Section 23: Quick Reference Card

Print-friendly one-page reference for daily operation, safety checks, and fast recovery.

Use this card when you don't want to reread the full guide.

::: action Best practice: print this page (or save it as a pinned note) and keep it near your main OpenClaw terminal. :::

1) Fast Start: Daily command core

🖥️ Type this in your terminal:

openclaw status
openclaw gateway start
openclaw gateway stop
openclaw gateway restart
openclaw dashboard
openclaw doctor

When in doubt, run in this order:

1. openclaw status
2. openclaw logs --limit 50
3. openclaw doctor
4. openclaw gateway restart
5. Retest one known-good channel message

2) Full command cheat sheet (copy/paste)

🖥️ Type this in your terminal:

# Core status/control
openclaw status
openclaw gateway start
openclaw gateway stop
openclaw gateway restart

# Interface and diagnostics
openclaw dashboard
openclaw doctor
openclaw onboard
openclaw update

# Logs
openclaw logs
openclaw logs --limit 50

# Safe config handling
cp ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json.bak
cat ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json

::: beginner You do not need to memorize these. Treat this as a checklist and run commands one at a time. :::

3) Safety checklist (must-pass)

Use this before launch, after major changes, and after updates.

• Allowlist enabled for inbound channels (only trusted users can control your assistant)
• requireMention enabled in group chats where appropriate
• Config backup created before risky edits or updates
• Heartbeat instructions include stop-on-fail ("report failure and stop; do not retry in same run")
• Prompt-injection hygiene followed (treat fetched content as untrusted data)
• Third-party skills reviewed (trusted source + readme + permission sanity check)
• SkillGuard scan run before installing unknown skills
• At least one fallback model/provider configured
• Spending alerts enabled at model provider(s)
• Recovery sequence known (status → logs tail → doctor → restart)

::: warning If you cannot confirm allowlist and backup status, pause setup and fix those first. :::

4) Channel setup checklist

Use when adding WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, or other connectors.

• Complete pairing/onboarding flow (openclaw onboard)
• Confirm channel appears healthy in dashboard
• Apply access restrictions (allowlist / mention rules)
• Send one test message and confirm response quality
• Check logs for hidden warnings after first successful test
• Document channel-specific notes in your project STATE.md

5) Update checklist (safe sequence)

• Confirm current health: openclaw status
• Backup config: cp ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json.bak
• Update: openclaw update
• Restart gateway: openclaw gateway restart
• Diagnose: openclaw doctor
• Verify one real channel task end-to-end

::: tip Small routine updates are easier than infrequent giant jumps. :::

6) Incident response mini-playbook

If OpenClaw stops responding:

1. openclaw status
2. openclaw logs --limit 50
3. openclaw doctor
4. openclaw gateway restart
5. Send a simple test prompt

If channel disconnected (WhatsApp/Telegram/etc.):

1. openclaw onboard
2. openclaw gateway restart
3. Re-test from that channel

If costs spike unexpectedly / loop suspected:

1. openclaw gateway stop (immediate containment)
2. Inspect logs (openclaw logs)
3. Fix instruction trigger or dependency
4. openclaw gateway start
5. Confirm stop-on-fail guard is present in heartbeat instructions

::: power-user Keep a short "known-good" smoke test list (one command test, one channel test, one memory-aware test) and run it after any major change. :::

7) Free model providers (quick links)

• OpenRouter: https://openrouter.ai
• Groq: https://console.groq.com
• NVIDIA NIM: https://build.nvidia.com

Practical reminder:

• Free tiers are excellent for onboarding and light daily usage.
• Rate limits and temporary unavailability are normal.
• Configure fallback providers so one outage does not block your assistant.

8) Where to get help fast

• Official docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
• Community Discord: https://discord.gg/clawd
• GitHub issues: https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw

When asking for help, include:

• OpenClaw version,
• exact symptom,
• last relevant log lines (redacted),
• what you already tried.

9) Operator habits that prevent 80% of failures

• Run one command at a time.
• Read output before taking the next step.
• Prefer deliberate restart + diagnostics over random config edits.
• Keep backup discipline consistent.
• Use concise, explicit instructions in heartbeat/automation tasks.

::: action Pin this quick card as your default operations checklist. Most issues can be handled in under 10 minutes if you follow the sequence. :::

Optional support (footer):

• Donate $1 — Micro
• Donate $5 — Standard
• Donate $10 — Supporter
• Donate $20 — Patron
• Donate $100 — Benefactor

Self-check summary

• Drafted both required sections with exact headings and clean merge-ready markdown in /root/.openclaw/workspace/projects/openclaw-guide/drafts/s22-s23-draft.md.
• Followed OUTLINE_v2 back-matter intent: minimal, transparent Church context in Section 22 and practical printable quick card in Section 23.
• Kept tone secular, informative, and light-touch; confined Church mentions to back matter only.
• Included all required donation links exactly as provided, in concise footer-style placement (no hard-sell language).
• Used only allowed callouts (beginner, warning, tip, power-user, action) and aligned command/safety content with Sections 19-21.