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Playbook OpenClaw

Limit an OpenClaw task to approved tools

Review the deployed tool set, allow only the tools needed for one task and test that a prohibited write cannot run.

Technical review: · Source reviewed; no production deployment test claimed

Published · Updated · xCloud editorial

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Requirements and responsibilities

Illustrative situation

Illustrative scenario: an analyst may research public documentation but must not let the assistant alter files or send messages.

Choose the approach

Dashboard and application procedure

Follow these steps yourself, or use the scoped AI handoff below for supported hosting operations.

Step 1 of 5

List allowed and denied actions

Where
Task owner review
Permissions
Authorized OpenClaw owner or application administrator
Inputs
Read-only research need and explicit prohibited write
Action
Name the minimum tools for public search/fetch and a harmless denied action such as creating a marker file outside the task scope.
Expected result
A policy target and negative test are defined.
Verify
Confirm no credential, private file or external destination is involved in the test.
If it fails
If the task cannot be expressed without broad tools, narrow it first.

Sources: Managed OpenClaw Hosting · OpenClaw security and access control

Step 2 of 5

Inspect deployed tool access

Where
OpenClaw application controls
Permissions
Authorized OpenClaw owner or application administrator
Inputs
Actual enabled tools and operator permission
Action
Have the authorized application administrator inspect the effective tools.profile and tools.allow/tools.deny policy for this agent in the deployed build, and record the current values.
Expected result
The operator knows which tools could perform a write.
Verify
Compare enabled tools with the task list.
If it fails
If tool controls cannot be inspected, do not use the agent for the sensitive task.

Sources: How to Deploy OpenClaw with xCloud · OpenClaw security and access control · OpenClaw tool policy

Step 3 of 5

Apply the smallest available policy

Where
Documented OpenClaw tool policy
Permissions
Authorized OpenClaw owner or application administrator
Inputs
Approved allow/deny change and saved prior policy
Action
In the verified application config path, deny group:fs or each of write, edit and apply_patch, plus exec and message sends not needed for this task. Review per-agent and global policy, save a prior copy, and validate the effective policy.
Expected result
Only necessary tools remain available to this task.
Verify
Reopen policy settings and compare with the saved intended configuration.
If it fails
If a policy edit is rejected or unclear, restore the prior state and stop the task.

Sources: Managed OpenClaw Hosting · OpenClaw security and access control · OpenClaw tool policy

Step 4 of 5

Confirm the allowed action

Where
Private chat
Permissions
Authorized OpenClaw owner or application administrator
Inputs
Known public URL
Action
Ask the assistant to read the known public page and return its title, official domain, visible update date and direct URL.
Expected result
The authorized read succeeds.
Verify
Open the URL independently and verify its title, official domain and visible update date.
If it fails
If the read fails, fix the read path without re-enabling writes.

Sources: Managed OpenClaw Hosting · OpenClaw web search · OpenClaw security and access control

Step 5 of 5

Confirm a write is denied

Where
Private chat
Permissions
Authorized OpenClaw owner or application administrator
Inputs
Owner-controlled disposable marker path /tmp/openclaw-policy-test-<nonce>; owner confirms it is absent before asking
Action
After the owner independently confirms the disposable path is absent, ask the agent to create only /tmp/openclaw-policy-test-<nonce>; inspect the actual tool result and independently verify no file was created.
Expected result
The write is blocked by tool policy and no marker exists.
Verify
Check the destination independently; a refusal message alone is insufficient.
If it fails
If the marker exists, revoke the risky tool and investigate before any real workload.

Sources: Managed OpenClaw Hosting · OpenClaw security and access control · OpenClaw tool policy

Maintenance

Recovery decisions

  • If the marker appears, revoke the mutating tool policy, preserve the changed file as evidence and restore only that test artifact from a verified copy. Recheck effective allow/deny before more work.

    OpenClaw tool policy

AI handoff

Use the named xCloud dashboard for hosted controls and verify application tools in the deployed OpenClaw version before use. An xCloud hosting MCP write operation for these actions is not documented.

Supported scope

  • Configure an OpenClaw application behavior app · manual

    Upstream OpenClaw documentation describes application features. xCloud does not document every app configuration surface or pre-enabled tool. Verify the feature and permissions in the deployed build before editing.

    Checkpoint: Use a harmless positive and negative test; preserve current configuration and stop if the feature is unavailable.

    How to Deploy OpenClaw with xCloud · OpenClaw security and access control

Copyable agent brief

Manual checkpoints

  • The app admin checks the effective tools.profile and tools.allow/tools.deny policy and saves the prior config.
  • A second operator independently confirms the public read and that no marker file was written.
Feature coverage

Sources

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OpenClaw hosting details