OpenClaw
What is OpenClaw?
OpenClaw is an AI agent platform with a built-in Gateway that connects to multiple model providers. It supports messaging channels, safety features, and a control dashboard — all managed from your terminal.
Because OpenClaw supports OpenAI-compatible providers, you can point it at BluesMinds and access 100+ models from every major provider with a single API key.
Why route OpenClaw through BluesMinds?
| Benefit | Detail |
|---|---|
| 100+ models, one key | Access OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Mistral, and more without juggling multiple API keys. |
| Automatic failover | If a provider is down, BluesMinds retries through an alternative seamlessly. |
| Cost savings | BluesMinds picks the cheapest available upstream for each request. |
| Rate-limit handling | Requests are distributed across providers to avoid per-provider caps. |
Prerequisites
Install OpenClaw:
macOS / Linux:
curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash
Windows (PowerShell):
iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1 | iex
Confirm the installation:
openclaw gateway status
Obtain your BluesMinds API key from the BluesMinds Console.
Configuration
OpenClaw uses a JSON5 config file at ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json. Add BluesMinds as a custom provider:
{
models: {
mode: "merge",
providers: {
"bluesminds": {
baseUrl: "https://api.bluesminds.com/v1",
apiKey: "${BLUESMINDS_API_KEY}",
api: "openai-completions",
models: [
{
id: "gpt-4o",
name: "GPT-4o",
contextWindow: 128000,
maxTokens: 16384
},
{
id: "claude-sonnet-4-5",
name: "Claude Sonnet 4.5",
contextWindow: 200000,
maxTokens: 8192
},
{
id: "gemini-2.0-flash",
name: "Gemini 2.0 Flash",
contextWindow: 1000000,
maxTokens: 8192
},
{
id: "deepseek-chat",
name: "DeepSeek Chat",
contextWindow: 128000,
maxTokens: 8192
}
]
}
}
}
}
Then set your API key as an environment variable:
export BLUESMINDS_API_KEY=sk-your-bluesminds-key
Or hardcode it directly (less recommended):
{
models: {
providers: {
"bluesminds": {
baseUrl: "https://api.bluesminds.com/v1",
apiKey: "sk-your-bluesminds-key",
api: "openai-completions",
// ...models
}
}
}
}
Setting BluesMinds as the Default Model
Update your agent defaults to use a BluesMinds model:
{
agents: {
defaults: {
model: {
primary: "bluesminds/gpt-4o",
fallbacks: ["bluesminds/claude-sonnet-4-5"],
},
models: {
"bluesminds/gpt-4o": { alias: "GPT-4o" },
"bluesminds/claude-sonnet-4-5": { alias: "Sonnet" },
"bluesminds/gemini-2.0-flash": { alias: "Flash" },
},
},
},
}
This sets GPT-4o as primary with Claude Sonnet as fallback — both routed through BluesMinds.
Per-Agent Configuration
Override models for a specific agent by creating:
{
providers: {
"bluesminds": {
baseUrl: "https://api.bluesminds.com/v1",
apiKey: "${BLUESMINDS_API_KEY}",
api: "openai-completions",
models: [
{
id: "claude-sonnet-4-5",
name: "Claude Sonnet 4.5",
contextWindow: 200000,
maxTokens: 8192
}
]
}
}
}
Agent-level config takes precedence over the main openclaw.json.
Available Models
BluesMinds supports all standard OpenAI model IDs plus cross-provider models. Check the BluesMinds Models page for the full list. Common examples:
| Model ID | Provider | Description |
|---|---|---|
gpt-4o | OpenAI | Latest multimodal GPT-4o |
gpt-4.1 | OpenAI | Enhanced instruction-following |
claude-sonnet-4-5 | Anthropic | Balanced performance and speed |
claude-opus-4-5 | Anthropic | Most capable Claude model |
gemini-2.0-flash | Fast, 1M context window | |
deepseek-chat | DeepSeek | Strong open-source model |
Verify the Setup
Check that the Gateway is running:
openclaw gateway status
Open the dashboard to see your configured models:
openclaw dashboard
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Fix |
|---|---|
401 Unauthorized | Confirm BLUESMINDS_API_KEY is set and starts with sk-. Run echo $BLUESMINDS_API_KEY to verify. |
Model not found | Ensure the model id in your config matches a valid BluesMinds model. Check /v1/models. |
| Gateway won't start | Run openclaw onboard --install-daemon to re-initialize. |
| Config not loading | Verify JSON5 syntax — use openclaw dashboard to inspect active config. Check OPENCLAW_CONFIG_PATH if using a custom location. |
| Wrong models appearing | Set mode: "replace" instead of "merge" to use only BluesMinds models. |
| Connection timeout | Verify connectivity: curl https://api.bluesminds.com/v1/models -H "Authorization: Bearer sk-your-key" |
| Responses seem slow | Try a lighter model (e.g., gpt-4o-mini, gemini-2.0-flash-lite). |
Next Steps
- Explore BluesMinds Models to see every available model and its context window.
- Learn about Provider Routing — BluesMinds automatically routes to the best available provider.
- Review Privacy & Logging to understand how your prompts are handled.
- Set up Claude Code or Codex CLI with BluesMinds too.
- Browse the Full API Reference for programmatic access.