HumanClaw

HumanClaw is an OpenClaw plugin that lets you try OpenClaw without an API key. It shows you the prompts, you copy them into any free chatbot (like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini), paste the response back, and OpenClaw continues working.

Perfect for:

• Trying OpenClaw before paying for API access
• Learning how OpenClaw works by seeing the actual prompts
• Saving money by using free chatbots instead of paid APIs

What You Need First

1. OpenClaw installed - See OpenClaw docs for installation
2. Gateway running - Run openclaw gateway run in a terminal and keep it open
3. TUI or other interface - Run openclaw tui in another terminal to chat

No API key needed for this plugin!

Quick Start

# Install the plugin
openclaw plugins install humanclaw-plugin

# Enable it
openclaw plugins enable humanclaw

# Restart gateway
openclaw gateway restart

# Now in TUI, select the model
/model humanclaw/manual

# Start chatting - prompts will appear in the gateway terminal

How It Works

┌─────────────┐     ┌─────────────┐     ┌─────────────────┐
│  OpenClaw   │────▶│  HumanClaw  │────▶│ Gateway Terminal│
│   TUI       │     │   Plugin    │     │ (shows prompt)  │
└─────────────┘     └─────────────┘     └─────────────────┘
                                               │
                                               ▼
                                        ┌───────────────────┐
                                        │ Copy prompt to    │
                                        │ free chatbot      │
                                        │ (ChatGPT, etc)    │
                                        └───────────────────┘
                                               │
                                               ▼
                                        ┌───────────────────┐
                                        │ Paste response    │
                                        │ back to gateway   │
                                        │ + type <<<END>>>  │
                                        └───────────────────┘

Detailed Steps

Step 1: Install and Enable

Run these commands in your terminal:

openclaw plugins install humanclaw-plugin
openclaw plugins enable humanclaw
openclaw gateway restart

Step 2: Select HumanClaw as Your Model

Option A: In TUI (easiest)

1. Run openclaw tui
2. Type: /model humanclaw/manual
3. Press Enter

Option B: In config file Add to your OpenClaw config:

{
  "defaultModel": "humanclaw/manual"
}

Step 3: Send a Message

1. In TUI, type any message and press Enter
2. Look at the gateway terminal (where you ran openclaw gateway run)
3. You'll see something like:

   =====HumanClaw Manual Mode, Prompt: =====
   [system]
   You are a helpful assistant...
   
   [user]
   Hello, how are you?
   
   =====Please type or paste response here, end with <<<END>>>...
   Waiting until 08:45 PM...
   

Step 4: Copy to Free Chatbot

1. Select and copy the prompt text (from [system] to [user])
2. Open any free chatbot in your browser:
   • ChatGPT (free tier available)
   • Claude (free tier available)
   • Gemini (free)
   • Or any other chatbot you have access to
3. Paste the prompt into the chatbot
4. Copy the chatbot's response

Step 5: Paste Response Back

1. Go back to the gateway terminal
2. Paste the response under the line
3. Type <<<END>>> on its own line
4. Press Enter

Example:

I'm doing well, thank you for asking! How can I help you today?
<<<END>>>

Step 6: See Result in TUI

OpenClaw will continue and you'll see the response in your TUI!

Common Issues

"HumanClaw input timed out after 120 seconds"

You took too long. Just send another message in TUI and try again.

"HumanClaw console input requires an interactive terminal"

Make sure you're running openclaw gateway run in a real terminal (not in background or script).

Prompt is cut off / can't see full text

Scroll UP in the gateway terminal. The prompt might be long.

Response not showing in TUI after timeout

This is a known OpenClaw issue. Restart TUI or send a new message.

Can't select text in terminal

Try:

• macOS: Cmd+Shift+C to copy in Terminal.app
• Linux: Ctrl+Shift+C in most terminals
• Windows: Right-click to copy in PowerShell

Configuration

Timeout

You have 2 minutes to respond. The deadline is shown (e.g., "Waiting until 08:45 PM...").

Debug Mode

If something isn't working, run with debug logging:

HUMANCLAW_DEBUG=true openclaw gateway run

This will show extra information about what's happening.

Features

• No API key required - Use free chatbots instead
• 2-minute timeout - Clear deadline displayed
• Works with any chatbot - ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, local models, etc.
• See the prompts - Learn how OpenClaw constructs prompts
• Token estimation - Rough cost estimates for comparison

Limitations

• Requires keeping two terminals open (gateway + TUI)
• Copy/paste workflow (not automatic)
• 2-minute time limit per response
• After timeout, retry may not display immediately in TUI (upstream OpenClaw issue)

Support

• GitHub Issues: https://github.com/Straightly/humanclaw-openclaw-plugin/issues
• OpenClaw Discord: Ask in #plugin-forum

License

MIT - Free to use and modify.

Happy hacking without API keys! 🎉