How to Install OpenClaw on macOS and Connect It to BenAgent

This guide connects OpenClaw to BenAgent without turning BenAgent into a hosted proxy. OpenClaw remains the local runtime. BenAgent provides the macOS surface for quick prompts, setup readiness, local conversation continuity, and desktop event visibility.

What you will configure

• A working OpenClaw CLI or desktop runtime on the Mac.
• An OpenClaw gateway listening on http://127.0.0.1:18789.
• The OpenAI-compatible /v1/chat/completions endpoint.
• A Chat Completions route that accepts local requests without Authorization.
• A successful BenAgent test message that proves the runtime is reachable.

1. Install OpenClaw

Use the current OpenClaw installation path from the project website or repository. After installation, the important BenAgent requirement is not the installer itself; it is that the OpenClaw command and gateway can run from your user account.

openclaw --version
openclaw gateway status

2. Enable the Chat Completions gateway

BenAgent sends OpenAI-compatible Chat Completions requests to OpenClaw and applies the provider-specific Bearer token saved in Settings when one is configured. Enable the HTTP Chat Completions surface, align gateway.auth.token with BenAgent for token auth, and restart the gateway so the new settings are loaded.

• Base URL: http://127.0.0.1:18789
• Endpoint path: /v1/chat/completions
• Model used by BenAgent: openclaw/default
• Authentication: optional OpenClaw Bearer token; keep no-auth access on loopback
• Gateway option: gateway.http.endpoints.chatCompletions.enabled

3. Restart and verify the OpenClaw gateway

After changing gateway settings, restart OpenClaw rather than assuming a live process has reloaded the file. Then check status before opening BenAgent.

openclaw gateway status
# restart the gateway with your OpenClaw service command
openclaw gateway status

4. Configure BenAgent

Open BenAgent Settings or Get Started, choose OpenClaw, and keep the default local values unless your gateway is hosted somewhere else. If gateway.auth.token is enabled, save the same optional OpenClaw Bearer token in Settings.

• Provider: OpenClaw
• Base URL: http://127.0.0.1:18789
• Endpoint path: /v1/chat/completions
• Authorization: none for trusted loopback, or an optional OpenClaw Bearer token matching gateway.auth.token

5. Send a safe test message

Use BenAgent's Test Agent action before relying on OpenClaw for work. The test should prove three things: the endpoint is reachable, the authentication mode aligns, and OpenClaw can produce a visible reply instead of a silent placeholder.

Troubleshooting

• Connection refused usually means the gateway is stopped or listening on a different port.
• 401 or unauthorized means gateway.auth.token and the optional OpenClaw Bearer token in BenAgent are missing or mismatched.
• 404 on /v1/chat/completions usually means the OpenAI-compatible endpoint is not enabled.
• A silent or empty reply means OpenClaw returned no user-visible content; fix the runtime prompt, model, or tool path before testing again.
• If previous task context is no longer useful, reset the BenAgent conversation after the current OpenClaw reply has finished.