Troubleshooting OpenClaw

Troubleshooting OpenClaw (formerly known as ClawdBot/MoltBot) usually involves checking the local service health, verifying API credentials, and ensuring your gateway is communicating correctly.
Since you mentioned you create article pages in HTML and PHP, it’s possible you’re using OpenClaw to automate parts of your web development or SEO workflow. If the agent isn’t responding, follow these steps to narrow down the cause.
1. Run the Built-in Health Check
OpenClaw has a “doctor” command designed to identify common configuration or connectivity issues.
* Run the diagnostic:
   openclaw doctor

   This will scan for missing dependencies, invalid API keys, and environment variables. If you are on a headless server or want a quick report, use openclaw doctor –non-interactive.
2. Verify Gateway Status
The Gateway is the core service that must be running for OpenClaw to function.
* Check status: openclaw gateway status
* Restart the service: If it’s frozen or offline, try:
   openclaw gateway restart

* Manual Debug Mode: If it fails to restart, run it manually in verbose mode to see real-time error logs:
   openclaw gateway –verbose

   Look for errors like Port 18789 is already in use or Gateway token missing.
3. Check API Quotas and Keys
OpenClaw often “stops working” because the underlying LLM provider (Anthropic, OpenAI, or Google) has hit a rate limit or ran out of credits.
* Anthropic/OpenAI: Log in to your developer dashboard and check your Usage/Billing. Agents burn through tokens quickly because they operate in loops.
* SSL Certificate Errors (macOS): If you see SSL or certificate verification errors in the logs, you may need to export your macOS certificates for Node.js:
   security find-certificate -a -p /System/Library/Keychains/SystemRootCertificates.keychain > ~/macos-root-certs.pem

   Then, set the environment variable: export NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS=”~/macos-root-certs.pem”.
4. Common Fixes for Specific Symptoms
| Symptom | Potential Fix |
|—|—|
| “Bot Offline” in Dashboard | Run openclaw dashboard to re-sync. Ensure the Gateway Token matches what’s in ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json. |
| Browser Tool Fails | Restart the gateway or use profile=”openclaw” in your agent settings to bypass extension dependencies. |
| Slow Performance | Large session files can lag the system. Run openclaw sessions list and archive files larger than 500KB. |
| Permission Errors | If using Docker, ensure the correct ownership: sudo chown -R 1000:1000 ~/.openclaw. |
5. View the Logs
If the commands above don’t reveal the issue, check the raw log files for the exact error trace:
* Live logs: openclaw logs –follow
* Log Location: Usually found at ~/.openclaw/logs/ or ~/.openclaw/logs/telemetry.jsonl.
Would you like me to help you write a script to automatically check your OpenClaw status and alert you if it goes down?