How to Update OpenClaw

Check Your Current Version

Before updating, check which version you're running:

openclaw --version

For Docker installations, check the image tag:

docker inspect openclaw | grep -i image

Backup Before Updating

Always back up your config before a major update. Your settings, API keys, and conversation history live in ~/.openclaw:

# Create a backup
cp -r ~/.openclaw ~/.openclaw-backup-$(date +%Y%m%d)

Update via npm

If you installed OpenClaw globally via npm:

npm update -g openclaw

Or to install a specific version:

npm install -g openclaw@latest

Update via Homebrew (macOS)

brew update && brew upgrade openclaw

Update via Package Manager (Linux)

# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade openclaw

# Arch Linux
sudo pacman -Syu openclaw

Update Docker Installation

For Docker-based installations, pull the latest image and recreate the container:

# Pull the latest image
docker pull ghcr.io/openclaw/openclaw:latest

# Stop the current container
docker stop openclaw

# Remove the old container (data is preserved in bind mounts)
docker rm openclaw

# Start with the new image
docker run -d --name openclaw \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  -p 18789:18789 \
  -v ~/.openclaw:/home/node/.openclaw \
  --memory=2g --memory-swap=3g \
  ghcr.io/openclaw/openclaw:latest \
  node openclaw.mjs gateway --allow-unconfigured

Your config in ~/.openclaw is bind-mounted, so it persists across container recreations.

Verify the Update

# Check the new version
openclaw --version

# For Docker, check the image digest
docker inspect openclaw --format '{{.Image}}'

After Updating

• Restart your agent — If running as a service, restart it to load the new version
• Check the changelog — Review what changed in the new version at the OpenClaw releases page
• Test your config — Send a test message to your agent to verify everything works
• Update skills — Some skills may have updates that require the latest OpenClaw version

Troubleshooting

Permission errors on npm update

# Use sudo if needed
sudo npm update -g openclaw

# Or fix npm permissions (recommended)
mkdir -p ~/.npm-global
npm config set prefix '~/.npm-global'
# Add ~/.npm-global/bin to your PATH

Config incompatibility after update

If your agent fails to start after updating, your config format may have changed. Check the release notes for migration instructions. As a quick fix:

# Rename old config and start fresh
mv ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json.bak
# Reconfigure, then migrate settings from the backup

Docker image not updating

If docker pull says “Image is up to date” but you expected a new version, the :latest tag may be cached. Force a fresh pull:

docker pull --no-cache ghcr.io/openclaw/openclaw:latest

Skip the Updates — Use Managed Hosting