Auto Updater

Auto-Updater Skill

This skill keeps OpenClaw updated by running a nightly cron job that executes an external shell script — so the update works even when the gateway restarts.

Quick Setup

To enable auto-updates, say "set up auto-updater" and I'll: 1. Copy the update script to your home folder 2. Create a cron job that runs the script at 4 AM daily

Why a Script?

The agent can't run commands while the gateway is restarting. We use a standalone shell script that runs independently of the agent.

The Update Script

#!/bin/bash
# OpenClaw Auto-Updater

openclaw gateway stop
openclaw update.run
openclaw gateway start

Change Update Time

Tell me "change update time to [time]" and I'll update the cron schedule.

Manual Update

Say "update yourself now" and I'll run the script immediately.

Troubleshooting

Check the log file: ~/openclaw-update.log

OpenClaw Auto-Updater

A skill for OpenClaw that automatically updates your agent every night.

What It Does

This skill sets up a nightly cron job that runs an external shell script — the script runs independently of the agent, so it works even when the gateway restarts.

Why a Script?

When OpenClaw updates, the gateway restarts — which kills any running agent commands. By using a standalone shell script (not agent commands), the update runs successfully without needing the agent to be active.

Installation

Copy the auto-updater folder to your skills directory:

cp -r auto-updater ~/.openclaw/skills/

Restart your OpenClaw gateway:

openclaw gateway restart

Setup

Once installed, say "Set up auto-updater" and I'll: 1. Copy the update script to ~/update-openclaw.sh 2. Create a cron job that runs at 4 AM daily

The Script

Location: ~/update-openclaw.sh

#!/bin/bash
set -e

LOG_FILE="$HOME/openclaw-update.log"

log() {
    echo "[$(date)] $1" | tee -a "$LOG_FILE"
}

log "Starting OpenClaw update..."
openclaw gateway stop
openclaw update.run
openclaw gateway start
log "Update complete!"

Usage

• "Set up auto-updater" - Creates the cron job
• "Update yourself now" - Runs the script immediately
• "Change update time to [time]" - Updates the schedule

Change Update Time

The cron runs at 4 AM by default. To change:

crontab -e
# Change: 0 4 * * * ~/update-openclaw.sh

Manual Run

~/update-openclaw.sh

Check logs: ~/openclaw-update.log

Troubleshooting

Update Failed

Check the log:

cat ~/openclaw-update.log

Run manually to see errors:

~/update-openclaw.sh

Cron Not Running

crontab -l  # List cron jobs

Requirements

• OpenClaw v2026.02+
• Gateway running in local mode
• Internet connection for updates