Migrate Local OpenClaw to Clawctl

Migrate from Self-Hosted OpenClaw to Clawctl

You've been running OpenClaw on your own infrastructure. Now you want enterprise-grade security without rebuilding everything.

Good news: Clawctl makes migration straightforward. Sign up, enter your existing config in the dashboard, and you're running on secure infrastructure in minutes. No forks, no rewrites, no learning curve.

Pre-Migration Checklist

Before you start, gather these from your existing installation:

• LLM API keys — Open your ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json and copy your Anthropic and/or OpenAI keys
• Backup your config — cp -r ~/.openclaw ~/.openclaw.backup
• Note your channel configs — WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. will need re-authentication
• Workspace files — Locate your skills, AGENTS.md, SOUL.md

What Gets Migrated

Step 1: Sign Up for Clawctl

Head to clawctl.com/checkout and pick a plan:

Complete payment via Stripe. Your secure environment is provisioned automatically in under 60 seconds.

Step 2: Configure Your LLM Provider

The dashboard setup wizard walks you through it:

1. Select your LLM provider — Anthropic, OpenAI, or others
2. Paste your API key from your existing ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
3. Clawctl validates the connection in real time
4. Done — Your key is encrypted (AES-256-GCM) and injected at runtime

Clawctl validates key formats automatically:

• Anthropic keys must start with sk-ant-
• OpenAI keys must start with sk-

Step 3: Transfer Workspace Files

Your workspace files (skills, AGENTS.md, SOUL.md) need manual transfer. Use the Clawctl dashboard to upload files directly to your tenant workspace.

Step 4: Re-Authenticate Channels

Channel credentials can't be automatically transferred for security reasons. Re-authenticate each channel in the dashboard:

WhatsApp

1. Open your Clawctl dashboard
2. Navigate to Channels > WhatsApp
3. Scan the QR code with your WhatsApp Business app
4. Wait for pairing confirmation

Telegram

1. Copy your Telegram bot token from ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
2. In your Clawctl dashboard, navigate to Channels > Telegram
3. Paste your bot token
4. Update your webhook URL (see Step 5)

Discord / Slack

1. Update your bot configuration in Discord/Slack developer portal
2. Point webhooks to your new Clawctl URL
3. Re-authorize the bot in your workspace

Step 5: Update Webhook URLs

All external services pointing to your local OpenClaw need to point to Clawctl:

Before: http://localhost:18789 or http://your-server:18789

After: https://your-id.tenant.clawctl.com

Your tenant URL is visible in the dashboard under Credentials. Update webhooks in:

• Telegram Bot Settings
• Discord Developer Portal
• Slack App Settings
• GitHub Webhooks
• Any other integrations

Step 6: Verify in the Dashboard

Open your Clawctl dashboard and confirm:

• Agent status shows "Running"
• LLM provider is connected and validated
• Channels show as active
• Audit logs are capturing events

Test your agent by sending a message through your connected channel or the built-in web chat.

What You Gain

Security (Automatic)

• Gateway authentication — 256-bit token auth on all connections
• Sandboxed execution — configurable isolation modes
• Network egress controls — allowlist external domains
• Encrypted secrets — AES-256-GCM encryption at rest

Visibility (Included)

• Full audit trail — every action logged with timestamps
• Searchable history — find any action by type, time, or content
• Compliance exports — SOC 2 evidence packs on Business+
• Real-time monitoring — see what your agent is doing now

Control (Your Choice)

• Human-in-the-loop — approve high-risk actions before execution
• Custom policies — define exactly what your agent can do
• Kill switch — stop runaway agents instantly from the dashboard

Troubleshooting

"API key format invalid"

Clawctl validates key formats in the dashboard:

• Anthropic keys must start with sk-ant-
• OpenAI keys must start with sk-

Check your keys in your local ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json and try again.

Channels not connecting

1. Verify your tenant URL is correct (check Credentials in the dashboard)
2. Check webhook URLs are updated to your Clawctl FQDN
3. Re-authenticate the channel in your Clawctl dashboard
4. Check the audit logs in the dashboard for channel-related events

Need Help?

• Documentation: https://clawctl.com/docs
• Migration Support: migration@mg.clawctl.com

Ready to migrate? Get started in 60 seconds or schedule a migration call.