OpenClaw WebChat Interaction

1. Course Content

Course Overview

OpenClaw WebChat is a browser-based web interaction interface. No client software installation is required - simply enter the address in your computer's browser to chat with the robot. This course will provide a detailed introduction to interacting with OpenClaw via WebChat.

Learning Objectives

• Learn to configure WebChat's allowed addresses (Allowed Origins)

• Master the method to access OpenClaw Web UI via browser

• Be able to perform model switching and conversations in the Web interface

• Understand common issues and solutions during WebChat usage

2. Adding Allowed Addresses

• Set the address whitelist for accessing WebChat in the OpenClaw configuration file:

nano $HOME/.openclaw/openclaw.json
# Or use your preferred editor, such as vim, code, etc.

• Find the gateway.controlUi.allowedOrigins configuration item and enter the robot's IP address + :18789

• If your robot has multiple IPs, separate them with commas

• Save and exit - Press Ctrl+O to save, Ctrl+X to exit (nano editor)

• Restart the gateway to apply the configuration

xxxxxxxxxx
openclaw gateway restart
# For Raspberry Pi version:
ocg restart

3. Accessing Web UI

• Open a browser on a computer in the same network segment as the robot, enter robot IP:18789 in the address bar, and the page will redirect to the gateway dashboard interface

• Enter yahboom in the gateway token field, then click Connect

• You will then enter OpenClaw's Web interface, where you can chat with OpenClaw, monitor status, and configure parameters

4. Model Switching and Conversation

• In the model dropdown at the top of the Web interface, you can select a configured model to temporarily switch the current session's model

• After selecting a model, you can chat with OpenClaw in the dialog box

5. Common Conversation Commands

In the WebChat dialog box, besides directly typing text to chat with OpenClaw, you can also use slash commands starting with / to perform various operations. Here are some common conversation commands:

Note: Slash commands must be sent as independent messages (i.e., only the command itself in the dialog box), and cannot be mixed with regular conversation text.

6. Common Errors and Solutions

6.1 Cannot Open Web Page

Symptoms: After entering the address in the browser, the page shows inaccessible or connection timeout.

• Robot gateway not running — Make sure OpenClaw Gateway is started; run openclaw gateway status to check the status

• Network unreachable — Confirm that the computer and robot are on the same LAN; use ping robot IP to test connectivity

6.2 Token Verification Failed

Symptoms: After entering the token, authentication fails and the connection cannot be established.

• Incorrect token entered — Make sure to enter yahboom in the token field (note case sensitivity)

• Token configuration has been modified — Check if the value of gateway.controlUi.authToken in openclaw.json matches what you entered

6.3 No Response or Model Loading Failed

Symptoms: Successfully entered the Web interface, but OpenClaw does not reply after sending a message.

Possible causes and solutions:

• Model not configured correctly — Run openclaw models list and openclaw models status in the terminal to check if the model is configured and available

• API-KEY not set or expired — Refer to the API-KEY configuration chapter to reconfigure

• Model switching exception — Try reselecting the model using the /model command in the dialog box

• Gateway connection lost — Restart the gateway: openclaw gateway restart

6.4 Allowed Addresses Configuration Not Taking Effect

Symptoms: Still cannot access even after filling in allowedOrigins.

Possible causes and solutions:

• Gateway not restarted — After modifying the configuration file, you must run openclaw gateway restart for changes to take effect

• IP address filled incorrectly — Use ip a or ifconfig to confirm the robot's actual IP address

• Configuration item in wrong location — Confirm that allowedOrigins is under the gateway.controlUi node, not elsewhere