OpenClaw Self-Update

OpenClaw is distributed as an npm package. Version scheme: YYYY.M.D (date-based).

Workflow

1. Check for updates

Run the check script:

{ "tool": "exec", "command": "bash {baseDir}/scripts/check_update.sh" }

Report the result to the user clearly:

• If already up to date: say so and show current version
• If an update is available: show current vs latest and ask for confirmation before updating

2. Apply update

Only run after user confirms. Use the channel the user configured (default: latest):

{ "tool": "exec", "command": "npm install -g openclaw@latest" }

3. Confirm result

After a successful install, inform the user that a gateway restart is required for changes to take effect. Do not restart automatically — tell the user to run openclaw restart or stop/start the daemon.

✅ OpenClaw updated: {old_version} → {new_version}
⚠️ Restart the gateway: openclaw restart

4. Error handling

• If check_update.sh fails → report the error, suggest checking network or npm config
• If npm install fails → report the error as-is, do not retry without user input
• If the user asks for a channel that doesn't exist → show the channel table and ask again

Examples