3b7b4be13b
Keep saved credentials and observed model-access application distinct through chat and wizard completion. Share in-process refresh, renew expired access questions, and encode reserved provider names through one login-command owner. Retained Gateway, Telegram and browser proofs cover the recovery paths. CI run 34670412955 attempt 1 passed with zero failed jobs. The consumer census and independent review accepted the exact head. Co-authored-by: Ayaan Zaidi <hi@obviy.us>
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| summary | title | sidebarTitle | read_when | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step-by-step guide to building a model provider plugin for OpenClaw | Building provider plugins | Provider plugins |
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Build a provider plugin to add a model provider (LLM) to OpenClaw: a model catalog, API-key auth, and dynamic model resolution.
Acme AI is a fictional vendor used throughout this guide and its child pages.
Helpers named fetchAcme* in the samples are placeholders for your own vendor
API calls, not exported OpenClaw functions.
Import an existing credential during sign-in
An auth method can declare credentialImport with a migrationProviderId,
an exact itemId, and a credentialKind (api_key, oauth, or token).
models auth login asks that migration owner for an auth-only plan before
starting interactive sign-in. --force, --profile-id, and --set-default skip
import. --set-default uses the auth method's recommended model through the normal
sign-in flow.
The migration plugin declares its ID in contracts.migrationProviders and can
export buildMigrationProvider() from a top-level migration-provider-api.ts
public artifact. Keep that entry lightweight. Bundled plugins and enabled
installed plugins can supply it without replacing the running plugin registry.
Explicitly disabled or denied migration owners cannot execute their artifacts.
The existing bundled migration compatibility rules still apply.
The login caller selects only the declared auth item. Its details must contain
the matching provider and credentialKind. A migrated result also supplies
the saved profileId. The owner must honor cancellation, reread the selected
source before persistence, and reject a changed credential. Login passes
configPatchMode: "none" so import preserves model defaults and restrictions.
Unavailable storage or an unusable matching OAuth profile continues to interactive
sign-in. A matching account identity alone does not make expired credentials usable.
A failed selected import stops the operation instead of silently starting a different login.
Handle model access after sign-in
Existing consumers of runModelsAuthLoginFlow from
openclaw/plugin-sdk/provider-auth-login-flow-runtime must handle a selection
after credentials are saved. When effective restrictions can hide the provider's
models, the existing prompter.select receives these options:
| Value | Label | Effect |
|---|---|---|
all |
Show all <Provider> models |
Adds that provider's wildcard to the existing policy owner. |
keep |
Keep current restrictions |
Leaves restrictions unchanged. |
Render the supplied message and options, and return the selected option's value.
Do not assume that every select call chooses a provider or auth method. Neither
choice activates a new default model. No choice is requested when restrictions
are absent or already allow the whole provider.
Canceling or rejecting this post-save selection does not undo saved credentials.
The flow throws ProviderAuthConfigApplyError, which extends
ProviderCredentialsSavedError; report that credentials were saved instead of
treating it as a failed credential exchange. Cancellation at the selection leaves
restrictions unchanged. A later application failure can leave the policy saved
but not active in the running Gateway. Keep credential persistence and model
visibility outcomes distinct.
Defer the choice to a later reply
For chat buttons, pass the synchronous onModelAccessRequested callback. It
receives a PreparedProviderModelAccess request and replaces the post-save
select call; it does not apply the choice. Retain the prepared request until
login finishes. Use createProviderLoginFlowRegistry and
reserveProviderLoginFlow to reserve only the credential exchange.
After login finishes, call offerProviderLoginModelAccess with flows, flowKey,
prepared, and terminalMessage. Deliver its structured reply. Always release
the login in finally with releaseProviderLoginFlow({ flows, flowKey, record }).
The pending model-access question has its own lifetime and remains answerable
after that release; it does not block another login.
Pass the later command to answerProviderLoginModelAccess with flows, flowKey,
agentId, command, runtime, readConfig, and assertCurrent; signal is
optional. readConfig must return the host's current config. The owner validates
the answer, applies the choice, and consumes that question. Expired or conflicting
choices receive a fresh question based on current restrictions.
Use cancelProviderLoginFlow({ flows, flowKey }) to cancel either pending phase.
Do not reconstruct a wildcard write from button text or reuse a prepared request
for a new login.
Keep hosted writes authorized
Hosted callers supply signal and assertCurrent to check the current login,
sender authority, and selected provider/method before effects and after awaited
work. An abort signal or matching login identifier alone is not current
authorization. beforePersistentEffect remains the credential-persistence
preparation callback. Browser authorization ends after the credential phase;
the later model choice uses the current conversation or wizard authority.
For a deferred choice, pass the answering command's current authority check as
answerProviderLoginModelAccess.assertCurrent. Use its config argument when
supplied: it is the policy writer's current config. Otherwise read the host's
current config. The original login callback does not authorize a later command.
Let the shared owner report the visibility outcome:
a saved policy is not proof that the running Gateway applied it.
Walkthrough
### Step 1: Package and manifest<CodeGroup>
```json package.json
{
"name": "@myorg/openclaw-acme-ai",
"version": "1.0.0",
"type": "module",
"openclaw": {
"extensions": ["./index.ts"],
"providers": ["acme-ai"],
"compat": {
"pluginApi": ">=2026.3.24-beta.2",
"minGatewayVersion": "2026.3.24-beta.2"
},
"build": {
"openclawVersion": "2026.3.24-beta.2",
"pluginSdkVersion": "2026.3.24-beta.2"
}
}
}
```
```json openclaw.plugin.json
{
"id": "acme-ai",
"name": "Acme AI",
"description": "Acme AI model provider",
"providers": ["acme-ai"],
"modelSupport": {
"modelPrefixes": ["acme-"]
},
"setup": {
"providers": [
{
"id": "acme-ai",
"envVars": ["ACME_AI_API_KEY"]
}
]
},
"providerAuthAliases": {
"acme-ai-coding": "acme-ai"
},
"providerAuthChoices": [
{
"provider": "acme-ai",
"method": "api-key",
"choiceId": "acme-ai-api-key",
"choiceLabel": "Acme AI API key",
"groupId": "acme-ai",
"groupLabel": "Acme AI",
"cliFlag": "--acme-ai-api-key",
"cliOption": "--acme-ai-api-key <key>",
"cliDescription": "Acme AI API key"
}
],
"configSchema": {
"type": "object",
"additionalProperties": false
}
}
```
</CodeGroup>
`setup.providers[].envVars` lets OpenClaw detect credentials without
loading your plugin runtime. Add `providerAuthAliases` when a provider
variant should reuse another provider id's auth. `modelSupport` is
optional and lets OpenClaw auto-load your provider plugin from shorthand
model ids like `acme-large` before runtime hooks exist. `openclaw.compat`
and `openclaw.build` in `package.json` are required for ClawHub
publishing (`openclaw.compat.pluginApi` and `openclaw.build.openclawVersion`
are the two required fields. `minGatewayVersion` falls back to
`openclaw.install.minHostVersion` when omitted).
The version strings in the sample manifests are placeholders. Pin them to
the OpenClaw release your plugin builds and tests against.
```typescript index.ts
import { definePluginEntry } from "openclaw/plugin-sdk/plugin-entry";
import { createProviderApiKeyAuthMethod } from "openclaw/plugin-sdk/provider-auth";
export default definePluginEntry({
id: "acme-ai",
name: "Acme AI",
description: "Acme AI model provider",
register(api) {
api.registerProvider({
id: "acme-ai",
label: "Acme AI",
docsPath: "/providers/acme-ai",
envVars: ["ACME_AI_API_KEY"],
auth: [
createProviderApiKeyAuthMethod({
providerId: "acme-ai",
methodId: "api-key",
label: "Acme AI API key",
hint: "API key from your Acme AI dashboard",
optionKey: "acmeAiApiKey",
flagName: "--acme-ai-api-key",
envVar: "ACME_AI_API_KEY",
promptMessage: "Enter your Acme AI API key",
defaultModel: "acme-ai/acme-large",
}),
],
catalog: {
order: "simple",
run: async (ctx) => {
const apiKey =
ctx.resolveProviderApiKey("acme-ai").apiKey;
if (!apiKey) return null;
return {
provider: {
baseUrl: "https://api.acme-ai.com/v1",
apiKey,
api: "openai-completions",
models: [
{
id: "acme-large",
name: "Acme Large",
reasoning: true,
input: ["text", "image"],
cost: { input: 3, output: 15, cacheRead: 0.3, cacheWrite: 3.75 },
contextWindow: 200000,
maxTokens: 32768,
},
{
id: "acme-small",
name: "Acme Small",
reasoning: false,
input: ["text"],
cost: { input: 1, output: 5, cacheRead: 0.1, cacheWrite: 1.25 },
contextWindow: 128000,
maxTokens: 8192,
},
],
},
};
},
},
});
api.registerModelCatalogProvider({
provider: "acme-ai",
kinds: ["text"],
liveCatalog: async (ctx) => {
const apiKey = ctx.resolveProviderApiKey("acme-ai").apiKey;
if (!apiKey) return null;
return [
{
kind: "text",
provider: "acme-ai",
model: "acme-large",
label: "Acme Large",
source: "live",
},
];
},
});
},
});
```
`registerModelCatalogProvider` is the newer control-plane catalog surface
for list/help/picker UI, covering `text`, `voice`, `image_generation`,
`video_generation`, and `music_generation` rows. Keep vendor endpoint
calls and response mapping in the plugin. OpenClaw owns the shared row
shape, source labels, and help rendering.
That is a working provider. Users can now run
`openclaw onboard --acme-ai-api-key <key>` and select
`acme-ai/acme-large` as their model.
For provider-key lookup and selection from an already loaded auth store,
import `findNormalizedProviderValue` and `resolveAuthProfileOrder` from
`openclaw/plugin-sdk/provider-auth`. This keeps provider entrypoints from
loading the full agent runtime just to select a credential. The deprecated
`agent-runtime` exports remain available for compatibility. Use the narrower
`provider-auth` route in new code. See the [removal
timeline](/plugins/sdk-migration/removal-timeline) for the dates and gates
that govern deprecated surfaces named on this page and its child pages.
A custom interactive auth method that mints a static token or API key can
request protected persistence on its returned profile:
```typescript
return {
profiles: [
{
profileId: "acme-ai:device",
credential: { type: "token", provider: "acme-ai", token },
secretStorage: {
kind: "store",
namePrefix: "ACME_AI_TOKEN",
},
},
],
};
```
OpenClaw keeps the inline value only while staged validation runs. At the
final persistence boundary it writes the value to the protected local store
and saves a `tokenRef` or `keyRef` in the auth profile. `namePrefix` must be
an uppercase environment-style name. OpenClaw adds a stable suffix derived
from the provider and final profile id so multiple profiles remain separate.
Use this only for provider-minted static credentials, not rotating OAuth
credentials or values already supplied as SecretRefs.
For live `/models` discovery, catalog helpers, pricing normalization, and
the narrower single-provider entry point, see [Provider model
catalogs](/plugins/sdk-provider-plugins/model-catalogs).
```typescript
api.registerProvider({
// ... id, label, auth, catalog from above
resolveDynamicModel: (ctx) => ({
id: ctx.modelId,
name: ctx.modelId,
provider: "acme-ai",
api: "openai-completions",
baseUrl: "https://api.acme-ai.com/v1",
reasoning: false,
input: ["text"],
cost: { input: 0, output: 0, cacheRead: 0, cacheWrite: 0 },
contextWindow: 128000,
maxTokens: 8192,
}),
});
```
If resolving requires a network call, return the requested model directly
from `prepareDynamicModel`. OpenClaw applies the same configured overrides
and normalization as synchronous dynamic resolution. Existing hooks that
return nothing still retry `resolveDynamicModel` after preparation.
Start with the shared family builders in [Provider hook
families](/plugins/sdk-provider-plugins/hook-families), then wire individual
hooks with [Provider hook wiring](/plugins/sdk-provider-plugins/runtime-hooks).
A provider plugin can register embeddings, speech, realtime transcription,
realtime voice, media understanding, image generation, video generation,
web fetch, and web search alongside text inference. OpenClaw classifies this as a
**hybrid-capability** plugin - the recommended pattern for company plugins
(one plugin per vendor). See
[Internals: Capability Ownership](/plugins/architecture#capability-ownership-model).
Register the audio capabilities from [Provider voice
capabilities](/plugins/sdk-provider-plugins/voice-and-audio). Register
embeddings, generation, fetch, and search from [Provider media and
search](/plugins/sdk-provider-plugins/media-and-search).
```typescript src/provider.test.ts
import { describe, it, expect } from "vitest";
// Export your provider config object from index.ts or a dedicated file
import { acmeProvider } from "./provider.js";
describe("acme-ai provider", () => {
it("resolves dynamic models", () => {
const model = acmeProvider.resolveDynamicModel!({
modelId: "acme-beta-v3",
} as any);
expect(model.id).toBe("acme-beta-v3");
expect(model.provider).toBe("acme-ai");
});
it("returns catalog when key is available", async () => {
const result = await acmeProvider.catalog!.run({
resolveProviderApiKey: () => ({ apiKey: "test-key" }),
} as any);
expect(result?.provider?.models).toHaveLength(2);
});
it("returns null catalog when no key", async () => {
const result = await acmeProvider.catalog!.run({
resolveProviderApiKey: () => ({ apiKey: undefined }),
} as any);
expect(result).toBeNull();
});
});
```
Publish to ClawHub
Provider plugins publish the same way as any other external code plugin:
clawhub package publish your-org/your-plugin --dry-run
clawhub package publish your-org/your-plugin
clawhub skill publish <path> is a different command for publishing a skill
folder, not a plugin package - do not use it here.
File structure
<bundled-plugin-root>/acme-ai/
├── package.json # openclaw.providers metadata
├── openclaw.plugin.json # Manifest with provider auth metadata
├── index.ts # definePluginEntry + registerProvider
└── src/
├── provider.test.ts # Tests
└── usage.ts # Usage endpoint (optional)
Catalog order reference
catalog.order controls when your catalog merges relative to built-in
providers:
| Order | When | Use case |
|---|---|---|
simple |
First pass | Plain API-key providers |
profile |
After simple | Providers gated on auth profiles |
paired |
After profile | Synthesize multiple related entries |
late |
Last pass | Override existing providers (wins on collision) |
Next steps
- Channel Plugins - if your plugin also provides a channel
- SDK Runtime -
api.runtimehelpers (TTS, search, subagent) - SDK Overview - full subpath import reference
- Plugin Internals - hook details and bundled examples
Where each section moved
Every section of the single-page version now lives on this page or on one of the five child pages below. The anchors from the single-page version still resolve here.
Provider model catalogs
Provider model catalogs — Live model discovery, catalog helpers, pricing normalization, and the single-provider entry helper.
Provider hook families
Provider hook families — Shared replay, stream, and tool-compat family builders and the SDK seams behind them.
Provider hook wiring
Provider hook wiring — Per-hook wiring for auth exchange, headers, transport identity, usage, and the hook order table.
Provider voice capabilities
Provider voice capabilities — Speech, realtime transcription, realtime voice, and media understanding capabilities.
Provider media and search
Provider media and search — Embeddings, image and video generation, web fetch, and web search capabilities.