| --- |
| summary: "Direct `openclaw agent` CLI runs (with optional delivery)" |
| read_when: |
| - Adding or modifying the agent CLI entrypoint |
| title: "Agent Send" |
| --- |
| |
| # `openclaw agent` (direct agent runs) |
|
|
| `openclaw agent` runs a single agent turn without needing an inbound chat message. |
| By default it goes **through the Gateway**; add `--local` to force the embedded |
| runtime on the current machine. |
|
|
| ## Behavior |
|
|
| - Required: `--message <text>` |
| - Session selection: |
| - `--to <dest>` derives the session key (group/channel targets preserve isolation; direct chats collapse to `main`), **or** |
| - `--session-id <id>` reuses an existing session by id, **or** |
| - `--agent <id>` targets a configured agent directly (uses that agent's `main` session key) |
| - Runs the same embedded agent runtime as normal inbound replies. |
| - Thinking/verbose flags persist into the session store. |
| - Output: |
| - default: prints reply text (plus `MEDIA:<url>` lines) |
| - `--json`: prints structured payload + metadata |
| - Optional delivery back to a channel with `--deliver` + `--channel` (target formats match `openclaw message --target`). |
| - Use `--reply-channel`/`--reply-to`/`--reply-account` to override delivery without changing the session. |
|
|
| If the Gateway is unreachable, the CLI **falls back** to the embedded local run. |
|
|
| ## Examples |
|
|
| ```bash |
| openclaw agent --to +15555550123 --message "status update" |
| openclaw agent --agent ops --message "Summarize logs" |
| openclaw agent --session-id 1234 --message "Summarize inbox" --thinking medium |
| openclaw agent --to +15555550123 --message "Trace logs" --verbose on --json |
| openclaw agent --to +15555550123 --message "Summon reply" --deliver |
| openclaw agent --agent ops --message "Generate report" --deliver --reply-channel slack --reply-to "#reports" |
| ``` |
|
|
| ## Flags |
|
|
| - `--local`: run locally (requires model provider API keys in your shell) |
| - `--deliver`: send the reply to the chosen channel |
| - `--channel`: delivery channel (`whatsapp|telegram|discord|googlechat|slack|signal|imessage`, default: `whatsapp`) |
| - `--reply-to`: delivery target override |
| - `--reply-channel`: delivery channel override |
| - `--reply-account`: delivery account id override |
| - `--thinking <off|minimal|low|medium|high|xhigh>`: persist thinking level (GPT-5.2 + Codex models only) |
| - `--verbose <on|full|off>`: persist verbose level |
| - `--timeout <seconds>`: override agent timeout |
| - `--json`: output structured JSON |
|
|
