---
summary: "CLI reference for `openclaw completion` (generate/install shell completion scripts)"
read_when:
  - You want shell completions for zsh/bash/fish/PowerShell
  - You need to cache completion scripts under OpenClaw state
title: "Completion"
---

# `openclaw completion`

Generate shell completion scripts, cache them under OpenClaw state, and optionally install them into your shell profile.

## Usage

```bash
openclaw completion                          # print the detected shell's script
openclaw completion --shell fish             # print fish script
openclaw completion --write-state            # cache scripts for all shells
openclaw completion --write-state --install  # cache, then install in one step
openclaw completion --shell bash --write-state
```

## Options

- `-s, --shell <shell>`: shell target, one of `zsh`, `bash`, `powershell`, or `fish`. Detected from `$SHELL`, otherwise PowerShell on Windows and zsh elsewhere.
- `-i, --install`: install completion by adding a source line for the cached script to your shell profile
- `--write-state`: write completion script(s) to `$OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR/completions` (default `~/.openclaw/completions`) without printing to stdout. With `--shell` it writes only that shell, otherwise all four.
- `-y, --yes`: skip install confirmation prompts (non-interactive)

## Install flow

`--install` points your profile at the cached script, so the cache must exist first. If the cache is missing, the command fails and tells you to run `openclaw completion --write-state`. Combine `--write-state --install` to do both in one step. Without `--shell`, the command preserves a recognized `$SHELL`. When `$SHELL` is missing or unrecognized, it defaults to PowerShell on Windows and zsh elsewhere.

The install writes a small `# OpenClaw Completion` block into your shell profile and replaces any older slow `source <(openclaw completion ...)` lines with the cached source line:

| Shell      | Profile                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| ---------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| bash       | `~/.bashrc` (falls back to `~/.bash_profile` when `~/.bashrc` is missing)                                                                                                                  |
| fish       | `~/.config/fish/config.fish`                                                                                                                                                               |
| powershell | `~/.config/powershell/Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1` (on Windows: `Documents/PowerShell/Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1`, or `Documents/WindowsPowerShell/...` for Windows PowerShell) |
| zsh        | `$ZDOTDIR/.zshrc` when `ZDOTDIR` is defined; otherwise `~/.zshrc` (an empty `ZDOTDIR` resolves to `/.zshrc`)                                                                               |

Profile changes are staged beside the destination and atomically replace it only after a complete durable write. A failed install leaves an existing profile unchanged.

Installed source lines preserve literal cache paths, including spaces, quotes, dollar signs, and backslashes. Reinstalling replaces OpenClaw's previous source line after the state directory changes.

A user-managed portable hook for the same cached script (for example `[[ -f "${HOME}/.openclaw/completions/openclaw.bash" ]] && source "${HOME}/.openclaw/completions/openclaw.bash"`, as a dotfile manager would write) is recognized as completion being configured. Doctor and `completion --install` leave such managed lines byte-for-byte untouched instead of appending a duplicate literal-path block.

## Permission failures

If Doctor or onboarding cannot update your shell profile, completion remains
optional and setup continues. When a cache is available, the warning includes a
command to load that cache in your current matching shell session. Run the complete
command as printed. This does not install completion for future shell sessions.

For persistent installation, resolve the reported permission or read-only error
before retrying `openclaw completion --install`. The failure location may be a
staging directory or a symlink target, not the profile itself. Atomic replacement
also needs write access to the destination directory. The installer uses the
profile selected in the table above. It has no profile-file destination option.

## Notes

- Without `--install` or `--write-state`, the command prints the script to stdout.
- Completion generation eagerly loads the full command tree, including plugin CLI commands, so nested subcommands are included.
- If invalid configuration prevents plugin discovery, generation warns and still includes core commands. Repair the configuration and regenerate to include plugin commands.
- Bash completion supports both `--flag value` and `--flag=value`, including named profiles before nested commands and single-quoted, double-quoted, or backslash-escaped value prefixes.
- After an option terminator (`--`), Bash completes command names but does not suggest options or option values.
- PowerShell completes commands and option values at the cursor, including when later arguments are already present.
- `openclaw update` refreshes the core completion cache automatically without loading plugin CLI commands. Run `openclaw completion --write-state` to include plugin commands. `openclaw doctor` can repair missing or stale completion setups.

## Related

- [CLI reference](/cli)