Cli on ErrorVault — Developer Error Code Dictionary

Fix clw-prompt-timeout: OpenClaw CLI Prompt Timeout Error

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 05:32:04 +0800

1. Symptoms

The clw-prompt-timeout error manifests when running OpenClaw CLI commands that require interactive user input. The application waits for a response from the terminal, but no input arrives before the configured deadline expires, causing the operation to abort with a timeout error. Users typically encounter this error during authentication flows, configuration initialization, or when the CLI attempts to prompt for confirmations or selections in non-interactive environments.

When this error occurs, the CLI outputs a message similar to the following:

Fix clw-prompt-oom: OpenClaw Prompt Memory Exhaustion Error

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 05:32:04 +0800

1. Symptoms

The clw-prompt-oom error occurs when the input prompt submitted to OpenClaw exceeds the configured or system-imposed memory allocation for prompt processing. Users encounter this error during normal operations when attempting to process large text inputs, batch operations, or complex multi-line prompts that consume more memory than the application has available or is willing to allocate.

The characteristic shell output when this error manifests typically appears as follows:

[ERROR] clw-prompt-oom: Prompt input exceeds available memory allocation
        Prompt size: 45.2 MB
        Available memory: 32.0 MB
        Suggestion: Reduce prompt size or increase memory limit

In interactive mode, the error presents with additional context about the current session state:

Fix clw-prompt-unreachable: Prompt Response Unreachable Error

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 03:08:04 +0800

1. Symptoms

The clw-prompt-unreachable error manifests when OpenClaw attempts to solicit user input through its prompt system but cannot establish or maintain the necessary communication channel. Users encounter this error in several distinct scenarios that share a common underlying theme: the prompt mechanism fails to reach the user or receive their response.

Shell Output Examples:

[OpenClaw] Error: clw-prompt-unreachable
Message: Unable to reach prompt destination. stdin may be closed or redirected.
Suggestion: Ensure terminal is attached and stdin is available.

Error Code: clw-prompt-unreachable
Context: interactive_prompt
Terminal State: detached

Error: clw-prompt-unreachable: Prompt response channel unreachable
   at PromptChannel.connect (prompt.ts:142)
   at InteractiveSession.requestInput (session.ts:89)
   at ClawCLI.promptUser (claw-cli.ts:203)

When this error occurs, the application typically aborts the current operation rather than timing out or proceeding with default values. The process exits with a non-zero status code, usually 1 or a custom error code defined by the OpenClaw implementation. In scripted environments where OpenClaw runs non-interactively, this error can cause pipeline failures or unexpected termination of dependent processes.

Fix clw-prompt-failure: Resolving OpenClaw Interactive Prompt Failures

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 03:08:04 +0800

1. Symptoms

The clw-prompt-failure error manifests when OpenClaw’s command-line interface cannot successfully display, receive, or process interactive prompts from the user. This error surfaces during operations that require user confirmation, configuration input, or selection from interactive menus.

Typical shell output includes:

[ERROR] clw-prompt-failure: Interactive prompt failed to display
Prompt type: confirmation
Timeout: 30s
Error: EPROMPT001 - Prompt session terminated unexpectedly

[ERROR] clw-prompt-failure: Unable to receive user input
Prompt: "Enter configuration value for 'cluster-name'"
Error: Input stream closed or unavailable

[ERROR] clw-prompt-failure: Prompt validation failed
Provided input: "<empty>"
Validation rule: required, non-empty string
Error: EPROMPT002 - Input validation unsuccessful

Additional observable symptoms:

Fix clw-prompt-disconnected: Resolve OpenClaw CLI Session Disconnection Error

Thu, 23 Jul 2026 12:44:04 +0800

1. Symptoms

The clw-prompt-disconnected error manifests when the OpenClaw CLI client (clw) loses its active session connection to the OpenClaw daemon or remote service endpoint. Users typically encounter this error during interactive sessions after an extended period of inactivity, network interruption, or when the underlying service undergoes maintenance or restarts.

Common indicators include a sudden halt in CLI operations with the following error message displayed in the terminal:

[ERROR] clw-prompt-disconnected: The CLI session has been disconnected from the OpenClaw service.
Unable to send request: connection reset by peer

Additional symptoms may accompany this error:

Fix clw-auth-timeout: Resolving OpenClaw Authentication Timeout Errors

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 05:32:04 +0800

The clw-auth-timeout error represents one of the most frequently encountered authentication failures when working with the OpenClaw command-line interface. This error manifests when the authentication process fails to complete within the expected timeframe, leaving users unable to access their OpenClaw projects, deploy configurations, or manage their infrastructure through the CLI. Understanding the underlying mechanisms that trigger this timeout and implementing proper remediation strategies is essential for maintaining productive development workflows and avoiding repeated authentication failures.

Fix clw-auth-denied: OpenClaw Authentication Denied Error

Sat, 18 Jul 2026 07:56:04 +0800

1. Symptoms

When the clw-auth-denied error occurs in OpenClaw, users encounter a rejection during authentication attempts. The CLI outputs a clear error message that immediately signals the nature of the failure.

Shell Output:

[ERROR] Authentication failed: clw-auth-denied
[ERROR] Your credentials have been rejected by the authentication service.
[ERROR] Please verify your API token or authentication configuration.

Details:
  - Endpoint: https://api.openclaw.io/v2/auth/verify
  - Status: 403 Forbidden
  - Request ID: req_8f3k2j9d7n1m

Run 'openclaw auth status' for more information.

Additional Symptoms:

Fix docker-container-already-in-use: Container name already in use by another Docker container

Fri, 03 Jul 2026 17:51:00 +0800

When working with Docker, encountering the docker-container-already-in-use error indicates a naming conflict. Docker requires that all container names within a given Docker daemon instance are unique. This error prevents you from creating or starting a new container with a name that is already assigned to an existing container, regardless of whether that existing container is currently running, stopped, or exited. Resolving this issue involves either managing the conflicting container or choosing a different name for your new container.

Fix clw-auth-invalid: Invalid Authentication Credentials Error

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 19:56:04 +0800

1. Symptoms

The clw-auth-invalid error manifests when the OpenClaw CLI encounters authentication credentials that fail validation. This error typically occurs during login attempts, API request authentication, or when accessing protected resources through the OpenClaw command-line interface.

Common indicators include the following terminal output:

Error: clw-auth-invalid
Authentication failed: The provided credentials are invalid or malformed.

Details:
- Token format is incorrect or corrupted
- API key does not match expected pattern
- OAuth token validation failed
- Authentication payload signature verification failed

Run 'clw auth status' to check current authentication state.

Additional symptoms that may accompany this error include:

Fix clw-api-failure: OpenClaw API Request Error

Sun, 31 May 2026 19:56:04 +0800

1. Symptoms

When clw-api-failure occurs, the OpenClaw CLI (clw) terminates with a non-zero exit code and prints an error message that describes the nature of the API communication failure. Users typically observe the following symptoms:

Command execution fails with clw-api-failure displayed as the primary error code.
The CLI output may include additional context such as the HTTP status code, the endpoint path, and a short description of what went wrong.
Repeated attempts to run the same command produce identical failures.
Authentication commands that previously succeeded now fail with this error.

A typical error message looks like this:

Fix clw-prompt-invalid: Invalid Prompt Configuration in OpenClaw CLI

Sat, 30 May 2026 12:44:04 +0800

1. Symptoms

When executing OpenClaw commands, you may encounter the clw-prompt-invalid error with various manifestations depending on the nature of the invalid prompt configuration. The error typically appears immediately after running a command that relies on prompt templates or user input scaffolding.

Common symptoms include:

Command execution halts with exit code 1 and no further action is taken
Error message displays immediately after invoking any command that uses prompt interpolation
Partial output may appear before the error is thrown, showing a truncated stack trace
The CLI becomes unresponsive or fails to initialize the prompt engine

A typical error message looks like this:

Fix clw-auth-disconnected: Authentication Session Lost or Connection Terminated

Mon, 25 May 2026 00:44:04 +0800

1. Symptoms

When the clw-auth-disconnected error occurs, users typically encounter one or more of the following symptoms:

Terminal Output

$ claw connect --project my-app
Error: clw-auth-disconnected
Authentication session lost. Please re-authenticate to continue.

$ claw status
✗ Connection lost - clw-auth-disconnected
  Session expired at: 2024-01-15T10:30:00Z

$ claw deploy --env production
[ERROR] clw-auth-disconnected
Remote authentication server closed the connection unexpectedly.
Operation aborted.
---

### Behavioral Symptoms

- **Sudden disconnection** during active CLI operations
- **Inability to execute authenticated commands** without re-authentication
- **Session status shows disconnected** even though network appears functional
- **Commands timeout** or fail with authentication-related messages
- **Background sync operations** fail silently or report disconnection

### Common Scenarios Where Error Appears

| Scenario | Frequency | Recovery Time |
|----------|-----------|---------------|
| Network interruption | High | 30-60 seconds |
| Idle session timeout | Medium | Immediate |
| Server-side session revocation | Low | 5-10 minutes |
| Token expiration mid-operation | High | Immediate |

---

## 2. Root Cause

The `clw-auth-disconnected` error stems from several potential root causes, each related to the breakdown of the authentication session between the OpenClaw client and the authentication server.

### Primary Causes

**1. Network Interruption During Active Session**

The most common cause is a network disruption that severs the connection between the client and authentication server. This can occur due to:
- WiFi or ethernet disconnection
- VPN tunnel instability
- Firewall or proxy interference
- DNS resolution failures

**2. Server-Side Session Invalidation**

The authentication server may invalidate sessions for various reasons:
- Security policy triggers (suspicious activity detection)
- Concurrent session limits exceeded
- Administrative session revocation
- Server-side maintenance or restart

**3. Token Expiration Without Grace Period**

OpenClaw uses bearer tokens for authentication. When tokens expire:

Token issued: 2024-01-15T09:00:00Z Token expires: 2024-01-15T10:00:00Z Actual request: 2024-01-15T10:05:00Z Result: clw-auth-disconnected

Fix clw-sandbox-not-found: OpenClaw Sandbox Environment Not Found

Tue, 19 May 2026 07:56:04 +0800

1. Symptoms

The clw-sandbox-not-found error surfaces when running OpenClaw CLI commands that depend on an active sandbox session. You will typically see the error immediately after invoking any clw command that requires a sandbox context, such as clw run, clw shell, or clw status.

Common symptoms include:

Terminal output: The error message is printed to stderr and the command exits with a non-zero status code.
Abrupt command termination: No further processing occurs after the error is thrown.
Context-dependent failures: Commands like clw exec or clw attach fail because they cannot establish a sandbox connection.
Stale shell sessions: If you previously had a sandbox open, attempting to interact with it may produce this error after the underlying sandbox was destroyed or expired.
Missing sandbox file: The OpenClaw client writes a .clw-sandbox metadata file in the project directory. If this file is missing, corrupted, or points to a non-existent sandbox ID, the CLI raises this error.

Example error output:

Fix clw-auth-not-found: Authentication Configuration File Not Found

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 19:56:04 +0800

1. Symptoms

When OpenClaw encounters the clw-auth-not-found error, you will observe the following symptoms in your development environment:

Primary Error Message:

Error: clw-auth-not-found
OpenClaw could not find the authentication configuration file at /path/to/auth.json

Additional Symptoms:

The CLI fails to authenticate with the OpenClaw API even though valid credentials were previously used
Commands like openclaw deploy, openclaw pull, and openclaw sync fail immediately upon execution
The error may appear after system updates, Docker container recreation, or moving to a new development machine
Environment variables related to authentication are set, but the CLI ignores them
Running openclaw auth status shows “No authentication file found”

Typical Terminal Output: