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Environment variables

OpenClaw pulls environment variables from multiple sources. The rule is never override existing values.

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Precedence (highest → lowest)

  1. Process environment (what the Gateway process already has from the parent shell/daemon).
  2. .env in the current working directory (dotenv default; does not override).
  3. Global .env at ~/.openclaw/.env (aka $OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR/.env; does not override).
  4. Config env block in ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json (applied only if missing).
  5. Optional login-shell import (env.shellEnv.enabled or OPENCLAW_LOAD_SHELL_ENV=1), applied only for missing expected keys.
If the config file is missing entirely, step 4 is skipped; shell import still runs if enabled.

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Config env block

Two equivalent ways to set inline env vars (both are non-overriding): 
{
  env: {
    OPENROUTER_API_KEY: "sk-or-...",
    vars: {
      GROQ_API_KEY: "gsk-...",
    },
  },
}

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Shell env import

env.shellEnv runs your login shell and imports only missing expected keys: 
{
  env: {
    shellEnv: {
      enabled: true,
      timeoutMs: 15000,
    },
  },
}
Env var equivalents:
  • OPENCLAW_LOAD_SHELL_ENV=1
  • OPENCLAW_SHELL_ENV_TIMEOUT_MS=15000

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Env var substitution in config

You can reference env vars directly in config string values using ${VAR_NAME} syntax: 
{
  models: {
    providers: {
      "vercel-gateway": {
        apiKey: "${VERCEL_GATEWAY_API_KEY}",
      },
    },
  },
}
See Configuration: Env var substitution for full details.
VariablePurpose
OPENCLAW_HOMEOverride the home directory used for all internal path resolution (~/.openclaw/, agent dirs, sessions, credentials). Useful when running OpenClaw as a dedicated service user.
OPENCLAW_STATE_DIROverride the state directory (default ~/.openclaw).
OPENCLAW_CONFIG_PATHOverride the config file path (default ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json).

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OPENCLAW_HOME

When set, OPENCLAW_HOME replaces the system home directory ($HOME / os.homedir()) for all internal path resolution. This enables full filesystem isolation for headless service accounts. Precedence: OPENCLAW_HOME > $HOME > USERPROFILE > os.homedir() Example (macOS LaunchDaemon): 
<key>EnvironmentVariables</key>
<dict>
  <key>OPENCLAW_HOME</key>
  <string>/Users/kira</string>
</dict>
OPENCLAW_HOME can also be set to a tilde path (e.g. ~/svc), which gets expanded using $HOME before use.