OpenClaw & ClawDBot Troubleshooting

Fix common issues with OpenClaw (formerly ClawDBot)

🧭 Official Command Ladder (Run First)

openclaw status

openclaw gateway status

openclaw logs --follow

openclaw doctor

openclaw channels status --probe

Healthy baseline: Runtime=running, RPC probe=ok, Channel probe=connected/ready.

📌 Official High-Signal Failure Signatures

WhatsApp: Connected but no DM replies -> pairing list + approve; group silent -> check requireMention.

Telegram: /start flow unusable -> pairing/DM policy; group silent -> disable privacy mode or mention bot.

Discord: Bot online but no guild replies -> verify Message Content Intent + guild allowlist.

Slack: Socket connected but no responses -> verify xapp/xoxb tokens and scopes; ignored channel -> groupPolicy/channels allowlist.

🚫 Installation Issues

Installation Command Not Working

Error after following the current OpenClaw install docs

# Solution:

1. Ensure Node.js 22+ is installed

2. node --version # Check version

3. https://docs.openclaw.ai/ # Confirm the latest install steps

Command Not Found After Install

Running openclaw --version shows command not found

# Solution:

source ~/.bashrc # Refresh shell

# Or restart terminal

🔌 Connection Issues

Bot Not Responding

No replies on Telegram, WhatsApp, or Discord

# Check:

1. openclaw status # Check service status

2. openclaw logs # View error logs

3. Check if API key is expired

Gateway Connection Failed

# Solution:

openclaw gateway restart

# Or reinstall:

openclaw uninstall && openclaw install

🔧 MCP Configuration

Cannot Find MCP Config File

User asks: where is the client MCP config file?

# Config file locations:

macOS: ~/.openclaw/mcp-servers.json

Linux: ~/.openclaw/mcp-servers.json

Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.openclaw\mcp-servers.json

MCP Server Connection Failed

# Troubleshoot:

1. Check if npm package is installed

2. Verify server URL is accessible

3. Check API keys are correctly configured

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