Auto-Updater Skill#

Keep your OpenClaw and skills up to date automatically with daily update checks.

What It Does#

This skill sets up a daily cron job that:

1. Updates OpenClaw itself (via openclaw update)
2. Updates all installed skills/plugins
3. Restarts the service via sudo systemctl restart openclaw
4. Messages you with a summary of what was updated

Setup#

Quick Start#

Ask OpenClaw to set up the auto-updater:

text

Set up daily auto-updates for yourself and all your skills.

Or manually add the cron job:

bash

openclaw cron add \
  --name "Daily Auto-Update" \
  --cron "0 4 * * *" \
  --tz "America/Chicago" \
  --session isolated \
  --wake now \
  --deliver \
  --message "Run daily auto-updates: run 'openclaw update --yes' followed by 'sudo systemctl restart openclaw'. Update skills and report what was updated."

Configuration Options#

OptionDefaultDescriptionTime4:00 AMWhen to run updates (use --cron to change)TimezoneAmerica/ChicagoSet with --tzDeliveryMain sessionWhere to send the update summary

How Updates Work#

OpenClaw Updates#

The primary update command used is:

bash

openclaw update --yes && sudo systemctl restart openclaw

This updates the core CLI, builds any source checkouts, and updates all installed plugins/skills.

Skill Updates#

Skills are updated as part of the openclaw update command. To update skills specifically:

bash

openclaw skills update --all

Update Summary Format#

After updates complete, you'll receive a message like:

text

🔄 Daily Auto-Update Complete

**OpenClaw**: Updated to v2026.2.2-3 (was v2026.2.1)

**Skills Updated (3)**:
- discord: 2.0.3 → 2.0.4
- browser: 1.2.0 → 1.2.1
- nano-banana-pro: 3.1.0 → 3.1.2

**Skills Already Current (5)**:
gemini, weather, reddit, twitter, yahoo-finance

Service restarted successfully via systemd.

Manual Commands#

Check for updates without applying:

bash

openclaw update status

View current skill versions:

bash

openclaw skills list

Check OpenClaw version:

bash

openclaw --version

Troubleshooting#

Updates Not Running#

1. Verify cron is enabled: check cron.enabled in config
2. Confirm Gateway is running continuously
3. Check cron job exists: openclaw cron list

Update Failures#

If an update fails, the summary will include the error. Common fixes:

• Permission errors: Ensure the Gateway user has passwordless sudo for systemctl restart openclaw.
• Network errors: Check internet connectivity
• Package conflicts: Run openclaw doctor to diagnose

Disabling Auto-Updates#

Remove the cron job:

bash

openclaw cron remove "Daily Auto-Update"

Or disable temporarily in config:

json

{
  "cron": {
    "enabled": false
  }
}

Resources#

• OpenClaw Updating Guide
• Cron Jobs