OpenClaw MCP API Connection Guide
🚧 WIP -- This skill is under active development. Details may change as the OpenClaw API stabilizes.
Overview
OpenClaw exposes an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server through its gateway, allowing Claude Code and other MCP clients to interact with IoT devices, read sensor data, and manage channels programmatically.
Prerequisites
- OpenClaw installed and running (
openclaw --version) - Gateway daemon active (
systemctl --user status openclaw-gateway) - Gateway healthy (
curl -fsS http://127.0.0.1:18789/healthz) - Tailscale configured (for remote access)
Quick Start
1. Verify the Gateway Is Running
curl -fsS http://127.0.0.1:18789/healthz
# Expected: OK
2. Configure MCP Client Connection
Add the OpenClaw MCP server to your Claude Code settings (~/.claude/settings.json or project .claude/settings.json):
{
"mcpServers": {
"openclaw": {
"type": "sse",
"url": "http://127.0.0.1:18789/mcp"
}
}
}
For remote access via Tailscale:
{
"mcpServers": {
"openclaw": {
"type": "sse",
"url": "http://openclaw-desktop:18789/mcp"
}
}
}
3. Verify Connection
Once configured, restart Claude Code and check that the OpenClaw tools appear in the available MCP tools list.
Gateway Modes
Loopback (default)
Gateway binds to 127.0.0.1 only. Accessible from the local machine.
gateway:
bind: loopback
port: 18789
Tailscale Serve (tailnet only)
Accessible from any device on your Tailscale network.
gateway:
bind: loopback
port: 18789
tailscale:
mode: serve
Tailscale Funnel (public with auth)
Publicly accessible with password authentication.
gateway:
bind: loopback
port: 18789
tailscale:
mode: funnel
auth:
mode: password
password: "your-secure-password"
Available MCP Capabilities (WIP)
These are the expected MCP tools and resources exposed by the gateway:
Tools
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
openclaw_device_list |
List connected IoT devices |
openclaw_device_command |
Send a command to a specific device |
openclaw_sensor_read |
Read current sensor data |
openclaw_channel_list |
List configured channels (Telegram, etc.) |
openclaw_channel_send |
Send a message through a channel |
openclaw_agent_run |
Run an agent task on the gateway |
Resources
| URI Pattern | Description |
|---|---|
openclaw://devices |
List of all registered devices |
openclaw://devices/{id}/sensors |
Sensor readings for a device |
openclaw://channels |
Configured communication channels |
openclaw://config |
Current gateway configuration |
Troubleshooting
Gateway not responding
systemctl --user restart openclaw-gateway
journalctl --user -u openclaw-gateway -f
MCP connection refused
- Verify the gateway is healthy:
curl http://127.0.0.1:18789/healthz - Check the port is not blocked:
ss -tlnp | grep 18789 - For remote access, confirm Tailscale is connected:
tailscale status
Authentication errors (funnel mode)
Ensure the password in your MCP config matches the one in ~/.openclaw/gateway.yaml.
Useful Commands
# Gateway management
openclaw doctor # Run diagnostics
openclaw config list # Show current config
openclaw channels list # List channels
# Device interaction (CLI)
openclaw devices list # List devices
openclaw devices status # Device health overview
# Logs
journalctl --user -u openclaw-gateway -f
References
- Gateway config example:
config/gateway.yaml.example - Setup scripts:
scripts/ - OpenClaw docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/gateway
OpenClaw — IoT Platform & AI Gateway https://cloudstudioiot.com/