- name
- auto-updater
- description
- Automatically update OpenClaw and all installed skills once daily. Runs via cron, checks for updates, applies them, and messages the user with a summary of what changed.
- metadata
- {"version":"1.1.0","openclaw":{"emoji":"🔄","os":["windows","darwin","linux"]}}
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:
- Updates OpenClaw itself (via
openclaw update) - Updates all installed skills/plugins
- Restarts the service via
sudo systemctl restart openclaw - Messages you with a summary of what was updated
Setup
Quick Start
Ask OpenClaw to set up the auto-updater:
Set up daily auto-updates for yourself and all your skills.Or manually add the cron job:
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
| Option | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Time | 4:00 AM | When to run updates (use --cron to change) |
| Timezone | America/Chicago | Set with --tz |
| Delivery | Main session | Where to send the update summary |
How Updates Work
OpenClaw Updates
The primary update command used is:
openclaw update --yes && sudo systemctl restart openclawThis 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:
openclaw skills update --allUpdate Summary Format
After updates complete, you'll receive a message like:
🔄 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:
openclaw update statusView current skill versions:
openclaw skills listCheck OpenClaw version:
openclaw --versionTroubleshooting
Updates Not Running
- Verify cron is enabled: check
cron.enabledin config - Confirm Gateway is running continuously
- 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 doctorto diagnose
Disabling Auto-Updates
Remove the cron job:
openclaw cron remove "Daily Auto-Update"Or disable temporarily in config:
{
"cron": {
"enabled": false
}
}