OpenClaw MCP: add MCP servers to OpenClaw
OpenClaw is an open-source personal AI assistant that you run yourself. It keeps its MCP servers under mcp.servers in its config and manages them with the openclaw mcp commands or the browser Control UI. Below are the current steps from OpenClaw's documentation.
How to add an MCP server to OpenClaw
Add a remote MCP server with the CLI
- Save the server with
openclaw mcp set <name> '<json>', or withopenclaw mcp add <name>and flags such as--urland--transport. For a Streamable HTTP server, set the transport tostreamable-http. - For an API key, add an
X-API-Keyheader. For OAuth, setauthtooauthand runopenclaw mcp login <name>, then approve the request in the browser. - Check the entry with
openclaw mcp listoropenclaw mcp status --verbose, and open a live connection withopenclaw mcp doctor <name> --probe.
openclaw mcp set anythingmcp '{
"url": "https://cloud.anythingmcp.com/mcp/YOUR_SERVER_ID",
"transport": "streamable-http",
"headers": { "X-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY" }
}'
openclaw mcp doctor anythingmcp --probeopenclaw mcp doctor warns when a header contains a literal token, so keep keys out of config files you share.
Control UI
You can also edit MCP servers in the browser Control UI under /settings/mcp. The page shows each server's status, whether it is enabled, and its OAuth and tool-filter settings.
Steps checked against the vendor documentation on 25 September 2026:
What AnythingMCP adds
OpenClaw runs on your own machine, and AnythingMCP can too: self-host it with Docker next to OpenClaw and your credentials never leave your network. One MCP entry gives OpenClaw's agent tools for every system you connect, from REST/OpenAPI, SOAP and GraphQL APIs to SQL databases, without writing code, with role-based tool access and an audit log. If you prefer not to run it yourself, AnythingMCP Cloud is hosted in Frankfurt with a 7-day free trial.
OpenClaw MCP: frequently asked questions
Does OpenClaw support MCP?
Yes, in both directions. OpenClaw can use MCP servers over stdio, SSE/HTTP and Streamable HTTP, with OAuth, and it can itself run as an MCP server with openclaw mcp serve so other MCP clients can read and send its channel conversations.
Is OpenClaw free?
OpenClaw is open source under the MIT licence and runs on your own machine. AnythingMCP is open source too (AGPL-3.0) and free to self-host.
Where does OpenClaw store MCP servers?
Under mcp.servers in the OpenClaw config. openclaw mcp list, show, set and unset read and write those entries, and the Control UI edits the same config.
Remote or local MCP server: which one should I use with OpenClaw?
Local servers are started as a child process (command, args, env). Remote servers are reached by URL over SSE or Streamable HTTP and can use static headers, OAuth or mTLS. Because OpenClaw runs on your own machine, a server on localhost or your local network works as well.
All OpenClaw guides
1 result · Browse every connector with a step-by-step guide for OpenClaw. Most setups take under 10 minutes.
