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OpenClaw

Connect the OpenClaw autonomous agent framework to Open WebUI.

OpenClaw is an open-source, self-hosted autonomous AI agent framework. It gives your AI "hands": the ability to execute shell commands, read and write files, browse the web, and connect to messaging platforms like Telegram, Slack, and WhatsApp.

OpenClaw provides an OpenAI-compatible API endpoint, making Open WebUI a natural choice for a polished chat frontend. There are two distinct ways to integrate:

MethodBest For
API ConnectionUsing Open WebUI as the full chat frontend for your OpenClaw agents
Channels PluginHaving an OpenClaw bot participate alongside humans in Open WebUI Channels
What You'll Need
  • OpenClaw installed on your machine (getting started)
  • Node.js 22+ (24 recommended)
  • An API key from a supported LLM provider (Anthropic, OpenAI, etc.)
  • Open WebUI running (via Docker, pip, or desktop app)
  • ~15 minutes to complete this setup

Method 1: API Connection​

Use Open WebUI as the primary chat interface for your OpenClaw agent. This is the simplest and most common approach.

Step 1: Install OpenClaw​

If you haven't installed OpenClaw yet:

# macOS / Linux
curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash

# Windows (PowerShell)
iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1 | iex

Or install via npm:

npm install -g openclaw@latest

Then run the onboarding wizard to configure your LLM provider and name your agent:

openclaw onboard

Step 2: Enable the OpenAI-Compatible API​

By default, the OpenAI-compatible endpoint is disabled for security. Enable it in your OpenClaw configuration file:

{
  "gateway": {
    "http": {
      "endpoints": {
        "chatCompletions": {
          "enabled": true
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

If the gateway is already running, restart it for changes to take effect.

Step 3: Start the Gateway​

openclaw gateway

The gateway starts on port 18789 by default. Verify it's running:

openclaw gateway status

Step 4: Add the Connection in Open WebUI​

  1. Open Open WebUI in your browser.
  2. Go to ⚙️ Admin Settings → Connections → OpenAI.
  3. Click ➕ Add Connection.
  4. Enter the following:
SettingValue
URLhttp://localhost:18789/v1
API KeyYour OpenClaw Gateway bearer token
  1. Click the ✅ checkmark to verify, then Save.
Running Open WebUI in Docker?

Replace localhost with host.docker.internal:

http://host.docker.internal:18789/v1

Step 5: Start Chatting!​

Your OpenClaw agent should now appear in the model dropdown. Select it and start chatting. The agent has full access to all its configured tools through Open WebUI's interface.

Targeting Specific Agents

OpenClaw uses the model field to route to different agents:

Model IDRoutes To
openclaw/defaultYour configured default agent
openclaw/<agentId>A specific named agent

If you have multiple agents configured, they'll each appear as separate "models" in the dropdown.

Method 2: Channels Plugin​

Community Plugin

The Channels plugin is a community-contributed integration and is not maintained by the Open WebUI or OpenClaw teams. Use at your own discretion and refer to the plugin repository for support.

Want your OpenClaw agent to participate in Open WebUI Channels as a bot user, reading messages, replying, and interacting alongside human users? Use the community Channels plugin.

Step 1: Create a Bot Account in Open WebUI​

  1. Log into Open WebUI as an Administrator.
  2. Go to Admin Panel → Users.
  3. Create a new user account for the bot (e.g., openclaw-bot@yourdomain.com).
  4. Add this bot user to the channels you want it to monitor.
note

Make sure Channels are enabled in your Open WebUI instance (Admin Settings → General).

Step 2: Install the Plugin​

In a secure chat session with your OpenClaw agent (via its built-in dashboard or terminal), say:

"I want to use the Open WebUI Channels plugin: https://github.com/skyzi000/openclaw-open-webui-channels"

OpenClaw will automatically download and install the plugin.

Step 3: Configure the Connection​

Tell your OpenClaw agent:

"I want to connect to Open WebUI Channels."

It will prompt you for the following:

SettingWhat to Enter
Base URLYour Open WebUI URL (e.g., http://localhost:3000)
EmailThe bot account email from Step 1
PasswordThe bot account password
Channel IDs(Optional) Specific channel IDs to monitor, or leave blank for all
Security

Always configure credentials in a private chat environment. The plugin stores them in ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json under the channels.open-webui section.

Step 4: Verify​

Open a connected channel in Open WebUI and mention the bot by username (e.g., @openclaw-bot). If it responds, you're all set!

OpenClaw's Built-In Dashboard​

OpenClaw also includes its own zero-installation web dashboard for managing agents, viewing logs, and monitoring system resources:

openclaw dashboard

This opens at http://localhost:18789 by default. It's a great companion to Open WebUI. Use the dashboard for agent management and Open WebUI for conversations.

Troubleshooting​

Connection refused​

  • Ensure the gateway is running: openclaw gateway status
  • Verify the port (default is 18789, not 8000 or 11434)
  • Confirm you appended /v1 to the URL

Verification fails but models don't load​

The URL must be exactly http://localhost:18789/v1. The /v1 suffix is required for model discovery.

Docker networking issues​

If Open WebUI runs in Docker, localhost points to the container itself. Use host.docker.internal instead. On Linux without Docker Desktop:

docker run --add-host=host.docker.internal:host-gateway ...

Channels bot not responding​

  • Verify the bot user has been added to the target channel
  • Check that Channels are enabled in Admin Settings → General
  • Ensure the bot credentials are correct in the OpenClaw plugin config (~/.openclaw/openclaw.json)

Learn More​