OpenAI

OpenAI provides developer APIs for GPT models, and Codex is also available as a ChatGPT-plan coding agent through OpenAI's Codex clients. OpenClaw keeps those surfaces separate so config stays predictable.

OpenClaw supports three OpenAI-family routes. Most ChatGPT/Codex subscribers who want Codex behavior should use the native Codex app-server runtime. The model prefix selects the provider/model name; a separate runtime setting selects who executes the embedded agent loop:

• API key - direct OpenAI Platform access with usage-based billing (openai/* models)
• Codex subscription with native Codex runtime - ChatGPT/Codex sign-in plus Codex app-server execution (openai/* models plus agents.defaults.agentRuntime.id: "codex")
• Codex subscription through PI - ChatGPT/Codex sign-in with the normal OpenClaw PI runner (openai-codex/* models)

OpenAI explicitly supports subscription OAuth usage in external tools and workflows like OpenClaw.

Provider, model, runtime, and channel are separate layers. If those labels are getting mixed together, read Agent runtimes before changing config.

Quick choice

Naming map

The names are similar but not interchangeable:

This means a config can intentionally contain both openai-codex/* and the codex plugin. That is valid when you want Codex OAuth through PI and also want native /codex chat controls available. openclaw doctor warns about that combination so you can confirm it is intentional; it does not rewrite it.

OpenClaw feature coverage

Memory embeddings

OpenClaw can use OpenAI, or an OpenAI-compatible embedding endpoint, for memory_search indexing and query embeddings:

{
  agents: {
    defaults: {
      memorySearch: {
        provider: "openai",
        model: "text-embedding-3-small",
      },
    },
  },
}

For OpenAI-compatible endpoints that require asymmetric embedding labels, set queryInputType and documentInputType under memorySearch. OpenClaw forwards those as provider-specific input_type request fields: query embeddings use queryInputType; indexed memory chunks and batch indexing use documentInputType. See the Memory configuration reference for the full example.

Getting started

Choose your preferred auth method and follow the setup steps.

{
  env: { OPENAI_API_KEY: "sk-..." },
  agents: { defaults: { model: { primary: "openai/gpt-5.5" } } },
}

{
  plugins: { entries: { codex: { enabled: true } } },
  agents: {
    defaults: {
      model: { primary: "openai/gpt-5.5" },
      agentRuntime: { id: "codex" },
    },
  },
}

openclaw models status
openclaw models auth list --provider openai-codex
openclaw config get agents.defaults.model --json
openclaw config get agents.defaults.agentRuntime --json

openclaw models status --agent <id>
openclaw models auth list --agent <id> --provider openai-codex

openclaw models set openai-codex/gpt-5.5
openclaw config validate

openclaw models auth login --provider openai-codex
openclaw models status --probe --probe-provider openai-codex

{
  models: {
    providers: {
      "openai-codex": {
        models: [{ id: "gpt-5.5", contextTokens: 160000 }],
      },
    },
  },
}

Native Codex app-server auth

The native Codex app-server harness uses openai/* model refs plus agentRuntime.id: "codex", but its auth is still account-based. OpenClaw selects auth in this order:

1. An explicit OpenClaw openai-codex auth profile bound to the agent.
2. The app-server's existing account, such as a local Codex CLI ChatGPT sign-in.
3. For local stdio app-server launches only, CODEX_API_KEY, then OPENAI_API_KEY, when the app-server reports no account and still requires OpenAI auth.

That means a local ChatGPT/Codex subscription sign-in is not replaced just because the gateway process also has OPENAI_API_KEY for direct OpenAI models or embeddings. Env API-key fallback is only the local stdio no-account path; it is not sent to WebSocket app-server connections. When a subscription-style Codex profile is selected, OpenClaw also keeps CODEX_API_KEY and OPENAI_API_KEY out of the spawned stdio app-server child and sends the selected credentials through the app-server login RPC.

Image generation

The bundled openai plugin registers image generation through the image_generate tool. It supports both OpenAI API-key image generation and Codex OAuth image generation through the same openai/gpt-image-2 model ref.

{
  agents: {
    defaults: {
      imageGenerationModel: { primary: "openai/gpt-image-2" },
    },
  },
}

gpt-image-2 is the default for both OpenAI text-to-image generation and image editing. gpt-image-1.5, gpt-image-1, and gpt-image-1-mini remain usable as explicit model overrides. Use openai/gpt-image-1.5 for transparent-background PNG/WebP output; the current gpt-image-2 API rejects background: "transparent".

For a transparent-background request, agents should call image_generate with model: "openai/gpt-image-1.5", outputFormat: "png" or "webp", and background: "transparent"; the older openai.background provider option is still accepted. OpenClaw also protects the public OpenAI and OpenAI Codex OAuth routes by rewriting default openai/gpt-image-2 transparent requests to gpt-image-1.5; Azure and custom OpenAI-compatible endpoints keep their configured deployment/model names.

The same setting is exposed for headless CLI runs:

openclaw infer image generate \
  --model openai/gpt-image-1.5 \
  --output-format png \
  --background transparent \
  --prompt "A simple red circle sticker on a transparent background" \
  --json

Use the same --output-format and --background flags with openclaw infer image edit when starting from an input file. --openai-background remains available as an OpenAI-specific alias.

For Codex OAuth installs, keep the same openai/gpt-image-2 ref. When an openai-codex OAuth profile is configured, OpenClaw resolves that stored OAuth access token and sends image requests through the Codex Responses backend. It does not first try OPENAI_API_KEY or silently fall back to an API key for that request. Configure models.providers.openai explicitly with an API key, custom base URL, or Azure endpoint when you want the direct OpenAI Images API route instead. If that custom image endpoint is on a trusted LAN/private address, also set browser.ssrfPolicy.dangerouslyAllowPrivateNetwork: true; OpenClaw keeps private/internal OpenAI-compatible image endpoints blocked unless this opt-in is present.

Generate:

/tool image_generate model=openai/gpt-image-2 prompt="A polished launch poster for OpenClaw on macOS" size=3840x2160 count=1

Generate a transparent PNG:

/tool image_generate model=openai/gpt-image-1.5 prompt="A simple red circle sticker on a transparent background" outputFormat=png background=transparent

Edit:

/tool image_generate model=openai/gpt-image-2 prompt="Preserve the object shape, change the material to translucent glass" image=/path/to/reference.png size=1024x1536

Video generation

The bundled openai plugin registers video generation through the video_generate tool.

{
  agents: {
    defaults: {
      videoGenerationModel: { primary: "openai/sora-2" },
    },
  },
}

GPT-5 prompt contribution

OpenClaw adds a shared GPT-5 prompt contribution for GPT-5-family runs across providers. It applies by model id, so openai-codex/gpt-5.5, openai/gpt-5.5, openrouter/openai/gpt-5.5, opencode/gpt-5.5, and other compatible GPT-5 refs receive the same overlay. Older GPT-4.x models do not.

The bundled native Codex harness uses the same GPT-5 behavior and heartbeat overlay through Codex app-server developer instructions, so openai/gpt-5.x sessions forced through agentRuntime.id: "codex" keep the same follow-through and proactive heartbeat guidance even though Codex owns the rest of the harness prompt.

The GPT-5 contribution adds a tagged behavior contract for persona persistence, execution safety, tool discipline, output shape, completion checks, and verification. Channel-specific reply and silent-message behavior stays in the shared OpenClaw system prompt and outbound delivery policy. The GPT-5 guidance is always enabled for matching models. The friendly interaction-style layer is separate and configurable.

{
  agents: {
    defaults: {
      promptOverlays: {
        gpt5: { personality: "friendly" },
      },
    },
  },
}

openclaw config set agents.defaults.promptOverlays.gpt5.personality off

Voice and speech

{
  messages: {
    tts: {
      providers: {
        openai: { model: "gpt-4o-mini-tts", voice: "coral" },
      },
    },
  },
}

{
  tools: {
    media: {
      audio: {
        models: [
          {
            type: "provider",
            provider: "openai",
            model: "gpt-4o-transcribe",
          },
        ],
      },
    },
  },
}

Azure OpenAI endpoints

The bundled openai provider can target an Azure OpenAI resource for image generation by overriding the base URL. On the image-generation path, OpenClaw detects Azure hostnames on models.providers.openai.baseUrl and switches to Azure's request shape automatically.

Use Azure OpenAI when:

• You already have an Azure OpenAI subscription, quota, or enterprise agreement
• You need regional data residency or compliance controls Azure provides
• You want to keep traffic inside an existing Azure tenancy

Configuration

For Azure image generation through the bundled openai provider, point models.providers.openai.baseUrl at your Azure resource and set apiKey to the Azure OpenAI key (not an OpenAI Platform key):

{
  models: {
    providers: {
      openai: {
        baseUrl: "https://<your-resource>.openai.azure.com",
        apiKey: "<azure-openai-api-key>",
      },
    },
  },
}

OpenClaw recognizes these Azure host suffixes for the Azure image-generation route:

• *.openai.azure.com
• *.services.ai.azure.com
• *.cognitiveservices.azure.com

For image-generation requests on a recognized Azure host, OpenClaw:

• Sends the api-key header instead of Authorization: Bearer
• Uses deployment-scoped paths (/openai/deployments/{deployment}/...)
• Appends ?api-version=... to each request
• Uses a 600s default request timeout for Azure image-generation calls. Per-call timeoutMs values still override this default.

Other base URLs (public OpenAI, OpenAI-compatible proxies) keep the standard OpenAI image request shape.

API version

Set AZURE_OPENAI_API_VERSION to pin a specific Azure preview or GA version for the Azure image-generation path:

export AZURE_OPENAI_API_VERSION="2024-12-01-preview"

The default is 2024-12-01-preview when the variable is unset.

Model names are deployment names

Azure OpenAI binds models to deployments. For Azure image-generation requests routed through the bundled openai provider, the model field in OpenClaw must be the Azure deployment name you configured in the Azure portal, not the public OpenAI model id.

If you create a deployment called gpt-image-2-prod that serves gpt-image-2:

/tool image_generate model=openai/gpt-image-2-prod prompt="A clean poster" size=1024x1024 count=1

The same deployment-name rule applies to image-generation calls routed through the bundled openai provider.

Regional availability

Azure image generation is currently available only in a subset of regions (for example eastus2, swedencentral, polandcentral, westus3, uaenorth). Check Microsoft's current region list before creating a deployment, and confirm the specific model is offered in your region.

Parameter differences

Azure OpenAI and public OpenAI do not always accept the same image parameters. Azure may reject options that public OpenAI allows (for example certain background values on gpt-image-2) or expose them only on specific model versions. These differences come from Azure and the underlying model, not OpenClaw. If an Azure request fails with a validation error, check the parameter set supported by your specific deployment and API version in the Azure portal.

Advanced configuration

{
  agents: {
    defaults: {
      models: {
        "openai/gpt-5.5": {
          params: { transport: "auto" },
        },
        "openai-codex/gpt-5.5": {
          params: { transport: "auto" },
        },
      },
    },
  },
}

// Disable warm-up
{
  agents: {
    defaults: {
      models: {
        "openai/gpt-5.5": {
          params: { openaiWsWarmup: false },
        },
      },
    },
  },
}

{
  agents: {
    defaults: {
      models: {
        "openai/gpt-5.5": { params: { fastMode: true } },
      },
    },
  },
}

{
  agents: {
    defaults: {
      models: {
        "openai/gpt-5.5": { params: { serviceTier: "priority" } },
      },
    },
  },
}

{
  agents: {
    defaults: {
      models: {
        "azure-openai-responses/gpt-5.5": {
          params: { responsesServerCompaction: true },
        },
      },
    },
  },
}

{
  agents: {
    defaults: {
      models: {
        "openai/gpt-5.5": {
          params: {
            responsesServerCompaction: true,
            responsesCompactThreshold: 120000,
          },
        },
      },
    },
  },
}

{
  agents: {
    defaults: {
      models: {
        "openai/gpt-5.5": {
          params: { responsesServerCompaction: false },
        },
      },
    },
  },
}

{
  agents: {
    defaults: {
      embeddedPi: { executionContract: "strict-agentic" },
    },
  },
}

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