adolf/docs/install/updating.md

---
summary: "Updating OpenClaw safely (global install or source), plus rollback strategy"
read_when:
  - Updating OpenClaw
  - Something breaks after an update
title: "Updating"
---

Keep OpenClaw up to date.

## Recommended: `openclaw update`

Detects your install type (npm or git), fetches the latest version, runs `openclaw doctor`, and restarts the gateway.

```bash
openclaw update
```

Switch channels or target a specific version:

```bash
openclaw update --channel beta
openclaw update --channel extended-stable
openclaw update --channel dev
openclaw update --dry-run   # preview without applying
```

`openclaw update` has no `--verbose` flag (the installer does). For diagnostics use
`--dry-run` to preview planned actions, `--json` for structured results, or
`openclaw update status --json` to inspect channel and availability state.

`--channel beta` prefers the beta npm dist-tag, but falls back to stable/latest
when the beta tag is missing or its version is older than the latest stable
release. Use `--tag beta` for a one-off package update pinned to the raw npm
beta dist-tag instead.

`--channel extended-stable` is package-only and foreground-only. OpenClaw reads
the public npm `extended-stable` selector, verifies the selected exact package,
and installs that exact version. Missing or inconsistent registry data fails
closed; it never falls back to `latest`. If the selected version is older than
the installed version, the normal downgrade confirmation still applies.

`--channel dev` gives a persistent moving GitHub `main` checkout. For a one-off
package update, `--tag main` maps to the `github:openclaw/openclaw#main` package
spec and installs it directly through the target package manager (npm/pnpm/bun).

For managed plugins, a missing beta release is a warning, not a failure: the
core update can still succeed while a plugin falls back to its recorded
default/latest release.

See [Release channels](/install/development-channels) for channel semantics.

## Switch between npm and git installs

Use channels to change the install type. The updater keeps your state, config,
credentials, and workspace in `~/.openclaw`; it only changes which OpenClaw
code install the CLI and gateway use.

```bash
# npm package install -> editable git checkout
openclaw update --channel dev

# git checkout -> npm package install
openclaw update --channel stable
```

Preview the install-mode switch first:

```bash
openclaw update --channel dev --dry-run
openclaw update --channel stable --dry-run
```

`dev` ensures a git checkout, builds it, and installs the global CLI from that
checkout. The `stable`, `extended-stable`, and `beta` channels use package
installs. Extended-stable is rejected on a git checkout without mutating or
converting it. If the gateway is already installed, `openclaw update` refreshes
the service metadata and restarts it unless you pass `--no-restart`.

For package installs with a managed Gateway service, `openclaw update` targets
the package root used by that service. If the shell `openclaw` command comes
from a different install, the updater prints both roots and the managed
service's Node path, and checks that Node version against the target release's
`engines.node` requirement before replacing the package.

## Alternative: re-run the installer

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

Add `--no-onboard` to skip onboarding. To force a specific install type, pass
`--install-method git --no-onboard` or `--install-method npm --no-onboard`.

If `openclaw update` fails after the npm package install phase, re-run the
installer instead. It does not call the updater; it runs the global package
install directly and can recover a partially updated npm install.

```bash
curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash -s -- --install-method npm
```

Pin the recovery to a specific version or dist-tag with `--version`:

```bash
curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash -s -- --install-method npm --version <version-or-dist-tag>
```

## Alternative: manual npm, pnpm, or bun

```bash
npm i -g openclaw@latest
```

Prefer `openclaw update` for supervised installs: it can coordinate the package
swap with the running Gateway service. If you update manually on a supervised
install, stop the managed Gateway first. Package managers replace files in
place, and a running Gateway can otherwise try to load core or plugin files
mid-swap. Restart the Gateway after the package manager finishes so it picks up
the new install.

For a root-owned Linux system-global install, if `openclaw update` fails with
`EACCES`, recover with system npm while keeping the Gateway stopped for the
manual replacement. Use the same profile flags/environment you normally use for
that Gateway. Replace `/usr/bin/npm` with the system npm that owns the
root-owned global prefix on your host:

```bash
openclaw gateway stop
sudo /usr/bin/npm i -g openclaw@latest
openclaw gateway install --force
openclaw gateway restart
```

Then verify:

```bash
openclaw --version
curl -fsS http://127.0.0.1:18789/readyz
openclaw plugins list --json
openclaw gateway status --deep --json
openclaw doctor --lint --json
```

When `openclaw update` manages a global npm install, it installs the target
into a temporary npm prefix first, verifies the packaged `dist` inventory, then
swaps the clean package tree into the real global prefix — avoiding npm
overlaying a new package onto stale files from the old one. If the install
command fails, OpenClaw retries once with `--omit=optional`, which helps hosts
where native optional dependencies cannot compile.

OpenClaw-managed npm update and plugin-update commands also clear npm's
`min-release-age` supply-chain quarantine (or the older `before` config key)
for the child npm process. That policy exists for general protection, but an
explicit OpenClaw update means "install the selected release now."

```bash
pnpm add -g openclaw@latest
```

```bash
bun add -g openclaw@latest
```

### Advanced npm install topics

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Read-only package tree">
    OpenClaw treats packaged global installs as read-only at runtime, even when the global package directory is writable by the current user. Plugin package installs live in OpenClaw-owned npm/git roots under the user config directory, and Gateway startup does not mutate the OpenClaw package tree.

    Some Linux npm setups install global packages under root-owned directories such as `/usr/lib/node_modules/openclaw`. OpenClaw supports that layout because plugin install/update commands write outside that global package directory.

  </Accordion>
  <Accordion title="Hardened systemd units">
    Give OpenClaw write access to its config/state roots so explicit plugin installs, plugin updates, and doctor cleanup can persist their changes:

    ```ini
    ReadWritePaths=/var/lib/openclaw /home/openclaw/.openclaw /tmp
    ```

  </Accordion>
  <Accordion title="Disk-space preflight">
    Before package updates and explicit plugin installs, OpenClaw tries a best-effort disk-space check for the target volume. Low space produces a warning with the checked path, but does not block the update because filesystem quotas, snapshots, and network volumes can change after the check. The actual package-manager install and post-install verification remain authoritative.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Auto-updater

Off by default. Enable it in `~/.openclaw/openclaw.json`:

```json5
{
  update: {
    channel: "stable",
    auto: {
      enabled: true,
      stableDelayHours: 6,
      stableJitterHours: 12,
      betaCheckIntervalHours: 1,
    },
  },
}
```

| Channel           | Behavior                                                                                                                                     |
| ----------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `stable`          | Waits `stableDelayHours` (default: 6), then applies with deterministic jitter across `stableJitterHours` (default: 12) for a spread rollout. |
| `extended-stable` | No startup check or automatic apply. Use `openclaw update` or `openclaw update status` manually.                                             |
| `beta`            | Checks every `betaCheckIntervalHours` (default: 1) and applies immediately.                                                                  |
| `dev`             | No automatic apply. Use `openclaw update` manually.                                                                                          |

The gateway also logs an update hint on startup (disable with `update.checkOnStart: false`).
Stored extended-stable selections skip startup and background resolution entirely.
For downgrade or incident recovery, set `OPENCLAW_NO_AUTO_UPDATE=1` in the gateway environment to block automatic applies even when `update.auto.enabled` is configured. Startup update hints can still run unless `update.checkOnStart` is also disabled.

Package-manager updates requested through the live Gateway control-plane
(`update.run`) do not replace the package tree inside the running Gateway
process. On managed service installs, the Gateway starts a detached handoff,
exits, and lets the normal `openclaw update --yes --json` CLI path stop the
service, replace the package, refresh service metadata, restart, verify the
Gateway version and reachability, and recover an installed-but-unloaded macOS
LaunchAgent when possible. If the Gateway cannot make that handoff safely,
`update.run` reports a safe shell command instead of running the package
manager in-process.

## After updating

<Steps>

### Run doctor

```bash
openclaw doctor
```

Migrates config, audits DM policies, and checks gateway health. Details: [Doctor](/gateway/doctor)

### Restart the gateway

```bash
openclaw gateway restart
```

### Verify

```bash
openclaw health
```

</Steps>

## Rollback

### Pin a version (npm)

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

<Tip>
`npm view openclaw version` shows the current published version.
</Tip>

### Pin a commit (source)

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

To return to latest: `git checkout main && git pull`.

## If you are stuck

- Run `openclaw doctor` again and read the output carefully.
- For `openclaw update --channel dev` on source checkouts, the updater auto-bootstraps `pnpm` when needed. If you see a pnpm/corepack bootstrap error, install `pnpm` manually (or re-enable `corepack`) and rerun the update.
- Check: [Troubleshooting](/gateway/troubleshooting)
- Ask in Discord: [https://discord.gg/clawd](https://discord.gg/clawd)

## Related

- [Install overview](/install): all installation methods.
- [Doctor](/gateway/doctor): health checks after updates.
- [Migrating](/install/migrating): major version migration guides.