Environment Variables

Environment variables let you pass configuration values and API keys to your OpenClaw instance and its skills. They’re managed from the Settings page.

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Adding a variable

1. Go to the Settings page.
2. Scroll to the Environment Variables section.
3. Click “Add Variable”.
4. Enter the key name in UPPER_SNAKE_CASE (e.g., BRAVE_API_KEY).
5. Enter the value in the password field.
6. Click Save.

Key names must contain only uppercase letters, digits, and underscores, and must start with a letter or underscore.

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Editing and deleting

• Click on an existing variable’s value field to edit it.
• Click the trash icon on any row to remove it.
• Click Save to apply all changes at once.

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Redacted values

Existing secrets appear as masked placeholders (••••••••) for security. The actual value is stored in your sandbox config. If you need to change a value, clear the field and enter the new one. If you leave a redacted value unchanged, the original secret is preserved.

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Gateway restart

When you save environment variable changes, the OpenClaw gateway restarts automatically to pick up the new values. This is typically instant.

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Common environment variables

These are frequently used by skills and use case workflows:

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Relationship to skills

Many skills check for specific environment variables. When a skill shows “Needs Setup” on the Integrations page, you can set the required key either:

• Inline on the skill card — Fastest for a single key
• Here in Environment Variables — Better for managing multiple keys at once

Both approaches store the key in the same place — your sandbox’s OpenClaw config.