Plugin Entry Points

Every plugin exports a default entry object. The SDK provides three helpers for creating them.

definePluginEntry

Import: openclaw/plugin-sdk/plugin-entry

For provider plugins, tool plugins, hook plugins, and anything that is not a messaging channel.

import { definePluginEntry } from "openclaw/plugin-sdk/plugin-entry";

export default definePluginEntry({
  id: "my-plugin",
  name: "My Plugin",
  description: "Short summary",
  register(api) {
    api.registerProvider({
      /* ... */
    });
    api.registerTool({
      /* ... */
    });
  },
});

• id must match your openclaw.plugin.json manifest.
• kind is for exclusive slots: "memory" or "context-engine".
• configSchema can be a function for lazy evaluation.
• OpenClaw resolves and memoizes that schema on first access, so expensive schema builders only run once.

defineChannelPluginEntry

Import: openclaw/plugin-sdk/channel-core

Wraps definePluginEntry with channel-specific wiring. Automatically calls api.registerChannel({ plugin }), exposes an optional root-help CLI metadata seam, and gates registerFull on registration mode.

import { defineChannelPluginEntry } from "openclaw/plugin-sdk/channel-core";

export default defineChannelPluginEntry({
  id: "my-channel",
  name: "My Channel",
  description: "Short summary",
  plugin: myChannelPlugin,
  setRuntime: setMyRuntime,
  registerCliMetadata(api) {
    api.registerCli(/* ... */);
  },
  registerFull(api) {
    api.registerGatewayMethod(/* ... */);
  },
});

• setRuntime is called during registration so you can store the runtime reference (typically via createPluginRuntimeStore). It is skipped during CLI metadata capture.
• registerCliMetadata runs during both api.registrationMode === "cli-metadata" and api.registrationMode === "full". Use it as the canonical place for channel-owned CLI descriptors so root help stays non-activating while normal CLI command registration remains compatible with full plugin loads.
• registerFull only runs when api.registrationMode === "full". It is skipped during setup-only loading.
• Like definePluginEntry, configSchema can be a lazy factory and OpenClaw memoizes the resolved schema on first access.
• For plugin-owned root CLI commands, prefer api.registerCli(..., { descriptors: [...] }) when you want the command to stay lazy-loaded without disappearing from the root CLI parse tree. For channel plugins, prefer registering those descriptors from registerCliMetadata(...) and keep registerFull(...) focused on runtime-only work.
• If registerFull(...) also registers gateway RPC methods, keep them on a plugin-specific prefix. Reserved core admin namespaces (config.*, exec.approvals.*, wizard.*, update.*) are always coerced to operator.admin.

defineSetupPluginEntry

Import: openclaw/plugin-sdk/channel-core

For the lightweight setup-entry.ts file. Returns just { plugin } with no runtime or CLI wiring.

import { defineSetupPluginEntry } from "openclaw/plugin-sdk/channel-core";

export default defineSetupPluginEntry(myChannelPlugin);

OpenClaw loads this instead of the full entry when a channel is disabled, unconfigured, or when deferred loading is enabled. See Setup and Config for when this matters.

In practice, pair defineSetupPluginEntry(...) with the narrow setup helper families:

• openclaw/plugin-sdk/setup-runtime for runtime-safe setup helpers such as import-safe setup patch adapters, lookup-note output, promptResolvedAllowFrom, splitSetupEntries, and delegated setup proxies
• openclaw/plugin-sdk/channel-setup for optional-install setup surfaces
• openclaw/plugin-sdk/setup-tools for setup/install CLI/archive/docs helpers

Keep heavy SDKs, CLI registration, and long-lived runtime services in the full entry.

Registration mode

api.registrationMode tells your plugin how it was loaded:

defineChannelPluginEntry handles this split automatically. If you use definePluginEntry directly for a channel, check mode yourself:

register(api) {
  if (api.registrationMode === "cli-metadata" || api.registrationMode === "full") {
    api.registerCli(/* ... */);
    if (api.registrationMode === "cli-metadata") return;
  }

  api.registerChannel({ plugin: myPlugin });
  if (api.registrationMode !== "full") return;

  // Heavy runtime-only registrations
  api.registerService(/* ... */);
}

Treat "setup-runtime" as the window where setup-only startup surfaces must exist without re-entering the full bundled channel runtime. Good fits are channel registration, setup-safe HTTP routes, setup-safe gateway methods, and delegated setup helpers. Heavy background services, CLI registrars, and provider/client SDK bootstraps still belong in "full".

For CLI registrars specifically:

• use descriptors when the registrar owns one or more root commands and you want OpenClaw to lazy-load the real CLI module on first invocation
• make sure those descriptors cover every top-level command root exposed by the registrar
• use commands alone only for eager compatibility paths

Plugin shapes

OpenClaw classifies loaded plugins by their registration behavior:

Use openclaw plugins inspect <id> to see a plugin's shape.

Related

• SDK Overview — registration API and subpath reference
• Runtime Helpers — api.runtime and createPluginRuntimeStore
• Setup and Config — manifest, setup entry, deferred loading
• Channel Plugins — building the ChannelPlugin object
• Provider Plugins — provider registration and hooks