How to track your AI usage and costs in OpenClaw

I hate that feeling when a model suddenly stops responding because I hit a quota limit I didn’t know existed. It is frustrating to guess how much credit is left or how many tokens I just spent while I am deep in a coding session.

I prefer seeing exactly what the provider reports so I can manage my budget and limits without leaving my workflow. Here is how I use OpenClaw to keep an eye on usage.

What You’ll Need

• OpenClaw installed and configured.
• Valid credentials for supported providers (OAuth tokens in auth profiles or specific API keys).
• Active sessions with providers like Anthropic, GitHub Copilot, Gemini, or OpenAI Codex.

Quick Start

You can see your usage stats in about 30 seconds using these commands:

1. Check current session status: In any chat, type /status. This shows an emoji-rich card with your session tokens and estimated costs.
2. Enable usage footers: Type /usage full in chat to see a detailed usage breakdown at the bottom of every response.
3. View full breakdown in CLI: Run openclaw status --usage in your terminal to see a complete list of usage across all your providers.

How it works

OpenClaw pulls data directly from provider usage endpoints. This means you are not looking at guesses; you are seeing the actual windows reported by the provider.

In the Chat Interface

I use the /usage command to control how much detail I see after each message. You have a few options:

• /usage tokens: Shows only the token count.
• /usage full: Shows the complete usage footer.
• /usage cost: Shows a local cost summary aggregated from your OpenClaw session logs.
• /usage off: Hides the usage footer entirely.

If you just want a quick snapshot of the current model provider, /status is the fastest way to see your session tokens and estimated cost.

In the CLI

If I am managing my channels, I use the CLI to see everything at once. Running openclaw channels list prints your usage snapshot alongside your provider configuration. If you find the usage check slows you down, you can skip it by adding the --no-usage flag.

Supported Providers

Usage tracking works automatically if you have the right credentials:

• OAuth-based: Anthropic (Claude), GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Antigravity, and OpenAI Codex (uses accountId if present).
• API Key-based: MiniMax (uses MINIMAX_CODE_PLAN_KEY or MINIMAX_API_KEY) and z.ai.

Troubleshooting

Usage information is missing Usage data is hidden if there are no matching OAuth or API credentials in your auth store or environment. Check that your profiles are correctly loaded.

Cost is not showing for some providers OpenClaw shows provider-reported usage when available. Estimated costs in the /status card are generally available for API key sessions. For OAuth sessions, the system typically shows tokens only.

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Need help with a specific provider setup? Ask the AI Setup Assistant.

What’s Next

• Configuring Auth Profiles
• Managing Channels