Points Explained 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 decision owner, source document, acceptance check, upgrade risk, and where future agents should look before changing the behavior. 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.