The Complete OpenClaw OAuth and API Authentication Setup Guide: Multi-Model Identity Verification Architecture in Practice

In the wave of AI agent adoption, OpenClaw, as a super-agent platform integrating multi-model capabilities, has an authentication architecture far more complex than traditional SaaS applications. A single OpenClaw instance may simultaneously connect to Anthropic Claude, OpenAI GPT, DeepSeek, and locally deployed Ollama models — each provider has its own authentication protocol, Token lifecycle management, and security requirements.

Further complicating matters, an investigation by The Register in early 2026 revealed that third-party skill packages in the OpenClaw Skills Marketplace contained API key leakage vulnerabilities^[7], while CrowdStrike's security research also identified exploitable weaknesses in the platform's authentication boundary design^[6]. In this context, correctly understanding and configuring OpenClaw's authentication architecture has escalated from a "technical detail" to a "security-critical task."

This guide comprehensively deconstructs OpenClaw's multi-model authentication system, from step-by-step Anthropic Claude OAuth setup and secure OpenAI API Key management, to enterprise SSO integration and a security audit checklist, providing enterprise technical teams with an actionable operational manual.

1. Identity Verification Challenges in the AI Agent Era

1.1 New Credential Risk Dimensions Introduced by Autonomous Agents

Traditional application identity verification assumes the user is a "human" — with cognitive ability to judge request legitimacy and awareness to abort operations when anomalies occur. However, AI agents change this premise. When OpenClaw runs autonomously, it may initiate hundreds of API calls without human supervision: querying databases, sending emails, executing code, calling external services — each operation requiring corresponding authentication credentials.

This "machine acting on behalf of humans" model introduces three risk dimensions that traditional authentication design has not fully considered:

Credential Sprawl: OpenClaw may simultaneously hold over a dozen credentials including Anthropic API Keys, OpenAI API Keys, Google Workspace Service Accounts, GitHub Personal Access Tokens, Slack Bot Tokens, and more. Any single leak can have an impact beyond a single service.

Prompt Injection: Attackers can embed malicious instructions in external data (web content, email bodies, documents) designed to trick the agent into performing unauthorized authentication operations, such as sending existing Tokens to attacker-controlled endpoints. Cisco's research report documented the feasibility of such attacks in OpenClaw environments in detail^[10].

Collapse of the Principle of Least Privilege: To enable agents to accomplish diverse tasks, developers tend to grant overly broad permissions. In the OWASP API Security Top 10, "Broken Object Level Authorization" and "Broken Function Level Authorization" consistently rank in the top three^[5], and these issues are significantly amplified in AI agent scenarios.

1.2 OpenClaw's Authentication Responsibility Boundaries

Understanding OpenClaw's authentication architecture requires first clarifying its "authentication responsibility boundaries": which authentication is managed by the OpenClaw platform, which is the user's responsibility, and which is handled by third-party Skills.

The OpenClaw platform is responsible for: user account authentication (logging into OpenClaw itself), storing and passing model provider API credentials, and execution sandbox isolation for built-in tools (browser, terminal).

Users are responsible for: providing correct API Keys or completing OAuth authorization, regularly rotating credentials, monitoring unusual usage, and evaluating the trustworthiness of third-party Skills.

The gray area of third-party Skills: This was the core issue of the early 2026 security incidents. Some Skills required access to the host environment's credentials, and OpenClaw's Skills sandbox isolation mechanism was not yet mature at the time, allowing malicious or poorly designed Skills to read and even exfiltrate other providers' API Keys^[7].

2. OpenClaw Authentication Architecture Overview

2.1 Authentication Layer within the Four-Layer Architecture

OpenClaw's technical architecture consists of four layers: the conversation interface layer, agent coordination layer, tool execution layer, and model inference layer. Authentication mechanisms span all layers but are primarily concentrated at two nodes: when users enter the system (account authentication at the conversation interface layer) and when agents call external services (API authentication at the tool execution and model inference layers).

At the model inference layer, OpenClaw's Auth Manager is responsible for:

• Storing each model provider's credentials (encrypted in local configuration files or environment variables)
• Injecting the corresponding Authorization Header before each model call
• Monitoring Token expiration times and automatically refreshing when necessary (limited to OAuth flows)
• Redacting credentials in logs to prevent accidental leakage

2.2 Supported Authentication Methods Matrix

The following table summarizes OpenClaw's authentication support for major model providers^[1]:

2.3 Configuration File Locations and Structure

OpenClaw's authentication configuration is stored in a hidden configuration directory under the user's home directory. Paths differ by operating system:

# macOS / Linux
~/.openclaw/config.yaml
~/.openclaw/credentials.enc  # Encrypted credentials file

# Windows
%APPDATA%\OpenClaw\config.yaml
%APPDATA%\OpenClaw\credentials.enc

The basic structure of config.yaml is as follows (credential values should be left empty, populated via environment variables or credentials.enc):

models:
  default: claude-3-5-sonnet
  providers:
    anthropic:
      auth_method: oauth  # or api_key
      model: claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022
    openai:
      auth_method: api_key
      model: gpt-4o
    deepseek:
      auth_method: api_key
      base_url: https://api.deepseek.com/v1
      model: deepseek-chat
    ollama:
      auth_method: none
      base_url: http://localhost:11434
      model: llama3.2

security:
  credential_store: keychain  # keychain | env | file
  log_redaction: true
  audit_log: true

3. Anthropic Claude OAuth Setup

3.1 OAuth 2.0 Authorization Code Flow Explained

Anthropic provides OpenClaw with a standard OAuth 2.0 Authorization Code Flow, which is more secure than static API Keys: Access Tokens have time-limited validity, can be revoked, and do not require permanent storage of sensitive credentials in configuration files^[4].

The complete OAuth authorization flow is as follows:

1. The user selects "Connect Anthropic Account" in the OpenClaw settings interface
2. OpenClaw generates a random state parameter (CSRF protection) and PKCE code_verifier
3. The browser redirects to the Anthropic authorization endpoint: https://console.anthropic.com/oauth/authorize
4. The user logs in at Anthropic Console and confirms the authorization scope
5. Anthropic returns the Authorization Code to OpenClaw's callback URL
6. The OpenClaw backend exchanges the Authorization Code for an Access Token and Refresh Token
7. The Token pair is stored in encrypted form; subsequent API calls automatically include the Authorization Header

In this flow, the user's Anthropic password never touches OpenClaw, significantly reducing credential leakage risk^[2].

3.2 Completing Claude OAuth Authorization via GUI

For most users, setting up Claude OAuth through the OpenClaw graphical interface is the most intuitive approach:

Step 1: Open the Settings Panel

Click the gear icon in the top-right corner of the OpenClaw main interface and navigate to "Settings" -> "Model Providers" -> "Anthropic."

Step 2: Select Authentication Method

In the authentication method dropdown, select "OAuth (Recommended)" instead of "API Key."

Step 3: Initiate the Authorization Flow

Click the "Connect Anthropic Account" button. The system will automatically open a browser and redirect to the Anthropic authorization page.

Step 4: Confirm Authorization Scope

In Anthropic Console, confirm the following authorization scopes are checked:

• completions:write: Allows sending messages to Claude
• models:read: Allows reading the available model list
• usage:read (optional): Allows querying usage statistics

Step 5: Complete Authorization and Verify

After clicking "Authorize," the browser will redirect back to OpenClaw and display "Anthropic account successfully connected." You can now send a test message to confirm authentication is working.

3.3 Using the claude setup-token CLI Command

For advanced users or automated deployment scenarios that prefer the command line, OpenClaw provides the setup-token subcommand with support for non-interactive Token injection^[9]:

# Interactive setup (creates Token via Provider CLI)
openclaw models auth setup-token --provider anthropic

# Setup via OAuth login flow
openclaw models auth login --provider anthropic

# Manually paste an API Key
openclaw models auth paste-token --provider anthropic

# Verify configured authentication
openclaw doctor

Note: setup-token launches the Provider's CLI tool to create a Token, while paste-token directly accepts a manually entered API Key. To use the OAuth flow, use openclaw models auth login --provider anthropic.

3.4 Token Refresh and Lifecycle Management

Anthropic Access Tokens obtained via OAuth have a default validity of 1 hour. OpenClaw's Token Manager automatically uses the Refresh Token to refresh 5 minutes before expiration, making the entire process transparent to the user.

Manual refresh trigger:

# Re-execute OAuth login to refresh the Token
openclaw models auth login --provider anthropic

# Check model authentication status
openclaw models status

If the Refresh Token also expires (typically valid for 30 days), you'll need to re-execute the OAuth authorization flow. We recommend setting up an expiration alert in Anthropic Console for the Refresh Token to avoid agent service interruption.

4. OpenAI API Key Setup

4.1 Generating an API Key on OpenAI Platform

OpenAI currently only supports static API Key authentication (Project API Key or User API Key)^[3]. We recommend following these principles when generating keys:

Use Project API Key (Strongly Recommended): Project API Keys have permissions scoped to a specific Project — even if leaked, they won't affect other Projects or account-level settings. Steps:

1. Log in to platform.openai.com
2. In the left menu, click "API keys" -> "Project API keys"
3. Select or create a Project (we recommend creating a dedicated Project for OpenClaw)
4. Click "Create new secret key"
5. Set the key name (e.g., openclaw-production-2026Q1) and specify permission scope
6. Copy the key (you will not be able to view the full key again)

Set usage limits: In Project settings, we recommend setting a monthly maximum usage cap to prevent unexpected bills from runaway agents or credential abuse.

4.2 Configuring the OpenAI API Key in OpenClaw

The OpenAI API Key can be configured through three methods, listed from highest to lowest security:

Method 1: Environment Variables (Most Recommended)

# Set in your shell profile (~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc)
export OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-proj-..."

# OpenClaw automatically reads this environment variable on startup
# No need to write any credentials in configuration files

Method 2: System Keychain (macOS / Windows)

# macOS: Store in Keychain via CLI
openclaw models auth paste-token --provider openai

# Or via GUI: Settings -> Model Providers -> OpenAI -> Save to Keychain

Method 3: Encrypted Configuration File (Secondary Option)

# OpenClaw uses encrypted file storage
openclaw models auth paste-token --provider openai

# The system securely stores the Token in ~/.openclaw/auth-profiles.json

Absolutely forbidden: Writing the API Key directly into a plaintext config.yaml field, or committing configuration files containing keys to Git version control.

4.3 API Key Verification and Model Availability Check

# List available models (also tests whether authentication is working)
openclaw models list

# Check model authentication status
openclaw models status

# Run health check to verify all authentication
openclaw doctor

4.4 API Key Rotation Process

OWASP API Security recommends regular rotation of static API Keys^[5]. The recommended OpenAI API Key rotation process:

1. Create a new Project API Key on OpenAI Platform (include the date in the name, e.g., openclaw-prod-2026Q2)
2. Update the API Key configuration in OpenClaw (if using environment variables, update the shell profile and restart)
3. Run openclaw doctor to confirm the new key works
4. Revoke the old key on OpenAI Platform
5. Record this operation in the rotation log (date, operator, reason)

We recommend rotating every 90 days, or immediately under these conditions: personnel departure, suspected leakage, security incident response.

5. Open-Source Model Authentication (DeepSeek, Ollama)

5.1 DeepSeek API Key Setup

DeepSeek's authentication method is similar to OpenAI, using a static API Key passed via the standard Bearer Token format:

# Environment variable setup
export DEEPSEEK_API_KEY="sk-..."

# OpenClaw configuration (config.yaml)
models:
  providers:
    deepseek:
      auth_method: api_key
      base_url: https://api.deepseek.com/v1
      model: deepseek-chat
      # API Key automatically read from DEEPSEEK_API_KEY environment variable

DeepSeek's official API endpoint supports the OpenAI-compatible API format, so OpenClaw can connect to DeepSeek using OpenAI-compatible mode:

# Connect to DeepSeek using OpenAI-compatible mode
openclaw models auth setup-token --provider deepseek

Special note: DeepSeek's servers are located in China. If your enterprise has data sovereignty compliance requirements, you should evaluate whether the data transmission path complies with GDPR, PDPA, or other applicable regulations before use.

5.2 Ollama Local Model Authentication Setup

Ollama runs locally in no-authentication mode by default, listening only on localhost:11434. In standard local deployments, OpenClaw can connect directly without any authentication credentials:

# Confirm Ollama service is running
curl http://localhost:11434/api/tags

# OpenClaw configuration (no authentication mode)
models:
  providers:
    ollama:
      auth_method: none
      base_url: http://localhost:11434
      model: llama3.2

However, if Ollama is deployed on a remote server (e.g., an internal GPU cluster), you must add an authentication mechanism, otherwise anyone who can connect to the server can use the compute resources for free:

# Enable Bearer Token authentication for Ollama (on the Ollama server side)
export OLLAMA_API_KEY="your-secret-token"
ollama serve

# OpenClaw configuration (using Bearer Token)
models:
  providers:
    ollama:
      auth_method: bearer_token
      base_url: http://gpu-server.internal:11434
      model: llama3.2
      # Token automatically read from OLLAMA_API_KEY environment variable

For higher security, we recommend adding a reverse proxy (such as Nginx or Caddy) in front of Ollama to implement TLS encryption and more comprehensive access controls at the proxy layer.

5.3 General Configuration for Self-Hosted Model API Endpoints

For other self-hosted model services (such as LLM deployment, LM Studio, LocalAI), OpenClaw provides a general OpenAI-compatible endpoint configuration:

# General OpenAI-compatible endpoint configuration (vLLM)
# Configure the providers block in openclaw.json
openclaw config set providers.vllm.baseUrl "http://vllm.internal:8000/v1"

# Set authentication
openclaw models auth setup-token --provider vllm

# Verify connection
openclaw doctor

6. Authentication Management for Multi-Model Switching

6.1 Authentication Context Isolation Principles

In multi-model scenarios, the most common security mistake is allowing different providers' credentials to share the same environment context, leading to "credential contamination" — a misconfiguration in one model may affect the authentication behavior of another.

The OpenClaw best practice is to maintain an independent authentication namespace for each provider:

# Provider-specific environment variable naming conventions
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-..."     # Anthropic
export OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-proj-..."       # OpenAI
export DEEPSEEK_API_KEY="sk-..."          # DeepSeek
export OLLAMA_BASE_URL="http://..."       # Ollama (no key needed)
export AZURE_OPENAI_KEY="..."             # Azure OpenAI
export AZURE_OPENAI_ENDPOINT="https://..." # Azure OpenAI Endpoint

# OpenClaw automatically matches environment variables by provider prefix

6.2 Model Routing Strategies and Authentication Switching

OpenClaw supports model routing strategies based on task type, cost, latency, and other factors. When configuring routing rules, ensure each routing path has a corresponding valid authentication:

# config.yaml routing configuration example
routing:
  rules:
    - name: "code-tasks"
      condition: "task_type == 'coding'"
      provider: anthropic
      model: claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022
      # Uses anthropic provider authentication

    - name: "fast-responses"
      condition: "latency_budget < 2000"
      provider: openai
      model: gpt-4o-mini
      # Uses openai provider authentication

    - name: "local-sensitive"
      condition: "data_classification == 'confidential'"
      provider: ollama
      model: llama3.2
      # Local model, no authentication, data stays on-premises

    - name: "default"
      provider: anthropic
      model: claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022

6.3 Authentication Health Checks and Automatic Failover

In production environments, we recommend setting up regular authentication health checks that automatically switch to a fallback model when a provider's authentication fails:

# Authentication health check configuration (config.yaml)
health_check:
  enabled: true
  interval: 300  # Check every 300 seconds
  providers:
    - anthropic
    - openai
  on_failure:
    anthropic:
      fallback_provider: openai
      alert_webhook: "https://hooks.slack.com/services/..."
    openai:
      fallback_provider: ollama

# Manually trigger health check
openclaw doctor

7. Token Security Management Best Practices

7.1 Security Tiers for Credential Storage

Different credential storage methods have distinctly different security characteristics. Choose based on your deployment environment and security requirements:

Tier 1: System Keychain (Highest Security)

macOS Keychain, Windows Credential Manager, or Linux Secret Service API provide OS-level encrypted storage, accessible only by programs with the corresponding permissions. Credentials never appear in plaintext on disk — even if an attacker gains file system access, they cannot directly read them.

Tier 2: Environment Variables (High Security, Suitable for Server Deployment)

Environment variables exist in process memory and are not written to disk. However, note: child processes can inherit parent process environment variables, and some logging systems may accidentally record environment variable contents. In containerized deployments (Docker/Kubernetes), use Secret objects to manage environment variables rather than writing them into Dockerfiles or docker-compose.yaml.

# Kubernetes Secret example (correct approach)
kubectl create secret generic openclaw-credentials \
  --from-literal=ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-..." \
  --from-literal=OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-proj-..."

# Inject via secretKeyRef in the Pod (not written to image layer)
env:
  - name: ANTHROPIC_API_KEY
    valueFrom:
      secretKeyRef:
        name: openclaw-credentials
        key: ANTHROPIC_API_KEY

Tier 3: Encrypted Configuration File (Medium Security)

OpenClaw supports an encrypted credentials.enc file using a master password. The master password should be sufficiently complex (at least 20 characters, mixed case, numbers, symbols) and stored through a separate channel (such as a password manager).

Absolutely Forbidden: Committing plaintext configuration files or environment variable files to Git

# .gitignore must include the following rules
.env
.env.*
.env.local
config.yaml
credentials.enc
**/secrets/**
**/*_secret*
**/*_key*
*.pem
*.key

7.2 Credential Protection in Version Control

Even with .gitignore properly set up, additional protective measures are needed because developers may unknowingly commit files containing credentials:

# Install git-secrets (prevents accidental API Key commits)
brew install git-secrets  # macOS

# Set up detection rules for OpenClaw projects
git secrets --install
git secrets --register-aws  # Also detects AWS key formats
git secrets --add 'sk-ant-[A-Za-z0-9_-]{40,}'  # Anthropic Key format
git secrets --add 'sk-proj-[A-Za-z0-9_-]{40,}' # OpenAI Project Key format

# Scan existing commit history (fix past leaks)
git secrets --scan-history

If an API Key has been committed to Git history, the following actions must be taken immediately (in priority order):

1. Immediately revoke the leaked key from the corresponding provider's console
2. Generate a new key and update all services using that key
3. Use git filter-branch or BFG Repo-Cleaner to remove sensitive data from Git history
4. Force-push the cleaned history (coordinate with all collaborators to re-clone)
5. Investigate whether anyone accessed or abused the key during the leak period

7.3 Key Rotation Schedule

Establishing a systematic key rotation plan is a critical measure for reducing long-term credential leakage risk:

7.4 Usage Monitoring and Anomaly Alerts

Effective usage monitoring can detect early signs of credential abuse:

# OpenClaw built-in usage monitoring configuration (config.yaml)
monitoring:
  usage_alerts:
    enabled: true
    thresholds:
      anthropic:
        daily_tokens: 1000000      # Alert above 1 million Tokens
        daily_cost_usd: 50         # Alert above $50 USD
      openai:
        daily_tokens: 500000
        daily_cost_usd: 30
    alert_channels:
      - type: email
        address: "[email protected]"
      - type: webhook
        url: "https://hooks.slack.com/..."

# View current usage
openclaw gateway usage-cost

8. Enterprise SSO and SAML Integration

8.1 Enterprise Authentication Architecture Design Principles

For enterprise deployment, OpenClaw's authentication architecture needs a complete identity management system across three layers:

User Identity Layer: Employees log into OpenClaw via enterprise SSO (Okta, Azure AD, Google Workspace, etc.) without needing to manage separate account credentials.

Model Provider Credential Layer: The enterprise centrally manages each AI provider's API Keys, and employees neither need nor can see the actual API Keys. OpenClaw Gateway mode serves as a credential proxy in this architecture.

Authorization Policy Layer: Based on user roles, determines which employees can use which AI models, which features, and what their monthly usage limits are.

8.2 SAML 2.0 Integration Setup

OpenClaw Enterprise Edition supports the SAML 2.0 standard and integrates with major enterprise identity providers. Using Okta as an example:

On the Okta side:

1. Create a new SAML 2.0 application in Okta Admin Console
2. Set the Single Sign On URL: https://your-openclaw-instance/auth/saml/callback
3. Set the Audience URI (SP Entity ID): https://your-openclaw-instance
4. Set Attribute Statements (attribute mapping):
   • email -> user.email
   • firstName -> user.firstName
   • lastName -> user.lastName
   • groups -> user.groups (for role mapping)
5. Download the IdP Metadata XML file

On the OpenClaw side:

# config.yaml SAML configuration
auth:
  method: saml
  saml:
    idp_metadata_url: "https://your-company.okta.com/app/.../sso/saml/metadata"
    # Or use a local file
    idp_metadata_file: "/etc/openclaw/okta-metadata.xml"
    sp_entity_id: "https://your-openclaw-instance"
    callback_url: "https://your-openclaw-instance/auth/saml/callback"
    attribute_mapping:
      email: "email"
      name: "displayName"
      groups: "groups"

# Role mapping configuration
rbac:
  group_mapping:
    "OpenClaw-Admins":
      role: admin
      model_access: ["all"]
      monthly_token_limit: unlimited
    "OpenClaw-Power-Users":
      role: power_user
      model_access: ["claude-3-5-sonnet", "gpt-4o"]
      monthly_token_limit: 5000000
    "OpenClaw-Basic":
      role: basic
      model_access: ["claude-3-haiku", "gpt-4o-mini"]
      monthly_token_limit: 1000000

8.3 Azure Active Directory Integration

For enterprises in the Microsoft ecosystem, OpenClaw supports Azure AD OAuth 2.0 integration:

# Azure AD application setup (in Azure Portal)
# 1. Create App Registration
# 2. Set Redirect URI: https://your-openclaw-instance/auth/azure/callback
# 3. Set API Permissions: Microsoft Graph -> User.Read
# 4. Create Client Secret and record the value

# config.yaml Azure AD configuration
auth:
  method: azure_ad
  azure:
    tenant_id: "your-tenant-id"
    client_id: "your-client-id"
    # Client Secret read from environment variable
    # Environment variable: AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET
    redirect_uri: "https://your-openclaw-instance/auth/azure/callback"
    scopes:
      - "openid"
      - "profile"
      - "email"
      - "offline_access"

8.4 Service Accounts and Non-Interactive Authentication

For automated workflows (scheduled tasks, CI/CD integration, API automation), Service Accounts are needed for non-interactive authentication:

# Create a dedicated agent as a service account
openclaw agents add automation-bot \
  --model claude-haiku-4-5 \
  --workspace ~/automation

# Generate a Gateway Token for API calls
openclaw doctor --generate-gateway-token

# Using the service account Token in API calls
curl https://your-openclaw-instance/api/v1/chat \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sa-tok-..." \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"message": "Hello", "model": "claude-3-haiku"}'

9. Common Errors and Troubleshooting Guide

9.1 Authentication Error Code Quick Reference

The following compiles the most common authentication-related errors in OpenClaw and their solutions:

Error: AUTH_401: Invalid API Key

Cause: API Key format error, key revoked or expired.

Troubleshooting steps:

1. Confirm the API Key was copied completely (no extra spaces or line breaks)
2. Check the key status in the corresponding provider's console
3. If using environment variables, run echo $ANTHROPIC_API_KEY to verify the value
4. Regenerate a new key and update the configuration

Error: AUTH_403: Permission Denied

Cause: API Key is valid but permissions are insufficient (e.g., Project Key missing required Scope).

Troubleshooting steps:

1. Check the API Key's permission scope in the provider's console
2. For OpenAI Project Keys, verify the Project's model access permissions
3. For Anthropic OAuth, re-authorize and confirm the required Scopes are checked

Error: AUTH_429: Rate Limit Exceeded

Cause: Request volume exceeded the provider's rate limit in a short time.

Troubleshooting steps:

# Check Gateway logs for rate limit status
openclaw logs --limit 50

# Adjust retry strategy (openclaw.json)
retry:
  max_attempts: 3
  backoff_strategy: exponential
  initial_delay_ms: 1000
  max_delay_ms: 30000
  jitter: true

Error: OAUTH_TOKEN_EXPIRED

Cause: OAuth Access Token expired and Refresh Token refresh failed.

Troubleshooting steps:

# Re-execute the authentication flow
openclaw models auth login --provider anthropic

# Or re-set the Token
openclaw models auth setup-token --provider anthropic

# Check model status
openclaw models status

Error: CONFIG_CREDENTIAL_NOT_FOUND

Cause: OpenClaw cannot find authentication credentials for the corresponding provider.

Troubleshooting steps:

# Verify environment variables are set
env | grep -E "(ANTHROPIC|OPENAI|DEEPSEEK)_API_KEY"

# Check configured authentication
openclaw models status

# Re-configure credentials
openclaw models auth paste-token --provider openai

9.2 Common OAuth Flow Issues

Issue: Browser redirect fails after authorization (Callback URL unreachable)

In local development environments or firewall-restricted environments, the OAuth callback URL may not work properly. Solution:

# Use Device Flow instead of Authorization Code Flow (no callback URL needed)
openclaw models auth login --provider anthropic

# The system will display a device code and verification URL
# Open the verification URL in your browser and complete authorization

Issue: OAuth Token conflicts in multi-user shared environments

On shared Linux servers with multiple users, different users' OAuth Tokens may conflict. Solution: Ensure each user has an independent OpenClaw configuration directory with appropriate file permissions:

# Verify configuration directory permissions
ls -la ~/.openclaw/
# Should show drwx------ (700) owner-only read/write

# If permissions are incorrect, fix them
chmod 700 ~/.openclaw
chmod 600 ~/.openclaw/credentials.enc
chmod 600 ~/.openclaw/config.yaml

9.3 Skills-Related Authentication Issues

Given the Skills API key leakage incidents disclosed in early 2026^[7], here are authentication security considerations when using third-party Skills:

# Check installed Skills status
openclaw skills list

# View detailed information for a specific Skill
openclaw skills info "suspicious-skill-name"

# Run security audit
openclaw security audit

# Set Skills sandbox restrictions (prevent Skills from accessing model provider credentials)
security:
  skills_sandbox:
    deny_credential_access: true
    deny_env_var_read: true
    allow_network: false  # Completely block external network access

10. Security Audit Checklist

10.1 Initial Deployment Security Audit

After first deploying OpenClaw or making significant configuration changes, a complete security audit should be performed. Here is the categorized audit checklist:

Credential Management

• All API Keys are stored via environment variables or system Keychain — no plaintext in configuration files
• .gitignore includes rules for all sensitive file types
• Git history contains no API Keys or Tokens (verified with git secrets --scan-history)
• Monthly usage caps and alerts are set for each AI provider
• API Key naming conventions include dates and purposes for tracking
• A key rotation schedule has been established with calendar reminders

OAuth Authentication

• Anthropic OAuth has been configured with minimum necessary Scopes (no excessive authorization)
• OAuth callback URL only accepts HTTPS (production environment)
• Refresh Token validity period has been confirmed with pre-expiration notifications set
• Automatic Token refresh mechanism has been tested and verified
• OAuth state parameter has been configured to prevent CSRF attacks

Access Control

• The principle of least privilege has been applied — each API Key has only the minimum permissions needed
• Enterprise deployments have configured Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
• Service accounts and personal accounts use separate credentials
• IP whitelisting or network-layer access controls have been set (if applicable)
• All administrative operations have independent audit logs

Skills Security

• All installed Skills have been evaluated for source and permission requests
• Only Skills from trusted sources are installed
• Skills sandbox rules have been set to prevent Skills from accessing model provider credentials
• Skills updates are regularly reviewed to confirm no new permission requests have been introduced
• Subscribed to OpenClaw security bulletins for timely vulnerability notifications

Logging and Monitoring

• Audit logging is enabled (audit_log: true)
• Credential redaction is verified working in logs (log_redaction: true)
• Anomaly usage alerts have been set up and tested
• Log retention period meets compliance requirements (at least 90 days recommended)
• Log storage locations have appropriate access controls

10.2 Regular Security Audit (Quarterly)

The following items should be performed quarterly:

# Run security audit
openclaw security audit

# Deep audit (includes Gateway probing)
openclaw security audit --deep

# Output JSON format audit report
openclaw security audit --json

# Auto-fix known issues
openclaw security audit --fix

Follow-up actions after quarterly audits include: rotating soon-to-expire API Keys, revoking identified unused or suspicious keys, updating RBAC rules to reflect personnel changes, and evaluating whether new version security updates require emergency deployment.

10.3 Security Incident Response Procedures

When API Key leakage or authentication anomalies are suspected, response should follow this priority order:

1. Immediate (0-15 minutes): Immediately revoke suspicious keys in all affected AI provider consoles; suspend all automated tasks on the OpenClaw instance; notify the security team
2. Short-term (15-60 minutes): Generate new replacement keys and update all related services; investigate the leak source (log analysis, Git history scanning); assess abnormal usage during the leak period
3. Medium-term (1-24 hours): Complete incident investigation report; identify and patch the root cause of the leak; update security policies and operational procedures
4. Long-term (next 30 days): Strengthen monitoring mechanisms; employee security awareness training; consider adopting stricter credential management tools (such as HashiCorp Vault)

10.4 Advanced Protection: HashiCorp Vault Integration

For enterprise environments with extremely high security requirements, we recommend integrating OpenClaw with HashiCorp Vault for dynamic credential management:

# HashiCorp Vault integration configuration (config.yaml)
credential_backend:
  type: vault
  vault:
    address: "https://vault.internal:8200"
    auth_method: kubernetes  # or approle, aws, etc.
    mount_path: "secret"
    paths:
      anthropic_key: "secret/data/openclaw/anthropic"
      openai_key: "secret/data/openclaw/openai"
    # Token automatically obtained from Kubernetes Service Account
    kubernetes:
      role: "openclaw-app"
      service_account_token_path: "/var/run/secrets/kubernetes.io/serviceaccount/token"

Security advantages of Vault integration include: dynamically generated short-lived credentials (a different Token for each request), complete credential access audit trails, centralized credential management (key rotation for any service only needs to be done once in Vault), and deep integration with enterprise identity systems.

OpenClaw's authentication architecture design requires continuous balance and tradeoffs between convenience and security. As AI agent capabilities continue to strengthen, this balance point keeps shifting: the more the agent can do, the higher the corresponding authentication security requirements. We recommend that enterprise technical teams treat OpenClaw's authentication management as a continuously evolving engineering challenge, not a one-time configuration task.

This guide covers everything from basic API Key setup to enterprise-grade SSO integration, but special situations inevitably arise in actual deployment. For authentication architecture design consulting tailored to your specific enterprise environment, please contact Meta Intelligence's technical consulting team — we can assess your OpenClaw deployment architecture and provide customized security design recommendations.