AI coding app quick start

OpenClaw quick start

Put Guard in front of OpenClaw so risky tool calls and config changes are caught before launch.

Install GuardBack to install

Prerequisite

Install Guard

If you haven't installed Guard yet, run the install script first. This installs hol-guard via pipx and configures it for OpenClaw in one step.

Install command unavailable.

Already have Guard installed? Skip to the harness command below. Full install guide.

Coverage

Event surfaces

mcp_tool

Native approval

No

Browser fallback

Yes

Resume support

No

Smoke command

hol-guard install openclaw --dry-run

Known blind spot

Shell commands and prompt events are not currently observable. Guard only intercepts MCP tool calls via the proxy layer.

Harness command

Attach to OpenClaw

Terminal
hol-guard install openclaw

Guard stays local by default — no account required to protect your first session. Connect Guard Cloud later to sync security records across your devices.

What Guard checks

  • ~/.openclaw/config.toml and project .openclaw/config.toml
  • MCP server entries, plugin declarations, and command surfaces
  • local tool paths and linked extension manifests

What install changes

  • Installs Guard in wrapper mode so you can protect OpenClaw without changing your existing setup.
  • Keeps a local security record for every approval and block so your team can reuse past decisions.
  • Guards against config mutations between sessions so silent drift stays visible.

Verification

Confirm the setup before your first protected session.

1

Run the setup command

Start with the Guard command matched to this AI coding app and its setup mode.

Command
hol-guard install openclaw
2

Run the next verification commands

Confirm Guard sees the expected config paths before your first protected session.

Command
hol-guard doctor openclaw
hol-guard run openclaw --dry-run
3

Check your first security record

After Guard records a local decision, open the receipt list to confirm what was scanned.

Command
hol-guard receipts

Safe demo & test protection

Use --dry-run for demos and CI. Guard scans and reports without blocking, so you can show what it catches without interrupting a live session.

Sync to Guard Cloud

Connect Guard Cloud to carry your security records, team memory, and approval history across every machine and teammate — no rebuilding approvals when you switch devices.

Review Guard Cloud plans →

Troubleshooting

Something not working?

  • Guard does not intercept launches

    Run hol-guard doctor openclaw and check that the wrapper path matches your installed binary.

  • No security record after the first run

    Check that ~/.hol-guard/ is writable. Guard writes every decision there by default.

  • Cloud sync not reflecting local decisions

    Run hol-guard sync --status to see if Guard Cloud can reach the server. Local protection keeps running even when sync is unavailable.

Approval surface

Guard local approval center (browser, localhost) via wrapper mode — opens when a new or changed tool call or config entry needs a decision.

Run command
hol-guard run openclaw

Uninstall / revert

Guard leaves no background services. Your approval history stays on disk in ~/.hol-guard/ unless you delete that folder.

Uninstall command
hol-guard uninstall openclaw

Current phase notes

  • OpenClaw's native tool approval surface is not replaced — Guard intercepts at the wrapper layer before OpenClaw receives the request.
  • Plugin and extension enumeration depends on OpenClaw version. Run `hol-guard doctor openclaw` to confirm what Guard resolved.

OpenClaw FAQ

No. It adds a local review layer around risky actions so permissions are easier to understand.

No. Public warnings are opt-in, redacted, and held for moderation before indexing.

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