Keeping OpenClaw Up to Date

I hate it when an update breaks my entire workflow. We have all been there: you pull the latest changes, and suddenly everything stops working because of a breaking change or a missed configuration step. Because OpenClaw moves fast, I treat updates like shipping production infrastructure.

The goal is a predictable cycle: update, run checks, restart, and verify. If you use the openclaw update command, it handles the restart for you.

What You’ll Need

Before you start the update process, make sure you have these four things ready:

Install Method: Know if you installed via a package manager (global) or git clone (source).
Gateway Mode: Know if your Gateway runs in a foreground terminal or as a supervised service (systemd/launchd).
Config Backups: A snapshot of ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json and ~/.openclaw/credentials/.
Workspace Backup: A snapshot of your ~/.openclaw/workspace folder.

Quick Start

The best way to update is to re-run the installer from the website. It detects your existing setup, upgrades everything in place, and runs the doctor tool when needed.

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

If you do not want the onboarding wizard to run again, add the --no-onboard flag. For those running a source install, use this command:

curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash -s -- --install-method git --no-onboard

Manual Global Updates

If you prefer using your package manager for a global install, run one of these:

npm i -g openclaw@latest
# OR
pnpm add -g openclaw@latest

After the package updates, you must run these three commands to verify everything is correct:

openclaw doctor
openclaw gateway restart
openclaw health

Updating from Source

If you are working from a git checkout, I recommend using the built-in update command. It requires a clean worktree and handles the rebase, dependency installation, and build steps for you.

openclaw update

This command automatically restarts the gateway unless you pass the --no-restart flag.

Troubleshooting

Config or Service Issues

If things feel broken after an update, your first move should always be the doctor command. It is designed to be boring and helpful by repairing migrations and warning you about risky settings.

Solution:

openclaw doctor

The doctor tool migrates deprecated config keys, audits DM policies, and ensures systemd user lingering is active on Linux.

The Update Broke Something

Sometimes a new version has a bug that affects your specific setup. In these cases, you should pin your installation to a previous version.

Solution for Global Installs:

npm i -g openclaw@<version>
openclaw doctor
openclaw gateway restart

Solution for Source Installs: You can checkout the repository as it existed on a specific date.

git fetch origin
git checkout "$(git rev-list -n 1 --before=\"2026-01-01\" origin/main)"
pnpm install
pnpm build
openclaw gateway restart

Gateway Won’t Restart

If you are using a supervised service and the CLI commands fail, you might need to use your OS service manager directly.

Solution:

macOS: launchctl kickstart -k gui/$UID/bot.molt.gateway
Linux: systemctl --user restart openclaw-gateway.service

Still having trouble? Use the AI Setup Assistant for real-time help.

What’s Next

OpenClaw Expert

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