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Webhooks

Gateway can expose a small HTTP webhook endpoint for external triggers.

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Enable

{
  hooks: {
    enabled: true,
    token: "shared-secret",
    path: "/hooks",
    // Optional: restrict explicit `agentId` routing to this allowlist.
    // Omit or include "*" to allow any agent.
    // Set [] to deny all explicit `agentId` routing.
    allowedAgentIds: ["hooks", "main"],
  },
}
Notes:
  • hooks.token is required when hooks.enabled=true.
  • hooks.path defaults to /hooks.

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Auth

Every request must include the hook token. Prefer headers:
  • Authorization: Bearer <token> (recommended)
  • x-openclaw-token: <token>
  • Query-string tokens are rejected (?token=... returns 400).

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Endpoints

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POST /hooks/wake

Payload: 
{ "text": "System line", "mode": "now" }
  • text required (string): The description of the event (e.g., “New email received”).
  • mode optional (now | next-heartbeat): Whether to trigger an immediate heartbeat (default now) or wait for the next periodic check.
Effect:
  • Enqueues a system event for the main session
  • If mode=now, triggers an immediate heartbeat

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POST /hooks/agent

Payload: 
{
  "message": "Run this",
  "name": "Email",
  "agentId": "hooks",
  "sessionKey": "hook:email:msg-123",
  "wakeMode": "now",
  "deliver": true,
  "channel": "last",
  "to": "+15551234567",
  "model": "openai/gpt-5.2-mini",
  "thinking": "low",
  "timeoutSeconds": 120
}
  • message required (string): The prompt or message for the agent to process.
  • name optional (string): Human-readable name for the hook (e.g., “GitHub”), used as a prefix in session summaries.
  • agentId optional (string): Route this hook to a specific agent. Unknown IDs fall back to the default agent. When set, the hook runs using the resolved agent’s workspace and configuration.
  • sessionKey optional (string): The key used to identify the agent’s session. By default this field is rejected unless hooks.allowRequestSessionKey=true.
  • wakeMode optional (now | next-heartbeat): Whether to trigger an immediate heartbeat (default now) or wait for the next periodic check.
  • deliver optional (boolean): If true, the agent’s response will be sent to the messaging channel. Defaults to true. Responses that are only heartbeat acknowledgments are automatically skipped.
  • channel optional (string): The messaging channel for delivery. One of: last, whatsapp, telegram, discord, slack, mattermost (plugin), signal, imessage, msteams. Defaults to last.
  • to optional (string): The recipient identifier for the channel (e.g., phone number for WhatsApp/Signal, chat ID for Telegram, channel ID for Discord/Slack/Mattermost (plugin), conversation ID for MS Teams). Defaults to the last recipient in the main session.
  • model optional (string): Model override (e.g., anthropic/claude-3-5-sonnet or an alias). Must be in the allowed model list if restricted.
  • thinking optional (string): Thinking level override (e.g., low, medium, high).
  • timeoutSeconds optional (number): Maximum duration for the agent run in seconds.
Effect:
  • Runs an isolated agent turn (own session key)
  • Always posts a summary into the main session
  • If wakeMode=now, triggers an immediate heartbeat

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Session key policy (breaking change)

/hooks/agent payload sessionKey overrides are disabled by default.
  • Recommended: set a fixed hooks.defaultSessionKey and keep request overrides off.
  • Optional: allow request overrides only when needed, and restrict prefixes.
Recommended config: 
{
  hooks: {
    enabled: true,
    token: "${OPENCLAW_HOOKS_TOKEN}",
    defaultSessionKey: "hook:ingress",
    allowRequestSessionKey: false,
    allowedSessionKeyPrefixes: ["hook:"],
  },
}
Compatibility config (legacy behavior): 
{
  hooks: {
    enabled: true,
    token: "${OPENCLAW_HOOKS_TOKEN}",
    allowRequestSessionKey: true,
    allowedSessionKeyPrefixes: ["hook:"], // strongly recommended
  },
}

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POST /hooks/<name> (mapped)

Custom hook names are resolved via hooks.mappings (see configuration). A mapping can turn arbitrary payloads into wake or agent actions, with optional templates or code transforms. Mapping options (summary):
  • hooks.presets: ["gmail"] enables the built-in Gmail mapping.
  • hooks.mappings lets you define match, action, and templates in config.
  • hooks.transformsDir + transform.module loads a JS/TS module for custom logic.
    • hooks.transformsDir (if set) must stay within the transforms root under your OpenClaw config directory (typically ~/.openclaw/hooks/transforms).
    • transform.module must resolve within the effective transforms directory (traversal/escape paths are rejected).
  • Use match.source to keep a generic ingest endpoint (payload-driven routing).
  • TS transforms require a TS loader (e.g. bun or tsx) or precompiled .js at runtime.
  • Set deliver: true + channel/to on mappings to route replies to a chat surface (channel defaults to last and falls back to WhatsApp).
  • agentId routes the hook to a specific agent; unknown IDs fall back to the default agent.
  • hooks.allowedAgentIds restricts explicit agentId routing. Omit it (or include *) to allow any agent. Set [] to deny explicit agentId routing.
  • hooks.defaultSessionKey sets the default session for hook agent runs when no explicit key is provided.
  • hooks.allowRequestSessionKey controls whether /hooks/agent payloads may set sessionKey (default: false).
  • hooks.allowedSessionKeyPrefixes optionally restricts explicit sessionKey values from request payloads and mappings.
  • allowUnsafeExternalContent: true disables the external content safety wrapper for that hook (dangerous; only for trusted internal sources).
  • openclaw webhooks gmail setup writes hooks.gmail config for openclaw webhooks gmail run. See Gmail Pub/Sub for the full Gmail watch flow.

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Responses

  • 200 for /hooks/wake
  • 202 for /hooks/agent (async run started)
  • 401 on auth failure
  • 429 after repeated auth failures from the same client (check Retry-After)
  • 400 on invalid payload
  • 413 on oversized payloads

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Examples

curl -X POST http://127.0.0.1:18789/hooks/wake \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer SECRET' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"text":"New email received","mode":"now"}'

curl -X POST http://127.0.0.1:18789/hooks/agent \
  -H 'x-openclaw-token: SECRET' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"message":"Summarize inbox","name":"Email","wakeMode":"next-heartbeat"}'

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Use a different model

Add model to the agent payload (or mapping) to override the model for that run: 
curl -X POST http://127.0.0.1:18789/hooks/agent \
  -H 'x-openclaw-token: SECRET' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"message":"Summarize inbox","name":"Email","model":"openai/gpt-5.2-mini"}'
If you enforce agents.defaults.models, make sure the override model is included there. 
curl -X POST http://127.0.0.1:18789/hooks/gmail \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer SECRET' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"source":"gmail","messages":[{"from":"Ada","subject":"Hello","snippet":"Hi"}]}'

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Security

  • Keep hook endpoints behind loopback, tailnet, or trusted reverse proxy.
  • Use a dedicated hook token; do not reuse gateway auth tokens.
  • Repeated auth failures are rate-limited per client address to slow brute-force attempts.
  • If you use multi-agent routing, set hooks.allowedAgentIds to limit explicit agentId selection.
  • Keep hooks.allowRequestSessionKey=false unless you require caller-selected sessions.
  • If you enable request sessionKey, restrict hooks.allowedSessionKeyPrefixes (for example, ["hook:"]).
  • Avoid including sensitive raw payloads in webhook logs.
  • Hook payloads are treated as untrusted and wrapped with safety boundaries by default. If you must disable this for a specific hook, set allowUnsafeExternalContent: true in that hook’s mapping (dangerous).