---
summary: "CLI reference for `openclaw doctor` (health checks + guided repairs)"
read_when:
  - You have connectivity/auth issues and want guided fixes
  - You updated and want a sanity check
title: "Doctor"
---

# `openclaw doctor`

Health checks and quick fixes for the gateway, channels, plugins, skills, model routing, local state, and config migrations. Use it whenever something is not behaving as expected and you want one command to explain what is wrong.

When run for a managed Gateway, Doctor compares active official plugins with the OpenClaw package referenced by the installed service. This check still works when the Gateway is stopped or unreachable. When an older Gateway is still running, Doctor reports its version separately from the post-restart version. If the service package cannot be identified, Doctor reports restart readiness as unknown instead of treating the plugin set as compatible.

When Gateway status reports degraded SecretRef owners, doctor prints a **Secret runtime degradation** warning with every cold or stale owner, affected config path, redacted reason, and the `openclaw secrets reload` retry command.

When channel ingress events are dead-lettered, doctor names each affected channel account and points to [`openclaw channels dead-letters list`](/cli/channels#inbound-dead-letters) for inspection and recovery.

When the Gateway has exporter health facts, doctor reports the latest trusted
per-signal state and transport under **Telemetry exporters**. The summary is
redacted and does not include endpoint values, headers, certificates, payloads,
or raw errors.

Related:

- Troubleshooting: [Troubleshooting](/gateway/troubleshooting)
- Security audit: [Security](/gateway/security)

## Postures

Doctor supports these postures:

| Posture                   | Command                                   | Behavior                                                                         |
| ------------------------- | ----------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Guided checks             | `openclaw doctor`                         | Legacy health flow; can copy legacy config and apply automatic state migrations. |
| Advisory JSON             | `openclaw doctor --json`                  | Read-only findings; exits successfully after producing a report.                 |
| Repair                    | `openclaw doctor --fix`                   | Applies supported repairs, using prompts unless non-interactive repair is safe.  |
| Lint                      | `openclaw doctor --lint [--json]`         | Read-only findings with threshold-based exit codes for CI gates.                 |
| Shared SQLite maintenance | `openclaw doctor --state-sqlite compact`  | Explicitly checkpoints, compacts, and verifies the canonical shared state DB.    |
| Session SQLite tools      | `openclaw doctor --session-sqlite <mode>` | Inspects or maintains SQLite sessions and explicitly imports legacy history.     |

Use `openclaw doctor --json` when an operator or script wants the advisory Doctor report as JSON. It exits successfully after producing a report; inspect `ok` and `findings` for health state. Use explicit `openclaw doctor --lint --json` when CI should exit nonzero for findings at the selected severity threshold. Prefer `--fix` when a human operator wants Doctor to edit config or state.

For read-only diagnosis, use `--lint` or bare `--json`. Ordinary `doctor`, including `doctor --non-interactive`, can copy legacy config and migrate state even without `--fix`. `--non-interactive` suppresses prompts, not writes.

After an exec-approval format upgrade, Doctor reports older generated approvals
that are no longer active because they were not tied to a working directory.
`openclaw doctor --fix` removes those inactive generated entries and leaves
manual allowlist rules unchanged. Rerun affected workflows and choose
**Always allow here** to renew trust for the intended directory. The normal
`openclaw update` finalization runs this safe repair automatically.

Explicit repair stops the matching managed Gateway before inspecting plugins or
mutable state, excludes other processes during repair, verifies readiness,
and restarts the same service once. It preserves the service definition and does
not activate a service confirmed offline before maintenance. A loaded, enabled
macOS job between respawns is not offline: Doctor stops it before repair and
resumes it afterward. Run repair from a shell outside the Gateway process tree. For externally supervised or unmatched installations, stop
and start the Gateway through its owning supervisor.

This maintenance window also applies when repair ultimately finds no changes.
Runs without `--fix`, `--repair`, or `--yes` do not enter maintenance.
Custom state directories remain runtime-only and do not adopt a native service.

`--force` alone does not select repair mode: `openclaw doctor --force` remains
guided and still requires interactive consent before an eligible service rewrite.
With `--fix`, `--repair`, or `--yes`, it allows aggressive config/state repairs
but preserves the installed service definition. Force does not bypass service
ownership, write-access, or interactive-only confirmation requirements.

<Warning>
  `doctor --fix` follows explicitly configured workspace and store paths, including
  paths outside `OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR`. Setting `OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR` and
  `OPENCLAW_CONFIG_PATH` to a copy does not redirect those paths. Before rehearsing
  repairs on copied state, copy the external workspaces and stores too, then rewrite
  their paths in the copied config to point to the copies. Otherwise, Doctor can
  modify the originals.
</Warning>

When an updater supplies an explicit Gateway activation policy, Doctor leaves
stop and restart ownership with that updater. The native manager must confirm
the service is already offline before repair. If `openclaw update --no-restart`
reaches Doctor while that service is running, repair fails without stopping or
restarting it; stop the service through its owner, then retry the update.

If service inspection is unavailable or an unmatched service can still run,
Doctor refuses maintenance before changing config or state. Inspect it with
`openclaw gateway status --deep`, restore service-manager access, and stop the
service through its owner. Once the native manager confirms it is offline,
Doctor can repair its selected state without changing or starting that service.

If migration or config repair cannot finish, Doctor leaves the stopped service
stopped and reports an incomplete repair. Resolve the reported blocker, rerun
`openclaw doctor --fix`, then start the service through its owner.

## Gateway service recovery

Run `openclaw gateway status --deep` to inspect the installed service and its
runtime before choosing a recovery action. Use `openclaw gateway install` for a
missing service, `openclaw gateway start` for an installed service that is not
loaded, or `openclaw gateway install --force` from the intended installation to
replace its service definition. Externally managed services still belong to
their supervisor.

For legacy services or conflicting systemd scopes, run `openclaw doctor`
interactively to review the findings and confirm supported cleanup. Cleanup
reports what it removed or skipped; it does not guarantee a replacement service
will be installed. Explicit repair maintenance skips this separate cleanup flow.

## Remote Gateway recovery

With `gateway.mode: "remote"`, a failed Gateway health check does not trigger
local service install, start, restart, or bootstrap prompts. Check the remote
URL, credentials, and SSH tunnel or network connection. If the Gateway itself
needs recovery, run service commands on the host that runs it. A loopback remote
URL can be an SSH tunnel; it does not make the Gateway a local service.

See [Remote access](/gateway/remote) for connection checks. Other Doctor config
and state checks still follow the selected posture above.

## Control UI assets

For source installs, Doctor can build missing Control UI assets or rebuild stale
assets after protocol changes. Its manual build command includes the detected
checkout path (`pnpm --dir <checkout> ui:build`), so you can run the displayed
command from another directory. Use the complete command, including its quoted
path, rather than running `pnpm ui:build` in an unrelated project.

Packaged installs without UI sources receive reinstall guidance instead of a
source-build command. Doctor does not download a source checkout to repair a
packaged installation.

## Examples

```bash
openclaw doctor
openclaw doctor --lint
openclaw doctor --json
openclaw doctor --lint --json
openclaw doctor --lint --severity-min warning
openclaw doctor --lint --all
openclaw doctor --lint --allow-exec
openclaw doctor --deep
openclaw doctor --fix
openclaw doctor --fix --non-interactive
openclaw doctor --generate-gateway-token
openclaw doctor --post-upgrade
openclaw doctor --post-upgrade --json
openclaw doctor --state-sqlite compact
openclaw doctor --state-sqlite compact --json
openclaw doctor --session-sqlite inspect --session-sqlite-all-agents
openclaw doctor --session-sqlite dry-run --session-sqlite-agent main --json
openclaw doctor --session-sqlite import --session-sqlite-all-agents
openclaw doctor --session-sqlite validate --session-sqlite-all-agents --json
openclaw doctor --session-sqlite compact --session-sqlite-all-agents
openclaw doctor --session-sqlite recover --github-issue
openclaw doctor --session-sqlite restore --session-sqlite-all-agents
```

For channel-specific permissions, use the channel probes instead of `doctor`:

```bash
openclaw channels capabilities --channel discord --target channel:<channel-id>
openclaw channels status --probe
```

`channels capabilities` reports the bot's effective permissions for a specific channel target. `channels status --probe` audits all configured channels and voice auto-join targets.

## Options

| Option                          | Effect                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| ------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `--no-workspace-suggestions`    | Disable workspace memory/search suggestions.                                                                                                                                                                |
| `--yes`                         | Accept defaults and enter repair maintenance without prompting.                                                                                                                                             |
| `--repair` / `--fix`            | Apply recommended repairs while coordinating maintenance with the matching managed Gateway (`--fix` is an alias). Preserve the installed service definition; use explicit `gateway` commands to replace it. |
| `--force`                       | Allow aggressive repair choices. Alone, remains guided; with `--fix`, `--repair`, or `--yes`, preserves the installed service definition.                                                                   |
| `--non-interactive`             | Run without prompts; safe automatic migrations still apply. Combine with `--fix`, `--repair`, or `--yes` to enter repair maintenance.                                                                       |
| `--generate-gateway-token`      | Generate and configure a gateway token.                                                                                                                                                                     |
| `--allow-exec`                  | Allow doctor to execute configured `exec` SecretRefs while verifying secrets.                                                                                                                               |
| `--deep`                        | Scan system services for extra gateway installs; report recent Gateway supervisor restart handoffs.                                                                                                         |
| `--lint`                        | Run modernized health checks in read-only mode and emit diagnostic findings.                                                                                                                                |
| `--post-upgrade`                | Run post-upgrade plugin compatibility probes; findings go to stdout; exit code 1 if any error-level finding is present.                                                                                     |
| `--state-sqlite <mode>`         | Run explicit shared state SQLite maintenance. The only mode is `compact`.                                                                                                                                   |
| `--session-sqlite <mode>`       | Run targeted session SQLite maintenance or legacy import: `inspect`, `dry-run`, `import`, `validate`, `compact`, `recover`, or `restore`.                                                                   |
| `--session-sqlite-store <path>` | With `--session-sqlite`: select a SQLite database or legacy `sessions.json` source, subject to the mode's selection rules below.                                                                            |
| `--session-sqlite-agent <id>`   | With `--session-sqlite`: select one configured agent.                                                                                                                                                       |
| `--session-sqlite-all-agents`   | With `--session-sqlite`: select configured and discovered agent stores.                                                                                                                                     |
| `--github-issue`                | With `--session-sqlite recover`: prepare a sanitized openclaw/openclaw issue report; doctor creates it with `gh` after `--yes` or interactive confirmation.                                                 |
| `--json`                        | Emit read-only JSON. Bare `--json` is advisory; combine with `--lint` for threshold-based exit codes. With another machine mode, emit that mode's existing JSON report.                                     |
| `--severity-min <level>`        | With `--lint`: drop findings below `info`, `warning`, or `error`.                                                                                                                                           |
| `--all`                         | With `--lint`: run all registered checks, including opt-in checks excluded from the default set.                                                                                                            |
| `--skip <id>`                   | With `--lint`: skip a check id. Repeatable.                                                                                                                                                                 |
| `--only <id>`                   | With `--lint`: run only the given check id(s). Repeatable.                                                                                                                                                  |

`--severity-min`, `--all`, `--only`, and `--skip` are only accepted together with `--lint`. Bare `--json` uses the default read-only lint check selection but keeps Doctor's advisory exit behavior. Both read-only postures reject `--repair`, `--fix`, `--force`, `--yes`, and `--generate-gateway-token`. Explicit `--lint` also rejects `--session-sqlite` modes and their selectors, including `--github-issue`. Other machine modes can still use `--json` for their own output.

## Lint mode

Bare `openclaw doctor --json` is read-only and non-interactive: no prompts, repairs, or config/state rewrites. It emits the same default findings as lint mode, but exits `0` after a report is produced so output formatting does not change ordinary Doctor's advisory success contract. Read the payload's `ok` and `findings` fields to determine health.

Explicit `openclaw doctor --lint` is the deployment-preflight posture. Add `--json` for machine-readable output without changing lint's threshold-based exit code.

```bash
openclaw doctor --json
openclaw doctor --lint
openclaw doctor --lint --severity-min warning
openclaw doctor --lint --json
openclaw doctor --lint --all
openclaw doctor --lint --allow-exec
openclaw doctor --lint --only core/doctor/gateway-config --json
openclaw doctor --lint --only core/doctor/local-audio-acceleration --severity-min info
openclaw doctor --lint --only memory-core/managed-local-embedding-setup --severity-min error --json
```

The managed local embedding setup check is a scoped, non-mutating pre-cutover gate for existing
semantic indexes. It is opt-in through `--only` or `--all`, so plain `doctor --lint` behavior stays
unchanged. It reports missing llama.cpp setup and the interactive `models auth login` remediation
without claiming full Gateway readiness, starting services, downloading models, or changing
config.

Human output is compact:

```text
doctor --lint: ran 6 check(s), 1 finding(s)
  [warning] core/doctor/gateway-config gateway.mode - gateway.mode is unset; gateway start will be blocked.
    fix: Run `openclaw configure` and set Gateway mode (local/remote), or `openclaw config set gateway.mode local`.
```

JSON output is the scripting surface:

```json
{
  "ok": false,
  "checksRun": 5,
  "checksSkipped": 0,
  "findings": [
    {
      "checkId": "core/doctor/gateway-config",
      "severity": "warning",
      "message": "gateway.mode is unset; gateway start will be blocked.",
      "path": "gateway.mode",
      "fixHint": "Run `openclaw configure` and set Gateway mode (local/remote), or `openclaw config set gateway.mode local`."
    }
  ]
}
```

Explicit lint exit codes:

| Code | Meaning                                                       |
| ---- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `0`  | No findings at or above the selected severity threshold.      |
| `1`  | At least one finding meets the selected threshold.            |
| `2`  | Command/runtime failure before lint findings can be produced. |

`--severity-min` controls both which findings print and the exit threshold: `openclaw doctor --lint --severity-min error` can print nothing and exit `0` even when lower-severity `info`/`warning` findings exist.

Bare `openclaw doctor --json` exits `0` once it emits a findings payload, including when `ok` is `false`. Argument errors or runtime failures before a payload can be produced remain nonzero.

`--all` controls which checks are selected before severity filtering. The default lint run excludes checks that are deep, historical, or more likely to surface repairable legacy residue; use `--all` for the complete inventory. `--only <id>` is the most precise selector and can run any registered check by id.

`core/doctor/local-audio-acceleration` reports the auto-selected local STT command, separate capable/requested/observed backend evidence, and fallback order without loading a speech model. It emits an informational finding, so include `--severity-min info` to display it.

## Structured health checks

Modern doctor checks use a small split contract:

```ts
detect(ctx, scope?) -> HealthFinding[]
repair?(ctx, findings) -> HealthRepairResult
```

`detect()` powers `doctor --lint`. `repair()` is optional and only runs under `doctor --fix` / `doctor --repair`. Checks that have not migrated to this shape still use the legacy doctor contribution flow.

Repair contexts can carry `dryRun`/`diff` requests; repair results can return structured `diffs` (config/file edits) and `effects` (service, process, package, state, or other side effects), so converted checks can grow toward `doctor --fix --dry-run` without moving mutation planning into `detect()`.

`repair()` reports `status: "repaired" | "skipped" | "failed"` (omitted status means `repaired`). When repair returns `skipped` or `failed`, doctor reports the reason and skips validation for that check. After a successful repair, doctor re-runs `detect()` scoped to the repaired findings; if the finding is still present, doctor reports a repair warning instead of treating the change as complete.

A finding includes:

| Field             | Purpose                                                |
| ----------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| `checkId`         | Stable id for skip/only filters and CI allowlists.     |
| `severity`        | `info`, `warning`, or `error`.                         |
| `message`         | Human-readable problem statement.                      |
| `path`            | Config, file, or logical path when available.          |
| `line` / `column` | Source location when available.                        |
| `ocPath`          | Precise `oc://` address when a check can point to one. |
| `fixHint`         | Suggested operator action or repair summary.           |

Modernized core doctor checks stay attached to the ordered doctor contribution that owns their human `doctor` / `doctor --fix` behavior. The shared structured health registry is the extension point: bundled and plugin-backed checks run after core doctor checks once their owning package registers them in the active command path. `openclaw/plugin-sdk/health` exposes the same contract for plugin authors.

## Check selection

```bash
openclaw doctor --lint --only core/doctor/gateway-config --json
openclaw doctor --lint --skip core/doctor/skills-readiness
```

`--only` and `--skip` accept full check ids and may be repeated. An unregistered `--only` id emits a `core/doctor/lint-selection` error finding; valid selected checks still run. Use `checksRun`/`checksSkipped` in the output to confirm a focused gate selects the checks you expect.

To check model credentials, run `openclaw doctor --lint --only core/doctor/auth-profiles --json`.
This opt-in check inspects shared credentials and each configured agent's local
auth store, including fleets without a default agent. Shared credential problems
are reported once; agent-specific cooldowns remain attributed to their local store.

## Post-upgrade mode

`openclaw doctor --post-upgrade` runs plugin compatibility probes for chaining after a build or upgrade. Findings go to stdout; exit code is 1 if any finding has `level: "error"`. Add `--json` for a machine-readable envelope (`{ probesRun, findings }`), suitable for CI, the community `fork-upgrade` skill, and other post-upgrade smoke tooling. If the installed plugin index is missing or malformed, JSON mode still emits the envelope with a `plugin.index_unavailable` error finding.

The probes also warn with `plugin.version_drift` when an enabled official plugin
in the installed index belongs to a different release cohort than the upgraded
OpenClaw CLI. Follow the reported plugin update command, then restart the
Gateway. Exact npm pins receive an update command only after the registry
confirms that target exists. Independently versioned community plugins and
disabled plugins are excluded; version drift alone does not change the exit code.

Container image startup is the exception to the usual "run doctor after
updating" flow. When `openclaw gateway run` starts on a new OpenClaw version, it
runs safe state and plugin repairs before reporting ready. If repair cannot
finish safely, startup exits and tells you to run the same image once with
`openclaw doctor --fix` against the same mounted state/config before restarting
the container normally.

## Legacy state migration

`openclaw doctor --fix` is the only owner for persistent file-to-SQLite migrations. It validates and claims each recognized source, writes and verifies canonical rows, records a migration receipt, then removes the retired source. Runtime code does not perform lazy imports or fallback reads.

For legacy workspace setup files, an existing canonical SQLite setup record wins,
including milestones that are absent in SQLite. Doctor does not replay stale
milestones over it. Before removing a validated setup file or interrupted claim,
Doctor preserves its exact bytes beside the original as
`<source>.migrated.<sha256>.<unique-id>`. The SQLite migration receipt records that archive
path and one line per differing milestone (`legacy=... canonical=...`), which
Doctor also prints. With no canonical setup record, Doctor imports the legacy
milestones normally. A successful repair removes the runtime blocker; the next
run has no workspace setup migration to repeat. Invalid files and workspace
identity/version conflicts remain blocked for inspection.

Doctor reports interrupted auth-profile archive recovery even when no new migration remains or you decline another migration. If recovery cannot finish, its warning includes the failure cause and leaves the pending source for recovery; do not delete it to silence the warning.

`doctor --fix` also repairs an inconsistent completed auth migration only when its old receipt has no credential fingerprints, none of the migrated credentials remain in the current canonical store, and the preserved archive still matches the recorded source hash. Doctor reimports through the normal verified migration flow. Completed receipts with fingerprints, surviving migrated credentials, or no archive remain untouched, so removing credentials after a verified migration does not restore them from backup.

Doctor also retires policy-free `exec-approvals.json` stubs with empty `defaults` and `agents`, including stubs without a version and those containing only socket metadata. It archives the exact bytes as `exec-approvals.json.migrated.<sha256>.<unique-id>`, records retirement, and leaves existing SQLite policy unchanged. When SQLite has no approvals row, Doctor imports any nonblank socket path or token so a running exec host keeps its credentials. Interrupted `.doctor-importing` stubs use the same repair path. Unknown fields, unsupported versions, and nonempty or malformed policy are not treated as empty stubs.

For malformed legacy `exec-approvals.json`, Doctor preserves the original bytes and reports the first validation problem, for example `agents entry #2.allowlist[1].lastUsedAt: expected a finite number`. Agent entries are numbered from 1 in JavaScript `Object.keys` order; allowlist indices start at 0. This can differ from JSON text order, especially for numeric keys. To locate entry #2 locally, use `Object.keys(JSON.parse(raw).agents)[1]`, where `raw` is the file contents. Diagnostics omit agent keys and policy values, and migration receipts contain no diagnostic detail. JSON syntax and invalid UTF-8 receive separate reasons.

Repair the preserved file locally, then rerun `openclaw doctor --fix` with the same `OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR` setting (leave it unset if it was unset before). Exec approvals remain blocked until migration succeeds. Explicit repair exits nonzero while the legacy file or an interrupted `.doctor-importing` claim remains, before restarting any Gateway stopped for that repair. Do not delete the file or broaden its policy to bypass validation.

Agent database schema upgrades are reported with the database path and the observed before and after versions, independently of media rewrites. The media persistence message appears only when transcript sessions or trajectory rows were rewritten and includes both counts. A run that does both reports both; an unchanged rerun reports neither.

Device Pair and Active Memory legacy JSON imports check namespace capacity before writing. If the missing entries do not fit, doctor warns and leaves the source unchanged. These imports also verify that source keys and pre-existing destination keys remain in SQLite before reporting completion and archiving the source. A retention warning keeps the source available for inspection and retry; do not delete it to silence the warning, because it may contain state that SQLite did not retain. Resolve the capacity problem before rerunning `openclaw doctor --fix`.

Microsoft Teams conversation, poll, and SSO token imports also verify that selected legacy keys and pre-existing destination keys remain in SQLite before archiving. Poll imports check both metadata and vote buckets; existing conversation and poll retention rules still select which legacy rows to import. If any required keys are missing, doctor warns and leaves the legacy file in place without reporting completion. Existing SQLite conversations, poll metadata, voter selections, and SSO tokens still take precedence over matching legacy values. These checks do not roll back rows already evicted during import.

Doctor also reports when shared auth still uses the legacy `agents/main/agent/openclaw-agent.sqlite` owner. `openclaw doctor --fix` copies its auth profile and runtime-state rows into `state/openclaw.sqlite`, verifies the exact payloads, removes the source rows, and records the new ownership only after the transaction succeeds. Auth resolution has no dual-read fallback: before migration the legacy database is complete; after migration the shared state database is complete. Once relocated, deleting `main` no longer risks fleet credentials.

If the shared target already contains every legacy profile with identical credential content, Doctor preserves the richer target and completes cleanup, including an empty legacy profile set or older row timestamps. Credential comparison ignores JSON object-key order but preserves every field; it does not select credentials by timestamp. Different credentials, source-only profiles, malformed subset payloads, or differing runtime-state rows remain conflicts. Doctor names conflicting profile IDs and whether their credentials differ, are malformed, or are missing from the target. Store metadata and runtime-state conflicts are reported separately; credential values and arbitrary metadata are never printed.

Stop OpenClaw processes and back up both databases named in the warning before reconciling them locally. For each differing profile, choose the credential to retain and make its complete entry agree in both stores; copy source-only profiles into the target without replacing unrelated profiles. Resolve malformed payloads or differing store metadata and runtime state in the named records, then rerun `openclaw doctor --fix`. Do not delete either database or the migration receipts to silence a conflict. Pending relocation receipts retain the original source digest through interrupted cleanup. After relocation completes, main-agent rows without a pending relocation receipt remain ordinary per-agent overrides.

For the retired QMD memory backend, including config rewrites and derived
workspace cleanup, see [Migrating from QMD](/concepts/memory-builtin#migrating-from-qmd).

This includes retired MCP OAuth files under `<state-dir>/mcp-oauth/*.json`. Stop the Gateway before repair. Doctor imports valid credentials into `<state-dir>/state/openclaw.sqlite`, preserves an existing canonical SQLite session when both stores exist, drops the obsolete persisted OAuth `state` value, and uses its receipt to prevent a recreated stale file from resurrecting logged-out credentials. Retired `.lock` sidecars fail closed: if Doctor reports a stale owner, verify that no older OpenClaw process is running, remove that sidecar, and rerun Doctor.

After explicit repair (`--fix`, `--repair`, or `--yes`), Doctor verifies runtime schema readiness for existing configured, default-layout, and registered databases before reporting completion, including stores whose migration failed before registration. A blocked required migration exits nonzero; stop the Gateway and other OpenClaw processes, then rerun repair. Unrelated advisory warnings, including archived transcript repair failures, do not make a ready database fail this check. Missing databases are not created by the readiness check.

Doctor also discovers retired setup state and interrupted migration claims in every resolved agent workspace, active sandbox workspace, and explicitly configured `agents.defaults.workspace` root. That shared root is included even when an explicit multi-agent roster uses only its subdirectories. Doctor imports both `<workspace>/openclaw-workspace-state.json` and `<workspace>/.openclaw/workspace-state.json` through the existing migration; it does not assign the root to an agent or move persona and memory files.

Repair exits nonzero while retained legacy state still blocks agent turns, even if its data already reached SQLite. Gateway startup and live config candidates check readiness only for the workspaces they would use, not an unused default root. An unready live candidate is rejected and the last-good runtime stays active. Stop OpenClaw processes, save the intended workspace path if the live write was rejected before persistence, and keep the retained files in place. Run `openclaw doctor --fix` before restarting. Readiness checks never import or delete legacy state.

## Shared state SQLite compaction

See [Database schemas](/reference/database-schemas) for schema versioning, integrity checks, and downgrade recovery.

`openclaw doctor --state-sqlite compact` is explicit offline maintenance for
the canonical shared state database at
`<state-dir>/state/openclaw.sqlite`. It does not accept an arbitrary database
path, is never invoked by normal Gateway operation, and is not part of
`openclaw doctor --fix`. The command acquires the same state ownership lock as
Gateway startup and holds it through validation, checkpointing, `VACUUM`, and
the final integrity checks. It refuses to run while a Gateway or another
SQLite maintenance command owns that lock. The state lock remains active when
`OPENCLAW_ALLOW_MULTI_GATEWAY=1` skips the per-config Gateway singleton, so an
operator shell does not need to inherit the Gateway service's environment for
maintenance to detect it.

Stop the Gateway and create a verified backup first:

```bash
openclaw gateway stop
openclaw backup create --verify
openclaw doctor --state-sqlite compact --json
openclaw gateway start
```

The command:

1. Requires a regular file at the canonical shared-state path. A missing
   database is reported as `skipped` and exits successfully.
2. Validates the current supported schema version and
   `schema_meta.role = "global"` before checkpointing or changing the file.
3. Requires a non-busy `wal_checkpoint(TRUNCATE)`. Stop any remaining OpenClaw
   process and retry if the checkpoint is busy.
4. Sets `auto_vacuum` to `INCREMENTAL`, runs a full `VACUUM`, and checkpoints
   again.
5. Runs `quick_check`, `integrity_check`, and `foreign_key_check`, then
   reapplies owner-only permissions to the database and SQLite sidecar files.

JSON output reports the database and WAL sizes, freelist pages, page size, and
`auto_vacuum` value before and after compaction, plus reclaimed bytes and the
`quick_check` and `integrity_check` results. `foreign_key_check` is enforced
fail-closed and has no separate success field. SQLite reports `auto_vacuum` as
`0` for none, `1` for full, and `2` for incremental.

Compaction fails without mutation when the schema is old, newer than the
running OpenClaw build, or belongs to an agent database. Run
`openclaw doctor --fix` first for an older shared-state schema. Restore a
compatible backup or upgrade OpenClaw for a newer schema.

## Session SQLite migration

Runtime session rows and transcripts live in SQLite, by default at
`~/.openclaw/agents/<agentId>/agent/openclaw-agent.sqlite`. Gateway and local
CLI startup do not import, restore, or rewrite legacy session JSON/JSONL files.
When startup finds a legacy session store, it refuses readiness and prints a
`doctor --fix` command for the active profile instead of serving empty history.

To upgrade history from an older file-backed installation, stop the Gateway,
back up its state, and run `openclaw doctor --fix` before restarting it.
`openclaw doctor --session-sqlite <mode>` provides targeted inspection,
import, validation, and SQLite maintenance. Legacy `sessions.json` files are
migration sources. Hot transcript JSONL files are imported and archived after
successful import; archive-tier JSONL files remain support artifacts, not
runtime fallbacks.

The public Doctor migration path stages transcript payloads and performs branch
and provider repairs in a private, temporary SQLite database instead of retaining
complete histories in memory. It keeps the raw transcript untouched until archiving it through an
exclusive same-filesystem move, avoiding both an extra full `.pre-doctor` raw
copy and a rewritten intermediate file. Standalone transcript repair retains
its original backup behavior.

For large histories, plan space for the original JSON/JSONL files, the temporary
SQLite spool, and the destination database and WAL at the same time. Keep free
space on both the system temporary volume and the volume holding OpenClaw state;
the resulting SQLite database can be larger than the original JSONL. Streaming
reduces whole-history memory pressure, but individual records are still parsed
in memory and SQLite also uses native memory. Do not size a host from the JSONL
byte count or JavaScript heap limit alone; there is no fixed disk, RAM, or
migration-time guarantee.

Staging is removed when the operation finishes and is never used as a runtime
store or resumed after an interruption; retries use the original sources and
committed session data. After import, Doctor checkpoints and incrementally vacuums databases that already
support auto-vacuum, retaining full integrity and foreign-key checks before and
after cleanup. Databases without auto-vacuum still need a full `VACUUM` to enable
it. Incremental cleanup frees unused pages but does not repack partially filled
pages; explicit session and shared-state `compact` modes still run a full `VACUUM`.

The regular `openclaw doctor` pass also reports canonical SQLite transcripts
whose initial session header was never persisted. `openclaw doctor --fix`
prepends a current header and rebuilds the transcript indexes in one
transaction while preserving existing event IDs, parent links, row timestamps,
and session-list recency. Headerless legacy or malformed transcripts remain
rejected until their owning migration can validate them.

Modes:

| Mode       | Behavior                                                                                                               |
| ---------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `inspect`  | Read SQLite counts and any selected legacy-source diagnostics without importing; legacy files are not required.        |
| `dry-run`  | Parse legacy entries and transcript JSONL files, count importable rows, and report issues without writing SQLite rows. |
| `import`   | Import legacy entries and transcript events into SQLite for the selected targets.                                      |
| `validate` | Compare the selected legacy sources against SQLite rows and transcript event counts.                                   |
| `compact`  | Checkpoint and VACUUM selected agent SQLite databases to reclaim free pages after large deletes or archive cleanup.    |
| `recover`  | Restore the latest failed migration run, validate its targets, and prepare a sanitized GitHub issue report.            |
| `restore`  | Restore archived transcript artifacts from recorded migration manifests without deleting SQLite data.                  |

Selectors:

- Default: the configured default agent store; SQLite inspection does not require a legacy file.
- `--session-sqlite-agent <id>`: one configured agent.
- `--session-sqlite-all-agents`: configured agent stores plus discovered agent stores.
- `--session-sqlite-store <path>`: one explicit `.sqlite` database or legacy `sessions.json` path.

`dry-run`, `import`, and `validate` select existing legacy sources only. An
explicit `.sqlite` path selects no legacy targets in those modes; it is never
parsed or archived as JSON. Use `inspect`, `compact`, or corruption recovery
with `recover` for a SQLite target. Recovering or restoring archived sources
from migration manifests requires the original legacy selector or agent-store
discovery that includes it. Legacy `sessions.json` selector paths remain
supported and resolve to their corresponding SQLite stores for maintenance.

With the Gateway stopped and its state backed up, inspect and import legacy
history:

```bash
openclaw doctor --session-sqlite inspect --session-sqlite-all-agents
openclaw doctor --session-sqlite dry-run --session-sqlite-all-agents --json
openclaw doctor --session-sqlite import --session-sqlite-all-agents
openclaw doctor --session-sqlite inspect --session-sqlite-all-agents --json
```

`import` validates rows and transcript event counts before archiving its
legacy sources. After a successful import, `validate` may select no legacy
targets; use `inspect` to see the current SQLite state. While legacy sources
remain, `validate` exits non-zero when a selected entry is missing from SQLite,
a session id differs, or a transcript event count differs.
When using `--session-sqlite-store <path>`, check that the report contains the
expected target count; a nonexistent legacy source selects no targets for
`dry-run`, `import`, or `validate`.

SQLite deletes reclaim pages inside the database first; they do not necessarily
shrink the database file immediately. After deleting or archiving large
transcripts, run `openclaw doctor --session-sqlite compact --session-sqlite-all-agents`
to checkpoint WAL files, run `VACUUM`, and report before/after database and WAL
sizes. Compaction requires a regular file with the current agent schema, its
durable database owner metadata, and no open handle in the doctor
process. The destructive `import`, `compact`, `recover`, and `restore` modes
hold the same state ownership lock as Gateway startup for their full operation;
`inspect`, `dry-run`, and `validate` remain read-only and do not take it. Stop
the Gateway first. Destructive modes fail instead of racing live writes or
racing another maintenance command. A destructive `--session-sqlite-store`
target must be inside the active state directory; set `OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR` to
the store's owning state directory before maintaining another installation.
Existing hard-linked targets are rejected because another path can share the
same database inode outside the locked state directory. The same ownership
checks cover SQLite WAL, shared-memory, and rollback-journal sidecars.

Each import writes a manifest under
`~/.openclaw/session-sqlite-migration-runs/` before moving transcript artifacts
into the archive. Recovery references stay in the current sessions directory,
including for backups with old-machine absolute transcript paths. Retrying an
interrupted import keeps the index and previously archived transcripts restorable.
If an explicit import fails after artifacts moved, keep the Gateway stopped and
run recovery:

```bash
openclaw doctor --session-sqlite recover --github-issue
```

Recovery selects the latest failed migration manifest, restores only the
manifest's archived artifacts, validates the affected targets, and prepares
sanitized `.failure.md` and `.failure.json` reports. The GitHub issue body avoids
transcript contents, raw environment, secrets, and unbounded config. Once an
issue or browser handoff may have published a report, doctor preserves that
private report artifact and its marker receipt. When no failed migration
manifest exists, recovery inspects selected
SQLite databases using temporary copies of their complete file sets. SQLite
can roll back a valid hot journal in that disposable copy
before `quick_check`, `integrity_check`, and `foreign_key_check` run, while the
original forensic files remain untouched during inspection. Recovery attempts
to repair canonical index corruption in place after schema and owner validation.
Schema, owner, and I/O errors, as well as failed or refused index repairs,
leave the original database in place with a diagnostic. Other confirmed
corruption or orphaned sidecars
preserve the DB, WAL, SHM, and rollback-journal files by renaming the
whole discovered set with one `.corrupt-<timestamp>` suffix. A caught rename
failure rolls already-moved files back before reporting failure, so a
recoverable file set is not silently split. Stop the Gateway before recovery;
copying or renaming an actively changing SQLite file set is unsafe and behaves
differently across operating systems. With `--github-issue --yes`, doctor uses
the GitHub CLI to create the issue in `openclaw/openclaw`. If the CLI is
unavailable or GitHub definitively rejects the request, doctor can open the
exact sanitized report in a browser when its encoded URL stays within the safe
request-size bound. Without confirmation, doctor writes the local support
report and skips issue creation without printing or opening a prefilled URL.
Ambiguous submissions fail closed. A later doctor run reconciles the preserved
marker without sending another create request, so it cannot publish a duplicate
issue. Machine-readable output includes the resulting support-issue status but
not the private receipt or prefilled URL.

`restore` remains the lower-level undo operation. It uses manifest
`sourcePath -> archivePath` records, moves archived artifacts back only when the
original path is missing, reports conflicts for independently existing originals,
and leaves the SQLite database in place. Publication is exclusive: a file or
symbolic link created during verification is not replaced. Restore moves the
original without copying its contents, and fails without consuming the archive
if the filesystem cannot publish it safely. Recorded interrupted publications
can be retried, including with older manifests or after the replacement SQLite
database has been removed. If restore recreates a missing sessions directory,
retries repeat its parent-directory durability check before consuming the archive.
When several manifests recorded the same original path, restore plans all
candidates before moving any of them. Identical archives
are safe duplicates, and one nonempty legacy `sessions.json` may supersede empty
copies created by older writers. Distinct nonempty indexes, distinct transcript
archives, invalid archives, and archives missing without a recorded prior
restore fail closed so restore cannot silently replace or hide recoverable data.

After verifying the migration and current history, use
`openclaw update cleanup --dry-run` to inspect retained recovery data without
stopping the Gateway. Apply with `openclaw update cleanup` or
`openclaw update cleanup --yes --json` only after stopping the Gateway and other
SQLite maintenance for the same profile/state directory. This permanently
retires eligible rollback originals; it does not remove current SQLite history
or operator backups. Manifests remain while retained or pending artifacts need
them, so interrupted cleanup can be resumed. Restore distinguishes intentional
disposal, pending cleanup, and unexpected missing files. See
[Update cleanup](/cli/update#update-cleanup).

### Downgrading After Session SQLite Migration

With the Gateway stopped, use the current CLI to restore archived legacy
transcript artifacts before starting an older file-backed OpenClaw version:

```bash
openclaw doctor --session-sqlite restore --session-sqlite-all-agents
```

Older versions read `sessions.json` entries and the `sessionFile` paths recorded
in those entries. After the SQLite migration, successful imports move hot JSONL
transcripts into `session-sqlite-import-archive/`, so the older runtime cannot
see that history until restore moves those manifest-recorded artifacts back to
their original paths.

If `openclaw update cleanup` already disposed of the originals, restore reports
that outcome and cannot recreate them. You need an independent backup containing
those legacy files; see [Pre-update backups](/install/updating#before-updating-create-a-verified-backup)
for portable-archive exclusions.

Restore does not delete SQLite data. Sessions created after the SQLite flip
exist only in SQLite and will not appear to the older runtime. If you later
upgrade again, run the normal migration validation sequence above so OpenClaw can
compare restored legacy artifacts with the SQLite rows before importing.

## Notes

- In Nix mode (`OPENCLAW_NIX_MODE=1`), read-only doctor checks still work, but `doctor --fix`, `doctor --repair`, `doctor --yes`, and `doctor --generate-gateway-token` are disabled because `openclaw.json` is immutable. Edit the Nix source for this install instead; for nix-openclaw, use the agent-first [Quick Start](https://github.com/openclaw/nix-openclaw#quick-start).
- Interactive prompts (keychain/OAuth fixes, etc.) only run when stdin is a TTY and `--non-interactive` is **not** set. Headless runs (cron, Telegram, no terminal) skip prompts.
- Non-interactive mode skips prompts, not full provider-catalog or runtime-tool validation. Built checkout runs reuse available compiled plugin entries for these checks; intentional source overrides still execute source. See [Development debugging](</help/debugging#dev-profile-%2B-dev-gateway-(--dev)>).
- `--lint` is stricter than `--non-interactive`: always read-only, never prompts, never applies safe migrations. Use `doctor --fix` or `doctor --repair` when you want doctor to make changes.
- Doctor does not execute `exec` SecretRefs while checking secrets by default. Use `--allow-exec` (with or without `--lint`) only when you intentionally want doctor to run those configured secret resolvers.
- Any config write (including a `--fix` repair) rotates a backup to `~/.openclaw/openclaw.json.bak` (with a numbered `.bak.1`..`.bak.4` ring). `--fix` also drops unknown config keys reported by schema validation, listing each removal; it skips this while an update is in progress so partially written upgrade state is not stripped before its migration finishes.
- If `openclaw.json` cannot be parsed and no last-known-good config can be recovered, `doctor --fix` leaves the file unchanged and exits with an error instead of writing a partial replacement. The error points to `openclaw config validate` for the exact parse position and explains how to edit or regenerate the config.
- Set `OPENCLAW_SERVICE_REPAIR_POLICY=external` when another supervisor owns the gateway lifecycle. Doctor still reports gateway/service health and applies non-service repairs, but skips service install/start/restart/bootstrap and legacy service cleanup.
- Doctor reports the managed Gateway's applied heap limit and the adaptive derivation used for the current host or container memory limit. Use `openclaw gateway status` for the same report outside a repair pass.
- On Linux, doctor ignores inactive extra gateway-like systemd units and does not rewrite command/entrypoint metadata for a running systemd gateway service during repair. Stop the service first, or use `openclaw gateway install --force` to rewrite the managed base unit. If a systemd drop-in overrides `ExecStart=` or `WorkingDirectory=`, inspect it with `systemctl --user cat <unit>.service` and update or remove that drop-in yourself; reinstalling the base does not replace it. `Environment=` drop-ins remain supported.
- `doctor --fix --non-interactive` preserves the installed gateway service definition, including during update repair. Run `openclaw gateway install` for a missing service, or `openclaw gateway install --force` from the intended installation to replace its launcher and managed environment.
- State integrity checks detect orphan transcript files in the sessions directory. Archiving them as `.deleted.<timestamp>` requires interactive confirmation; `--fix`, `--yes`, and headless runs leave them in place.
- Doctor scans historical `~/.openclaw/cron/jobs.json` stores and previously configured legacy store locations for old cron job shapes, imports jobs and quarantine records into SQLite, and archives the migrated JSON files.
- Doctor reports cron jobs with an explicit `payload.model` override, including provider-namespace counts and mismatches against `agents.defaults.model`, so scheduled jobs that do not inherit the default model are visible during auth or billing investigations.
- Doctor reports cron jobs still marked in-flight (`state.runningAtMs`), which can make `openclaw cron list` show them as `running`. This check is read-only: if no Gateway is currently executing a marked job, the next cron service startup records the interrupted run and clears the marker.
- Doctor reports legacy image-inspection policy entries named `image`. `openclaw doctor --fix` rewrites supported config allow/deny surfaces and persisted automation `toolsAllow` entries to `view_image`; old-only wildcard patterns such as `image*` are preserved and gain an explicit `view_image`, while patterns that already cover both names remain unchanged. Runtime exposes only the canonical name.
- On Linux, doctor warns when the user's crontab still runs the unmaintained legacy `~/.openclaw/bin/ensure-whatsapp.sh`, which can misreport `Gateway inactive` when cron lacks the systemd user-bus environment.
- When WhatsApp is enabled, doctor checks for a degraded Gateway event loop with local `openclaw-tui` clients still running. `doctor --fix` stops only verified local TUI clients so WhatsApp replies are not queued behind stale TUI refresh loops.
- When HTTP(S) proxy environment variables are present but `tools.web.fetch.useTrustedEnvProxy` is disabled, doctor explains that `web_fetch` still uses direct routing, runs a short direct TLS connectivity probe, and names the explicit opt-in. It never enables proxy trust automatically.
- Doctor rewrites legacy `codex/*` and `openai-codex/*` model refs to canonical `openai/*` refs across primary models, fallbacks, model allowlists, image/video generation models, heartbeat/subagent/compaction overrides, hooks, channel model overrides, cron payloads, and stale session/transcript route pins. `--fix` also merges legacy `models.providers.codex` and `models.providers.openai-codex` config when safe, migrates legacy `openai-codex:*` auth profiles and `auth.order.openai-codex` entries to `openai:*`, moves Codex intent onto provider/model-scoped `agentRuntime.id: "codex"` entries, removes stale whole-agent/session runtime pins, and keeps repaired OpenAI agent refs on Codex auth routing instead of direct OpenAI API-key auth.
- Doctor reports nonempty `auth.order.<provider>` lists whose referenced profiles are all gone while compatible stored credentials exist. `doctor --fix` deletes only those stale overrides, restoring automatic per-agent credential selection; explicit empty orders, partially live lists, and orders without a compatible stored credential stay unchanged. If an active SQLite auth store is unreadable or malformed, doctor explains why it skipped this repair. Restart a running Gateway before rechecking auth status if its config reload mode does not apply the write automatically.
- Doctor preserves legacy shared plugin-runtime caches that another installation or profile may still use and removes only genuinely dangling plugin-runtime symlinks. It relinks the host `openclaw` package for managed npm plugins that declare it as a peer dependency. It also repairs missing downloadable plugins referenced by config (`plugins.entries`, configured channels, configured provider/search settings, configured agent runtimes). During package updates, doctor skips package-manager plugin repair until the package swap completes; rerun `openclaw doctor --fix` afterward if a configured plugin still needs recovery. If a download fails, doctor reports the install error and preserves the configured plugin entry for the next repair attempt.
- Doctor repairs stale plugin config by removing missing plugin ids from `plugins.allow`/`plugins.deny`/`plugins.entries`, plus matching dangling channel config, heartbeat targets, and channel model overrides, when plugin discovery is healthy.
- Doctor quarantines invalid plugin config by disabling the affected `plugins.entries.<id>` entry and removing its invalid `config` payload. Gateway startup already skips only that bad plugin so other plugins and channels keep running.
- Doctor removes the retired `plugins.entries.codex.config.codexDynamicToolsProfile`; the Codex app-server always keeps Codex-native workspace tools native.
- Doctor auto-migrates legacy flat Talk config (`talk.voiceId`, `talk.modelId`, and friends) into `talk.provider` + `talk.providers.<provider>`. Repeat `doctor --fix` runs no longer report/apply Talk normalization when the only difference is object key order.
- Doctor includes a memory-search readiness check and can recommend `openclaw configure --section model` when embedding credentials are missing.
- Doctor warns when no command owner is configured. The command owner is the human operator account allowed to run owner-only commands and approve dangerous actions. DM pairing only lets someone talk to the bot; if you approved a sender before first-owner bootstrap existed, set `commands.ownerAllowFrom` explicitly.
- Doctor reports an info note when Codex-mode agents are configured and personal Codex CLI assets exist in the operator's Codex home. Local Codex app-server launches use isolated per-agent homes; install the Codex plugin first if needed, then use `openclaw migrate plan codex` to inventory assets that should be promoted deliberately.
- Doctor warns when skills allowed for the default agent are unavailable in the current runtime environment (missing bins, env vars, config, or OS requirements). `doctor --fix` can disable those unavailable skills with `skills.entries.<skill>.enabled=false`; install/configure the missing requirement instead if you want to keep the skill active.
- If sandbox mode is enabled but Docker is unavailable, doctor reports a high-signal warning with remediation (`install Docker` or `openclaw config set agents.defaults.sandbox.mode off`).
- Doctor identifies per-agent `agents.entries.<id>.sandbox` Docker, browser, and prune overrides ignored under shared scope. It also warns when an agent's explicit primary model omits fallbacks and therefore disables the defaults' fallback chain; both diagnostics use canonical agent paths after legacy roster normalization.
- If legacy sandbox registry files or shard directories are present (`~/.openclaw/sandbox/containers.json`, `~/.openclaw/sandbox/browsers.json`, `~/.openclaw/sandbox/containers/`, or `~/.openclaw/sandbox/browsers/`), doctor reports them; `--fix` migrates valid entries into SQLite and quarantines invalid legacy files.
- If `gateway.auth.token`/`gateway.auth.password` are SecretRef-managed and unavailable in the current command path, doctor reports a read-only warning and does not write plaintext fallback credentials. For exec-backed SecretRefs, doctor skips execution unless `--allow-exec` is present.
- If channel SecretRef inspection fails in a fix path, doctor continues and reports a warning instead of exiting early.
- After state-directory migrations, doctor warns when enabled default Telegram or Discord accounts depend on env fallback and `TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN` or `DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN` is unavailable to the doctor process.
- Telegram `allowFrom` username auto-resolution (`doctor --fix`) requires a resolvable Telegram token in the current command path. If token inspection is unavailable, doctor reports a warning and skips auto-resolution for that pass.

## macOS: `launchctl` env overrides

If you previously ran `launchctl setenv OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN ...` (or `...PASSWORD`), that value overrides your config file and can cause persistent "unauthorized" errors.

```bash
launchctl getenv OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN
launchctl getenv OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_PASSWORD

launchctl unsetenv OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN
launchctl unsetenv OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_PASSWORD
```

## Related

- [CLI reference](/cli)
- [Gateway doctor](/gateway/doctor)