Qwen Code

Run Alibaba Cloud Qwen Code CLI via background process for task execution, code review, and automation.

Audits

Warn

ClawScanWarn

Agentic behavior and permission review.

Static analysisReview

Pattern checks against bundled files.

VirusTotalPass

Multi-engine malware detections and file reputation.

Install

openclaw skills install qwen-code-skill

Qwen Code Skill (background-first)

Use bash background mode for non-interactive coding work with Qwen Code CLI.

The Pattern: workdir + background

# Start Qwen Code in target directory
bash workdir:~/project background:true yieldMs:30000 command:"qwen -p 'Build a Flask API'"
# Returns sessionId for tracking

# Monitor progress
process action:log sessionId:XXX

# Check if done
process action:poll sessionId:XXX

# Send input (if Qwen asks a question)
process action:write sessionId:XXX data:"y"

# Kill if needed
process action:kill sessionId:XXX

Why workdir matters: Agent wakes up in a focused directory, doesn't wander off reading unrelated files.

Quick Start

Prerequisites

# Install Qwen Code CLI
npm install -g @qwen-code/qwen-code@latest

# Verify installation
qwen --version

# Authenticate (Option 1: OAuth)
qwen auth login

# Or Option 2: API Key
export DASHSCOPE_API_KEY="sk-xxx"

Basic Usage

# Check status
scripts/qwen-code.js status

# Run a task
scripts/qwen-code.js run "Create a Flask API"

# Code review
scripts/qwen-code.js review src/app.ts

# Headless mode (JSON output)
scripts/qwen-code.js headless "Analyze code" -o json

Commands

Command	Description	Example
`status`	Check Qwen Code status and authentication	`scripts/qwen-code.js status`
`run <task>`	Execute programming task	`scripts/qwen-code.js run "Create REST API"`
`review <file>`	Code review and analysis	`scripts/qwen-code.js review src/main.py`
`headless <task>`	Headless mode (JSON output)	`scripts/qwen-code.js headless "Analyze" -o json`
`help`	Show help information	`scripts/qwen-code.js help`

OpenClaw Integration

Background Execution

# Basic task
bash workdir:~/project background:true yieldMs:30000 \
  command:"qwen -p 'Create Python Flask API'"

# Specify model
bash workdir:~/project background:true yieldMs:30000 \
  command:"qwen -p 'Analyze code structure' -m qwen3-coder-plus"

# YOLO mode (auto-approve)
bash workdir:~/project background:true yieldMs:30000 \
  command:"qwen -p 'Refactor this function' -y"

Process Management

# View logs
process action:log sessionId:XXX

# Check completion
process action:poll sessionId:XXX

# Send input (if Qwen asks)
process action:write sessionId:XXX data:"y"

Headless Mode (Automation/CI/CD)

# JSON output
qwen -p "Analyze code structure" --output-format json

# Pipeline operations
git diff | qwen -p "Generate commit message"

# Batch processing
find src -name "*.ts" | xargs -I {} qwen -p "Review {}"

Models

Qwen Code supports Alibaba Cloud models:

qwen3.5-plus - General purpose (default)
qwen3-coder-plus - Coding specialized
qwen3-coder-next - Latest coding model
qwen3-max-2026-01-23 - Most capable

Specify model:

bash workdir:~/project background:true yieldMs:30000 \
  command:"qwen -p 'Refactor this' -m qwen3-coder-plus"

Authentication

OAuth (Recommended)

qwen auth login

Opens browser for OAuth flow. Token auto-refreshes.

API Key

export DASHSCOPE_API_KEY="sk-xxx"

Get key from: https://dashscope.console.aliyun.com/

⚠️ Rules

Respect tool choice — if user asks for Qwen, use Qwen. NEVER offer to build it yourself!
Be patient — don't kill sessions because they're "slow"
Monitor with process:log — check progress without interfering
YOLO mode for building — --yolo auto-approves changes (use in workspace only)
Review mode for safety — production code should use review mode
Parallel is OK — run many Qwen processes at once for batch work
NEVER start Qwen in ~/clawd/ — it'll read your soul docs! Use target project dir or /tmp
Workspace safety — YOLO mode is safe in agents.defaults.workspace, not elsewhere

For

Developers using Qwen Code for programming tasks
Teams needing code review and analysis
Automation scripts and CI/CD integration
OpenClaw Sub-Agent and Skills management
Batch code analysis and refactoring

Not For

Environments without Qwen Code CLI installed
GUI-based interaction requirements
Non-Alibaba Cloud LLM users
Offline environments (requires network connection)

Security & Boundaries

Component	Behavior	Executes Shell Commands?
`scripts/qwen-code.js`	Wraps Qwen Code CLI commands	Yes (via `qwen` command)
`references/qwen-cli-commands.md`	Command reference documentation	No (plain text)
`assets/examples/`	Example code files	No (static files)

⚠️ Security Notes

This Skill does not execute code directly, only calls Qwen Code CLI
All code generation and modifications require user confirmation
Use review mode in production environments
Disable YOLO mode for sensitive projects

Examples

See assets/examples/ for complete examples:

Example	Description
`basic-task.example.sh`	Basic task execution
`code-review.example.sh`	Code review workflow
`ci-cd.example.yml`	GitHub Actions integration
`headless-mode.example.js`	Node.js automation example

References

Troubleshooting

"qwen: command not found"

npm install -g @qwen-code/qwen-code@latest

"Authentication required"

qwen auth login
# Or set API key
export DASHSCOPE_API_KEY="sk-xxx"

Session stuck/waiting for input

# Check what Qwen is asking
process action:log sessionId:XXX

# Send approval
process action:write sessionId:XXX data:"y"

Kill stuck session

process action:kill sessionId:XXX

Qwen Code Skill 🦌 - Your AI coding partner powered by Alibaba Cloud