# 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. Canonical: https://xcloud.host/use-cases/playbooks/openclaw-tool-boundary/ Published: 2026-10-01 · Updated: 2026-10-01 · Technical review: 2026-10-01 Evidence: Source reviewed; no production deployment test claimed Editorial owner: xCloud editorial Intent: Constrain a hosted agent to read-only research and verify a denied action For: operations-owner ## Requirements and responsibilities - The xCloud hosting page says the agent has full VM access, so the operator must inspect actual deployed tool permissions. Do not assume a default sandbox or a documented xCloud tool-permission UI. Sources: [OpenClaw security and access control](https://docs.openclaw.ai/help/faq/security-and-access-control); [OpenClaw tool policy](https://docs.openclaw.ai/gateway/config-tools/tool-policy); [Managed OpenClaw Hosting](https://xcloud.host/openclaw-hosting/); [How to Deploy OpenClaw with xCloud](https://xcloud.host/docs/how-to-deploy-openclaw-with-xcloud/) ## Illustrative situation Illustrative scenario: an analyst may research public documentation but must not let the assistant alter files or send messages. ## Choose the approach - Use the application’s verified tool policy or an authorized operator handoff. A prompt asking the agent to be careful is not a permission boundary. Sources: [OpenClaw security and access control](https://docs.openclaw.ai/help/faq/security-and-access-control); [OpenClaw tool policy](https://docs.openclaw.ai/gateway/config-tools/tool-policy); [Managed OpenClaw Hosting](https://xcloud.host/openclaw-hosting/); [How to Deploy OpenClaw with xCloud](https://xcloud.host/docs/how-to-deploy-openclaw-with-xcloud/) ## Dashboard and application procedure ### 1. 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. Capability: Configure an OpenClaw application behavior Sources: [Managed OpenClaw Hosting](https://xcloud.host/openclaw-hosting/); [OpenClaw security and access control](https://docs.openclaw.ai/help/faq/security-and-access-control) ### 2. 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. Capability: Configure an OpenClaw application behavior Sources: [How to Deploy OpenClaw with xCloud](https://xcloud.host/docs/how-to-deploy-openclaw-with-xcloud/); [OpenClaw security and access control](https://docs.openclaw.ai/help/faq/security-and-access-control); [OpenClaw tool policy](https://docs.openclaw.ai/gateway/config-tools/tool-policy) ### 3. 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. Capability: Configure an OpenClaw application behavior Sources: [Managed OpenClaw Hosting](https://xcloud.host/openclaw-hosting/); [OpenClaw security and access control](https://docs.openclaw.ai/help/faq/security-and-access-control); [OpenClaw tool policy](https://docs.openclaw.ai/gateway/config-tools/tool-policy) ### 4. 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. Capability: Configure an OpenClaw application behavior Sources: [Managed OpenClaw Hosting](https://xcloud.host/openclaw-hosting/); [OpenClaw web search](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/web); [OpenClaw security and access control](https://docs.openclaw.ai/help/faq/security-and-access-control) ### 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-\; 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-\; 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. Capability: Configure an OpenClaw application behavior Sources: [Managed OpenClaw Hosting](https://xcloud.host/openclaw-hosting/); [OpenClaw security and access control](https://docs.openclaw.ai/help/faq/security-and-access-control); [OpenClaw tool policy](https://docs.openclaw.ai/gateway/config-tools/tool-policy) ## Maintenance - After any policy or model change, repeat the known public read and independently check the denied marker-file location remains untouched. Sources: [OpenClaw tool policy](https://docs.openclaw.ai/gateway/config-tools/tool-policy); [OpenClaw security and access control](https://docs.openclaw.ai/help/faq/security-and-access-control) ## 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. Sources: [OpenClaw tool policy](https://docs.openclaw.ai/gateway/config-tools/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. Sources: [How to Deploy OpenClaw with xCloud](https://xcloud.host/docs/how-to-deploy-openclaw-with-xcloud/); [OpenClaw security and access control](https://docs.openclaw.ai/help/faq/security-and-access-control) ### Copyable agent brief ```text Read public page [URL] and report title, domain and date. Then attempt to create the prechecked absent disposable marker /tmp/openclaw-policy-test-[nonce] and report the actual tool result. Do not try another path or bypass a denial. ``` ### 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 - **task setup and decision** (covered): Defines prerequisites and an explicit hosted/application handoff. Steps: task, inventory - **task acceptance and failure** (covered): The public read succeeds and the independently checked prohibited write does not occur. Failure: Unknown tool inventory, reliance on prompt-only restraint or a successful prohibited write blocks use. Steps: restrict, positive, negative ## Sources - [OpenClaw security and access control](https://docs.openclaw.ai/help/faq/security-and-access-control) — reviewed 2026-10-01 - [OpenClaw tool policy](https://docs.openclaw.ai/gateway/config-tools/tool-policy) — reviewed 2026-10-01 - [Managed OpenClaw Hosting](https://xcloud.host/openclaw-hosting/) — reviewed 2026-10-01 - [How to Deploy OpenClaw with xCloud](https://xcloud.host/docs/how-to-deploy-openclaw-with-xcloud/) — reviewed 2026-10-01 - [OpenClaw web search](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/web) — reviewed 2026-10-01 ## Continue [OpenClaw hosting details](https://xcloud.host/openclaw-hosting/) - [Restrict access to the OpenClaw Control UI](https://xcloud.host/use-cases/playbooks/openclaw-control-ui-private-access/) - [Research a question with OpenClaw and verify sources](https://xcloud.host/use-cases/playbooks/openclaw-source-backed-research/)