Secure API Keys When Running OpenClaw

Securing API keys when running OpenClaw helps prevent someone who can access your files, logs, or machine from using your provider account. Store credentials outside prompts and source code, restrict access to them, and rotate any key that may have been exposed. Before starting, check the current OpenClaw documentation for the supported credential configuration for your installation; names and options can differ by release and deployment method.

What You’ll Need

• A working OpenClaw installation and access to its configuration or launch environment.
• The API key from the service OpenClaw connects to, with only the permissions the integration needs.
• Access to your operating system’s environment-variable or secret-management tools.
• A way to restart OpenClaw and inspect its logs without publishing them.

Step-by-Step

1. Identify where the key is used. Read the documentation for your installed OpenClaw version and the relevant provider integration. Confirm whether it reads a named environment variable, a configuration entry, or a secret store. Do not guess variable names or copy settings from an unrelated version. Also identify every process that needs the credential: a local command, background service, container, or hosted deployment may each have a separate environment.
2. Create a narrowly scoped key. In the provider’s account settings, create a new key for this integration if possible. Grant only the required access, and set usage limits or expiration controls if the provider offers them. Avoid reusing a personal, administrator, or production-wide key for experimentation. Record the key once in a secure password manager or secret manager; do not put it in chat, a ticket, or a shell command that may be saved in history.
3. Use the documented secret input method. Prefer an operating-system environment variable or a dedicated secret manager over embedding the key in an OpenClaw prompt, script, or checked-in configuration file. For a temporary local session, set the variable in that session and start OpenClaw from it, using the exact variable name documented for your provider. For a persistent service, configure the secret through the service manager or deployment platform’s protected environment settings. A variable set in your interactive terminal may not be available to a background service.
4. Keep local secret files private if one is required. If OpenClaw’s documented setup requires a file, place it outside the project repository where practical, restrict its permissions to the account that runs OpenClaw, and avoid syncing it to shared folders. On Unix-like systems, a typical permission setting for a personal secret file is chmod 600; confirm the file owner and operating-system behavior. On Windows, use file security settings to allow access only to the account or service identity that needs it. Do not rely on a filename such as .env as protection by itself.
5. Exclude credentials from version control. Add local secret files to the project’s ignore rules before creating them, and check the repository’s status before committing. Ignore rules do not remove a file that is already tracked, nor do they erase copies from earlier commits. Never commit a real key, even to a private repository. If a key entered version control, treat it as exposed: revoke it and replace it, then address repository history and any copies or forks.
6. Pass secrets safely into containers and hosted services. For containers, use the deployment system’s secret mechanism or a protected environment configuration rather than baking a key into an image, Dockerfile, or build argument. For a hosted runner, configure its secret in the platform’s protected settings and limit which jobs or users can access it. Check that the service starts with the intended identity and that the secret is not printed during startup.
7. Restart and verify access without displaying the key. Restart the relevant OpenClaw process so it receives the updated configuration. Run a small, non-sensitive operation and check for a successful connection. Inspect logs for authentication failures, but do not paste full logs into a public issue; redact headers, environment values, account identifiers, and request details that could reveal sensitive information. Never test by printing the variable’s value.
8. Review exposure and maintain the credential. Check recent provider activity or usage records for unexpected requests. Set a reminder to review access periodically, and remove unused keys. When rotating, create and configure the replacement, verify it works, then revoke the old key. If you suspect exposure, revoke first rather than waiting for a routine rotation.

Common Mistakes

• Putting the key in a prompt or command line. Prompts may be stored in conversation history; command arguments can be visible to process inspection or captured in shell history. Use a protected secret input instead.
• Assuming an ignored file is safe. A file may already be tracked, copied, backed up, or readable by other local accounts. Check repository tracking and file access separately.
• Setting a variable in the wrong place. A terminal, service manager, container, and hosted runner do not automatically share environments. Configure the environment where the OpenClaw process actually starts.
• Sharing unredacted diagnostics. Logs and screenshots can include credentials, authorization headers, or sensitive request content. Review them before sharing.
• Keeping a key after suspected exposure. Deleting the visible copy is not enough: logs, history, backups, and repository records may remain. Revoke and replace the credential.

Tips

• Use separate keys for development and production so a test machine cannot access production credentials.
• Give each key a clear purpose in the provider’s console, and remove keys when a deployment or integration is retired.
• Limit who can edit OpenClaw’s configuration and who can access the machine account that runs it. Secret storage cannot protect a key from a fully compromised host or an authorized process that can read it.
• Prefer secret-manager access controls and auditing for shared or automated deployments. Avoid copying secrets into build artifacts, backups, or deployment logs.
• Keep a recovery plan: know where to revoke the key and how to update every OpenClaw instance that uses it.

Troubleshooting

OpenClaw reports that a key is missing: Confirm the exact setting name in the documentation for your installed version and provider. Check that the variable is set for the service, container, or hosted job—not just your terminal—and restart the process after changing it. Verify presence without revealing its value; for example, check whether the variable is defined rather than printing it.

The provider rejects the key: Confirm that the key belongs to the configured provider, is active, has not expired, and has the required permissions. Check for accidental whitespace or a stale value in a second configuration source. If replacing a key, ensure OpenClaw is no longer reading the old one.

It works locally but not as a service: Services commonly run under a different account and environment. Add the secret to the service’s protected configuration, confirm file ownership and permissions if applicable, and restart the service. Do not solve this by making the secret readable by every user.

You accidentally exposed a key: Revoke it in the provider’s console immediately, create a replacement, update all legitimate consumers, and review usage records. Remove exposed copies from repositories, logs, and shared locations where possible, but do not treat cleanup as a substitute for revocation. If a repository was public or shared, assume its history and copies may remain accessible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I put an API key in OpenClaw’s prompt?
No. Prompts and conversation records may be retained or shared. Configure credentials through the documented secret mechanism instead.

Is an environment variable completely secure?
No. It avoids hard-coding a key in source, but processes and users with sufficient access may still read it. Restrict machine access and use a secret manager where appropriate.

Should I use a local environment file?
Only if your OpenClaw setup supports it and you protect it. Keep it out of version control, restrict its permissions, and check that it is not copied into images or backups.

How often should I rotate an API key?
Follow the provider’s and your organization’s policies. Rotate promptly after suspected exposure, personnel or access changes, or when a key is no longer needed; avoid leaving old keys active after a planned replacement.

What should I do if a key was committed to Git?
Revoke it and issue a replacement immediately. Remove the file from current tracking and review repository history and downstream copies, but assume the original key is compromised even if the repository is private.

Can OpenClaw hide a key from someone who controls the computer?
No. A person with sufficient access to the host or running process may be able to retrieve its credentials. Protect the host account and limit administrative access as well as protecting the key itself.

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