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One of the biggest strengths of OpenClaw is that it is not locked into a fixed set of integrations. You can connect almost any REST API, CLI tool, SaaS platform, database, webhook source, or internal system to your agent. The mechanism depends on what you are trying to achieve.
If you are new to the ecosystem, start with what OpenClaw is and how it works to understand the gateway, agents, tools and model layers. If you are already running OpenClaw on a VPS, especially using our OpenClaw VPS template, this guide shows how to extend it beyond the built-in features.
At a high level, OpenClaw exposes three extension types:
- Skills – natural-language driven API integrations defined in SKILL.md files
- Plugins – deep Gateway extensions written in TypeScript or JavaScript
- Webhooks – HTTP endpoints that external systems POST to
Each serves a different purpose. Choosing the correct one determines how clean, secure, and maintainable your integration will be.
OpenClaw’s extensibility model
OpenClaw was designed as a self-hosted orchestration layer. The agent reasons in natural language, but execution happens through explicit tools. Those tools are provided by skills or plugins, and external systems can trigger them via webhooks.
If you deployed OpenClaw using the 1-click Ubuntu template and completed onboarding over SSH, as described in the SSH quickstart guide, you already have the full extension framework available locally under ~/.openclaw.
Extension types compared
| Type | Best for | Complexity |
|---|---|---|
| Skill | Calling REST APIs, running shell commands, SaaS integrations | Low |
| Plugin | New channels, tools, providers, deep runtime extensions | Medium to High |
| Webhook | External systems triggering OpenClaw | Low to Medium |
Skills: Connecting REST APIs with natural language
A skill is the fastest way to connect an external API to OpenClaw. It is essentially a documented contract between the agent and the external service.
If you read the OpenClaw skills guide, you already know that a skill is defined by a SKILL.md file. The agent loads that file only when relevant, which keeps context efficient even if you install many skills.
How a skill works internally
When a user asks something like “What’s the current price of Tesla?”, the agent:
- Scans installed skills by name and description
- Selects the most relevant one
- Loads its full SKILL.md into context
- Executes the commands or HTTP calls described inside
The skill is not code in the traditional sense. It is structured instructions. The agent follows those instructions and executes the required shell commands or HTTP calls.
Minimal example: Connecting a stock API
---
name: stock-price
description: Get real-time stock prices using AlphaVantage
requires:
env:
- STOCK_API_KEY
bins:
- curl
- jq
---
# Stock Price Skill
When user asks for a stock symbol:
curl "https://www.alphavantage.co/query?function=GLOBAL_QUOTE&symbol=$SYMBOL&apikey=$STOCK_API_KEY" | jq '.["Global Quote"]'
Once placed under ~/.openclaw/skills/stock-price/, the agent can call it immediately.
When to use a skill
Use a skill when:
- You are calling a REST API
- You are running a CLI command
- You want minimal OpenClaw core modification
Most SaaS integrations fall into this category: GitHub, Stripe, weather APIs, flight trackers, CRM endpoints, internal dashboards.
Plugins: Deep integration into the Gateway
Plugins extend OpenClaw at runtime. They run inside the Gateway process and have access to internal APIs.
If you followed the systemd production setup described in the OpenClaw systemd guide, your Gateway already supports plugin loading.
What plugins can register
- New messaging channels
- New agent tools
- Custom model providers
- CLI commands
- RPC endpoints
Minimal plugin structure
my-plugin/
├── openclaw.plugin.json
├── package.json
└── src/index.ts
Inside index.ts, you export a register(api) function. That function calls methods like:
api.registerChannel()api.registerTool()api.registerProvider()
When to use a plugin
Use a plugin when:
- You are adding a completely new messaging platform
- You need custom OAuth flows
- You are integrating a new LLM provider deeply
- You need persistent background services
Plugins are trusted code. They should only be installed from sources you review.
Webhooks: External systems triggering OpenClaw
Webhooks allow third-party systems to wake the agent or trigger actions.
The Gateway exposes an endpoint like:
http://localhost:18789/hooksOnce enabled in configuration, external services can POST JSON payloads to it.
Basic webhook configuration
{
hooks: {
enabled: true,
token: "long-random-secret",
path: "/hooks"
}
}
Example: GitHub push integration
Define a mapping:
{
match: { path: "/hooks/github" },
action: "agent",
template: {
message: "Push to {{body.repository.name}} by {{body.pusher.name}}",
channel: "slack",
to: "#engineering"
}
}
Now every GitHub push triggers a structured agent action.
Hosting considerations
Running integrations reliably requires stable hosting. A laptop that sleeps is not sufficient for webhook or scheduled automation.
If you are deploying on a VPS, follow host OpenClaw securely on VPS for firewall, reverse proxy and security hardening.
Our 1-click OpenClaw VPS template provides:
- Pre-installed OpenClaw on Ubuntu
- Configured Gateway
- Systemd service setup
- Clean baseline environment
From there, you can install skills, plugins, or configure webhooks without additional bootstrap work.
Security best practices for custom API integrations
For skills
- Never embed API keys inside SKILL.md
- Use environment variables
- Validate user input before passing to shell
See OpenClaw security best practices for deeper hardening guidance.
For plugins
- Treat plugins as privileged code
- Use configSchema validation
- Run OpenClaw under a restricted user
For webhooks
- Always use HTTPS
- Use long random tokens
- Verify third-party signatures
- Apply reverse proxy rate limits
Real-world integration patterns
REST API via skill
Best for SaaS dashboards, monitoring APIs, reporting tools.
Webhook + skill
Best for CI/CD events, payment notifications, IoT alerts.
Plugin + skill hybrid
Best for enterprise platforms requiring OAuth and long-running background listeners.
Choosing the right extension type
If you only need to call an API, start with a skill.
If you need runtime hooks or new communication channels, build a plugin.
If external systems need to notify OpenClaw, configure webhooks.
In practice, many production setups combine all three.
