# Run OpenClaw on one endpoint with a hard spend cap

> Markdown mirror of https://router.one/integrations/openclaw for AI assistants and crawlers. Router One is an OpenAI-compatible LLM API gateway.
> Last updated: 2026-08-07

OpenClaw is an autonomous agent CLI, and long agent sessions burn tokens fast — often unattended. Registering Router One as its custom OpenAI-compatible provider puts every model call on one key you can cap: set maxSpend on the key and a runaway session stops at the cap instead of draining your wallet. Every call is traced for cost, and when an upstream returns a retryable 5xx or timeout, the request may be retried on the next healthy provider serving that same model — useful when a session runs for hours.

## Configure OpenClaw to use the Router One base URL

Run OpenClaw's onboarding with a custom OpenAI-compatible provider pointing at the gateway — the CLI setup guide walks through the same flow step by step for macOS, Windows, and Linux:

`openclaw-onboard.sh`

```bash
export CUSTOM_API_KEY=sk-your-router-one-key

openclaw onboard --non-interactive \
  --auth-choice custom-api-key \
  --custom-base-url https://api.router.one/v1 \
  --custom-model-id gpt-5.5 \
  --custom-provider-id router-one \
  --custom-compatibility openai \
  --install-daemon
```

## Which model ID should OpenClaw send?

Copy the exact model ID from the /models page — IDs are case-sensitive, and the page lists each model's context window, capabilities, and current per-token rates. Create a dedicated API key per tool with its own maxSpend cap, so one runaway tool can't affect other workloads.

## Verify the OpenClaw call in your request trace

After your first request, open Dashboard → Logs to see its full trace: model, tokens, cost, latency, and status code. From here every OpenClaw call has a ledger and a trail instead of being a black box.

## FAQ

### How do I keep an OpenClaw session from overrunning its budget?

Create a dedicated API key for OpenClaw and set a maxSpend hard cap on it — when the key hits its cap it stops, and your wallet and other keys are untouched. Dashboard → Logs shows the per-request cost trace, so you can see what each session actually spent.

### Which models can OpenClaw use through the gateway?

Any chat-capable model in the catalog — GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, GLM, and Kimi families. The /models page is the source of truth for model IDs and per-token rates.

### Does this work from Mainland China?

Yes. The gateway is reachable from Mainland China without a VPN, and the configuration is identical to the global setup.

### How do I debug a 401/403/429?

Open Dashboard → Logs first to see whether requests reached the gateway and with what status, then walk the error-codes reference to check env vars, key status, and limits.

## See also

- All integration guides: https://router.one/integrations
- Debug 401/403/429 in OpenClaw: https://router.one/llm-api-error-codes
- Zed setup: https://router.one/integrations/zed
- Continue setup: https://router.one/integrations/continue
- OpenClaw CLI setup guide: https://router.one/docs/guides/cli-setup
- What the gateway layer does: https://router.one/llm-api-gateway
- OpenAI-compatible API: https://router.one/openai-compatible-api
- API docs: https://router.one/docs
- Canonical page: https://router.one/integrations/openclaw
- Models and per-model token rates: https://router.one/models (markdown: https://router.one/models.md)
- Pricing: https://router.one/pricing
- API docs (markdown): https://router.one/docs.md
- Company facts: https://router.one/facts/company.md