Tools
Hippoclaw
By openclaw with external agent plugin agent hippo ai
Install
npm install -gREADME
# 🦞 OpenClaw — Personal AI Assistant
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<img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/openclaw/openclaw/main/docs/assets/openclaw-logo-text.png" alt="OpenClaw" width="500">
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<strong>EXFOLIATE! EXFOLIATE!</strong>
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**OpenClaw** is a _personal AI assistant_ you run on your own devices.
It answers you on the channels you already use (WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, Google Chat, Signal, iMessage, BlueBubbles, IRC, Microsoft Teams, Matrix, Feishu, LINE, Mattermost, Nextcloud Talk, Nostr, Synology Chat, Tlon, Twitch, Zalo, Zalo Personal, WebChat). It can speak and listen on macOS/iOS/Android, and can render a live Canvas you control. The Gateway is just the control plane — the product is the assistant.
If you want a personal, single-user assistant that feels local, fast, and always-on, this is it.
[Website](https://openclaw.ai) · [Docs](https://docs.openclaw.ai) · [Vision](VISION.md) · [DeepWiki](https://deepwiki.com/openclaw/openclaw) · [Getting Started](https://docs.openclaw.ai/start/getting-started) · [Updating](https://docs.openclaw.ai/install/updating) · [Showcase](https://docs.openclaw.ai/start/showcase) · [FAQ](https://docs.openclaw.ai/help/faq) · [Wizard](https://docs.openclaw.ai/start/wizard) · [Nix](https://github.com/openclaw/nix-openclaw) · [Docker](https://docs.openclaw.ai/install/docker) · [Discord](https://discord.gg/clawd)
Preferred setup: run the onboarding wizard (`openclaw onboard`) in your terminal.
The wizard guides you step by step through setting up the gateway, workspace, channels, and skills. The CLI wizard is the recommended path and works on **macOS, Linux, and Windows (via WSL2; strongly recommended)**.
Works with npm, pnpm, or bun.
New install? Start here: [Getting started](https://docs.openclaw.ai/start/getting-started)
## Sponsors
| OpenAI | Vercel | Blacksmith | Convex |
| ----------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| [](https://openai.com/) | [](https://vercel.com/) | [](https://blacksmith.sh/) | [](https://www.convex.dev/) |
**Subscriptions (OAuth):**
- **[OpenAI](https://openai.com/)** (ChatGPT/Codex)
Model note: while many providers/models are supported, for the best experience and lower prompt-injection risk use the strongest latest-generation model available to you. See [Onboarding](https://docs.openclaw.ai/start/onboarding).
## Models (selection + auth)
- Models config + CLI: [Models](https://docs.openclaw.ai/concepts/models)
- Auth profile rotation (OAuth vs API keys) + fallbacks: [Model failover](https://docs.openclaw.ai/concepts/model-failover)
## Install (recommended)
Runtime: **Node ≥22**.
```bash
npm install -g openclaw@latest
# or: pnpm add -g openclaw@latest
openclaw onboard --install-daemon
```
The wizard installs the Gateway daemon (launchd/systemd user service) so it stays running.
## Quick start (TL;DR)
Runtime: **Node ≥22**.
Full beginner guide (auth, pairing, channels): [Getting started](https://docs.openclaw.ai/start/getting-started)
```bash
openclaw onboard --install-daemon
openclaw gateway --port 18789 --verbose
# Send a message
openclaw message send --to +1234567890 --message "Hello from OpenClaw"
# Talk to the assistant (optionally deliver back to any connected channel: WhatsApp/Telegram/Slack/Discord/Google Chat/Signal/iMessage/BlueBubbles/IRC/Microsoft Teams/Matrix/Feishu/LINE/Mattermost/Nextcloud Talk/Nostr/Synology Chat/Tlon/Twitch/Zalo/Zalo Personal/WebChat)
openclaw agent --message "Ship checklist" --thinking high
```
Upgrading? [Updating guide](https://docs.openclaw.ai/install/updating) (and run `openclaw doctor`).
## External agent backends (Agenthippo IDE & CLI)
**HippoClaw** is OpenClaw’s gateway plus **external agent** support: **Agenthippo** can attach from a **VS Code–compatible editor** _or_ from the **Agenthippo CLI**. Both speak the same **gateway WebSocket** protocol, **register** one or more agents, and **handle turns** on the machine where they run instead of using the built-in Pi agent on the gateway.
**How it works**
1. You run the **gateway** as usual (daemon or `openclaw gateway`). It still owns channels, pairing, sessions, and delivery to WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, and the rest of the OpenClaw surface.
2. The **Agenthippo IDE extension** or **Agenthippo CLI** opens a **gateway WebSocket** client and registers agents (IDs use the `ide-` prefix, for example `ide-agenthippo-vscode`). The gateway keeps a small **registry** of which connection owns which agent id.
3. When a session is routed to such an id, **`agent.run` / chat** are **forwarded** to that client. The **model, credentials, and tool execution** for that turn live on the **IDE or CLI host**; the gateway streams progress back (`agent.stream`-style events) and still ties replies to the right channel/session.
4. When the client disconnects, those registrations are **removed** so routing does not point at a dead backend.
**Why use it**
- **Keys and models stay on the IDE or CLI machine** for that path—useful when the gateway host should not hold provider credentials for those runs.
- **IDE:** workspace context (open files, project root) stays in the editor while messages flow through your normal OpenClaw channels.
- **CLI:** run a headless or scripted external agent (servers, SSH sessions, automation) with the same routing and streaming behavior as the editor.
- **Several external agents** can register at once (different ids or workspaces) and appear alongside config-defined agents in listings.
**Example (CLI via gateway)**
With the gateway running and **Agenthippo** (IDE or CLI) connected so `data-analyst` is registered as an external agent, trigger a turn from your dev tree or any machine that can reach the gateway:
```bash
pnpm openclaw agent --agent data-analyst --session-id h3 --message "double that"
```
If you use a global install, use `openclaw` instead of `pnpm openclaw`. Replace `data-analyst`, `h3`, and the message with your agent id, session id, and prompt. See [CLI: agent](https://docs.openclaw.ai/cli/agent) for flags (`--deliver`, `--thinking`, etc.).
**Repo and upstream**
- This project: [github.com/agenthippoai/hippoclaw](https://github.com/agenthippoai/hippoclaw)
- Upstream OpenClaw: [github.com/openclaw/openclaw](https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw)
Install, pairing, and CLI usage are documented with **Agenthippo** (extension and CLI); the gateway behavior above is what HippoClaw exposes on the wire.
## Development channels
- **stable**: tagged releases (`vYYYY.M.D` or `vYYYY.M.D-<patch>`), npm dist-tag `latest`.
- **beta**: prerelease tags (`vYYYY.M.D-beta.N`), npm dist-tag `beta` (macOS app may be missing).
- **dev**: moving head of `main`, npm dist-tag `dev` (when published).
Switch channels (git + npm): `openclaw update --channel stable|beta|dev`.
Details: [Development channels](https://docs.openclaw.ai/install/development-channels).
## From source (development)
Prefer `pnpm` for builds from source. Bun is optional for running TypeScript directly.
**HippoClaw** (this repo):
```bash
git clone https://github.com/agenthippoai/hippoclaw.git
cd hippoclaw
pnpm install
pnpm ui:build # auto-installs UI deps on first run
pnpm build
pnpm openclaw onboard --install-daemon
# Dev loop (auto-reload on TS changes)
pnpm gateway:watch
```
Upstream **OpenClaw** lives at [github.com/openclaw/openclaw](https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw); use that clone if you want vanilla upstream without Agenthippo external-agent routing.
Note: `pnpm openclaw ...` runs TypeScript directly (via `tsx`). `pnpm build` produces `dist/` for running via Node / the packaged `openclaw` binary.
## Security defaults (DM access)
OpenClaw connects to real messaging surfaces. Treat inbound DMs as **untrusted input**.
Full security guide: [Security](https://docs.openclaw.ai/gateway/security)
Default behavior on Telegram/WhatsApp/Signal/iMessage/Microsoft Teams/Discord/Google Chat/Slack:
- **DM pairing** (`dmPolicy="pairing"` / `channels.discord.dmPolicy="pairing"` / `channels.slack.dmPolicy="pairing"`; legacy: `channels.discord.dm.policy`, `channels.slack.dm.policy`): unknown senders receive a short pairing code and the bot does not process their message.
- Approve with: `openclaw pairing approve <channel> <code>` (then the sender is added to a local allowlist store).
- Public inbound DMs require a
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