Fix OpenClaw Bind Configuration Error | Generated by AI

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Question: openclaw config set server.host 0.0.0.0 fails with Unrecognized key: "server" — how do I correctly configure OpenClaw to bind to 0.0.0.0?Question: openclaw config set server.host 0.0.0.0 fails with Unrecognized key: "server" — what is the correct config key to bind OpenClaw gateway to 0.0.0.0 for LAN access?

Answer:

Root Cause

The correct config key is gateway.bind, not server.host. In openclaw.json, the gateway binding is controlled by the gateway.bind key, which accepts values like loopback, lan, or a custom address.

Fix: Step by Step

Step 1 — Stop the gateway first

openclaw gateway stop
# or
systemctl --user stop openclaw-gateway.service

Step 2 — Set the correct bind key

openclaw config set gateway.bind lan

The gateway supports several binding modes: loopback (127.0.0.1 only), lan (local network interface), tailnet (Tailscale interface), and custom (specified address). Each non-loopback mode requires additional authentication configuration.

Step 3 — Or edit openclaw.json directly

nano ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json

Change/add the gateway block:

{
  "gateway": {
    "bind": "lan"
  }
}

If you want to specify the exact IP explicitly:

{
  "gateway": {
    "bind": "0.0.0.0"
  }
}

Validate JSON before saving:

python3 -m json.tool ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json

Step 4 — Start gateway again

openclaw gateway start

Step 5 — Verify it is now bound to 0.0.0.0

ss -tlnp | grep 18789

You should see:

LISTEN  0.0.0.0:18789  ...  openclaw-gateway

Step 6 — Test from your main PC browser

http://192.168.1.36:18789

⚠️ Important: Auth Token Required After Changing Bind

Non-loopback bindings mandate authentication. OpenClaw generates a new token on every restart unless you set a fixed one. To set a stable token:

openclaw config set gateway.token "your-stable-token-here"

When you open http://192.168.1.36:18789 in browser, it will ask for this token. Retrieve it anytime with:

openclaw config get gateway.token

Or get the full dashboard URL with token included:

openclaw dashboard --no-open

Summary of Correct Keys

Wrong (causes error) Correct
server.host gateway.bind
server.port gateway.port 
# Correct commands
openclaw config set gateway.bind lan
openclaw config set gateway.port 18789
openclaw config set gateway.token "your-token"

References:

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