Has GPT-5.5 been released?

As of late April 2026, OpenAI has not released a public model named GPT-5.5. Search interest is surging, and rumored variants are circulating, but the current production OpenAI flagship is GPT-5.4. The moment GPT-5.5 ships on OpenRouter, OpenClaw users can switch to it with a one-line config change.

How do I use GPT-5.5 with OpenClaw?

Set the model ID to "openrouter/openai/gpt-5.5" in your openclaw.json (self-hosted) or pick GPT-5.5 from the model dropdown in OpenClaw Launch (managed). The same path works for variants like gpt-5.5-mini and gpt-5.5-pro. No SDK update, no container rebuild required.

What should I use until GPT-5.5 ships?

GPT-5.4 is the closest production-quality stand-in. It supports a 1M+ context window, strong tool use, and vision input. You can hot-swap to GPT-5.5 with /model openrouter/openai/gpt-5.5 the moment it appears on OpenRouter.

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Guide

OpenClaw + GPT-5.5: Run OpenAI's Next Model the Moment It Ships

Q: Will my existing OpenClaw agent automatically use GPT-5.5?

No. OpenClaw never changes your model silently. You'll need to swap the model ID, either in the dashboard or with the /model chat command. The benefit is that no code or container update is required.

GPT-5.5 hasn't shipped publicly yet, but search interest is surging on Google Trends. Here's exactly how OpenClaw users will switch to it — one config line, no SDK update, no redeploy. Plus the GPT-5.4 path that works today.

Where Is GPT-5.5 Right Now?

As of late April 2026, OpenAI has not released a public model called GPT-5.5. The current production OpenAI flagship is GPT-5.4, with rumored variants (GPT-5.5, GPT-5.5 Pro, GPT-5.5 Mini) circulating in research previews and developer forums. Google search volume for "GPT-5.5" and "openclaw GPT 5.5" has been climbing sharply since mid-April.

We don't guess release dates. What we can promise: the day GPT-5.5 lands on OpenRouter, OpenClaw users get it with a one-line model ID change. No SDK upgrade, no container rebuild, no migration script.

Why GPT-5.5 Will Just Work With OpenClaw

OpenClaw routes model traffic through OpenRouter, a unified API gateway that adds new models to its catalog within hours of release. Because the OpenAI Chat Completions schema is stable across GPT-5 generations, OpenClaw never has to ship a code update for a new GPT release — it just routes the new model ID.

No SDK update — same OpenAI-compatible request shape
No redeploy — change the model from your dashboard or with /model in chat
No new keys — existing OpenRouter credit applies
Works on managed and self-hosted — both paths use the same model ID

What to Use Today (GPT-5.4)

Until GPT-5.5 ships, the closest production-quality option is GPT-5.4. It supports a large context window, strong reasoning, vision input, and is broadly priced like a frontier model. To deploy it with OpenClaw Launch:

Open the configurator at openclawlaunch.com.
Pick OpenAI GPT-5.4 from the model dropdown.
Choose your channel (Telegram, Discord, WhatsApp, WeChat, gateway UI, or any of the 12+ supported channels).
Click Deploy. Live in about 10 seconds.

Tip: The moment GPT-5.5 appears on OpenRouter, you can hot-swap your running agent to it with one chat command: /model openrouter/openai/gpt-5.5. No restart, no downtime.

Self-Hosted Configuration for GPT-5.5

On your own server, the model ID convention is openrouter/openai/gpt-5.5 (or openrouter/openai/gpt-5.5-mini / openrouter/openai/gpt-5.5-pro for the variants OpenAI typically ships alongside flagship releases). Drop it into openclaw.json:

{
  "models": {
    "providers": {
      "openrouter": {
        "apiKey": "sk-or-..."
      }
    }
  },
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "model": {
        "primary": "openrouter/openai/gpt-5.5"
      }
    }
  }
}

If GPT-5.5 isn't routable yet, the request will fail fast with a clear "model not found" error — no silent fallback, no surprise charges. Until then, use openrouter/openai/gpt-5.4.

GPT-5.5 vs Other Frontier Options

While the world waits for GPT-5.5, here's what production OpenClaw users are picking:

Model	Context	Strength	Notes
OpenAI GPT-5.4	1M+	General purpose, vision, strong tool use	Today's OpenAI flagship; closest stand-in for GPT-5.5
Claude Sonnet 4.6	200K	Nuanced reasoning, agentic coding	Best Claude option for OpenClaw agents
DeepSeek V4 Pro	1M	Frontier reasoning at half the price	See OpenClaw + DeepSeek V4
Gemini 3.1 Pro	1M	Multimodal with video input	Strong long-context multimodal option
Kimi K2.6	200K	Open weights, strong code	Cost-efficient open-weight option via OpenRouter

BYOK With Your OpenAI Key

If you have a direct OpenAI API key (not OpenRouter), OpenClaw supports BYOK as well. Drop it under models.providers.openai.apiKey and route to the openai/gpt-5.4 model ID. The moment OpenAI publishes GPT-5.5 on the official Chat Completions endpoint, the same config picks it up — you only need to update the model name.

Frequently Asked Questions

Has GPT-5.5 actually been released?

Not as of late April 2026. There's significant search interest and rumored previews, but no public production release. This guide is the playbook for the day it ships.

Will my existing OpenClaw agent get GPT-5.5 automatically?

No — OpenClaw doesn't change your model behind your back. You'll need to swap the model ID, either in the dashboard or with the /model chat command. The benefit is that no code or container update is needed on your side.

What if GPT-5.5 ships under a different name?

Same plan. OpenAI sometimes uses code names or numeric variants (5o, 5.5-mini, 5.5-pro, 5.5-thinking). Whatever the public name, it lands on OpenRouter under openrouter/openai/<name> and you point your config at it.

What's Next?

OpenClaw + OpenAI guide — full setup for any OpenAI model
OpenClaw + OpenRouter — how routing works, BYOK, and model switching
Compare all models — pricing, context, and strength side by side
See pricing — deploy with AI credits included, starting at $3/month