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OpenClaw is a multi-channel AI gateway with a rich plugin SDK, native MCP support, and hot-reload configuration. It comes with 6 built-in channels and 20+ plugin channels.

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What you get

CapabilityDescription
Multi-channel gatewayServes Telegram, Slack, Discord, and more from a single agent
Plugin SDKExtend the agent with custom plugins
Native MCPFirst-class Model Context Protocol support for tool servers
Hot-reload configConfiguration changes take effect without gateway restart
Built-in channels6 built-in channel types out of the box
Plugin channels20+ additional channels via the plugin ecosystem

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Create an OpenClaw agent

oc agent create my-claw --core openclaw
This boots a sandbox with OpenClaw pre-installed, an LLM key configured, and the gateway running. An instance is created automatically.

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Configuration

OpenClaw uses JSON5 configuration at ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json inside the sandbox. Unlike Hermes, OpenClaw supports hot-reload — config changes take effect without restarting the gateway. To inspect or edit manually: 
oc shell my-claw
cat ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json

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MCP servers

OpenClaw has native MCP support. When you install a package like gbrain, the platform adds it as an MCP server in the OpenClaw config. To see what MCP servers are configured: 
oc shell my-claw
openclaw mcp list

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Extending with packages

OpenClaw supports packages that add capabilities via MCP servers. Because of hot-reload, package installation takes effect immediately without a gateway restart.

Create an OpenClaw Agent

Step-by-step guide

oc agent CLI

CLI commands for managing agents