Implementation:Openclaw Openclaw Platform Credential Helpers

Knowledge Sources	OpenClaw
Domains	Messaging, Authentication, CLI
Last Updated	2026-02-06 12:00 GMT

Overview

Concrete CLI helpers for guiding platform credential input during the openclaw channels add command, provided by the OpenClaw CLI.

Description

The channelsAddCommand function in src/commands/channels/add.ts (lines 79-277) implements two modes for credential collection: an interactive wizard mode and a flag-based direct mode. In wizard mode, the function creates a Clack prompter and calls setupChannels to walk the operator through channel selection and credential entry. In direct mode, it reads credential values from CLI flags (--token, --bot-token, --app-token, --signal-number, --cli-path, etc.) and passes them to the channel plugin's validation and application hooks.

The credential input is normalized through the parseList helper (for comma/semicolon/newline-separated lists like --group-channels and --dm-allowlist) and through type coercion (e.g., initialSyncLimit is parsed from string to integer). The channel plugin's validateInput hook is invoked before any configuration is written, ensuring that malformed or missing credentials are rejected early with a descriptive error message.

Each channel plugin registers its own applyAccountConfig setup hook that knows how to map the generic ChannelSetupInput fields into the platform-specific configuration schema. This keeps the CLI helpers platform-agnostic while still supporting the full range of credential shapes across Telegram, Discord, Slack, Signal, iMessage, Matrix, and extension channels.

Usage

These helpers are invoked when an operator runs openclaw channels add --channel <name> with credential flags, or when the interactive wizard is triggered (no flags provided). Import the command to wire it into the CLI:

Code Reference

Source Location

• Repository: openclaw
• File: src/commands/channels/add.ts
• Lines: 79-277

Signature

export async function channelsAddCommand(
  opts: ChannelsAddOptions,
  runtime: RuntimeEnv = defaultRuntime,
  params?: { hasFlags?: boolean },
): Promise<void>

Supporting Types

export type ChannelsAddOptions = {
  channel?: string;
  account?: string;
  name?: string;
  token?: string;
  tokenFile?: string;
  botToken?: string;
  appToken?: string;
  signalNumber?: string;
  cliPath?: string;
  dbPath?: string;
  service?: "imessage" | "sms" | "auto";
  region?: string;
  authDir?: string;
  httpUrl?: string;
  httpHost?: string;
  httpPort?: string;
  webhookPath?: string;
  webhookUrl?: string;
  audienceType?: string;
  audience?: string;
  useEnv?: boolean;
  homeserver?: string;
  userId?: string;
  accessToken?: string;
  password?: string;
  deviceName?: string;
  initialSyncLimit?: number | string;
  ship?: string;
  url?: string;
  code?: string;
  groupChannels?: string;
  dmAllowlist?: string;
  autoDiscoverChannels?: boolean;
};

Import

import { channelsAddCommand, type ChannelsAddOptions } from "./commands/channels/add.js";

I/O Contract

Inputs

Name	Type	Required	Description
opts	ChannelsAddOptions	Yes	CLI flags specifying channel name and credential values (tokens, paths, URLs)
runtime	RuntimeEnv	No	Runtime environment for logging and exit; defaults to defaultRuntime
params	{ hasFlags?: boolean }	No	When hasFlags is false or omitted, the interactive wizard is triggered instead of flag-based mode

Outputs

Name	Type	Description
(return)	Promise<void>	Resolves after writing the updated config file; exits with code 1 on validation errors

Usage Examples

Flag-Based Telegram Setup

await channelsAddCommand({
  channel: "telegram",
  botToken: "123456:ABC-DEF1234ghIkl-zyx57W2v1u123ew11",
  account: "my-bot",
  name: "My Telegram Bot",
}, runtime, { hasFlags: true });

Flag-Based Discord Setup

await channelsAddCommand({
  channel: "discord",
  token: "MTIzNDU2Nzg5MDEyMzQ1Njc4OQ.XXXXXX.XXXXXXXX",
  account: "default",
}, runtime, { hasFlags: true });

Interactive Wizard (No Flags)

await channelsAddCommand({}, runtime);
// Launches the Clack prompter for guided credential input

Related Pages

Implements Principle

• Principle:Openclaw_Openclaw_Credential_Acquisition

Requires Environment

• Environment:Openclaw_Openclaw_State_Directory_And_Credentials