Agent settings overview
The Agent Configuration page gives you control over operational settings that affect how your OpenClaw agent runs on your server. These settings are separate from the AI provider and system prompt; they control the agent process itself rather than the AI model's behavior.
Auto-Update Toggle
Agent Controls
Configuration History
Auto-update toggle
The auto-update toggle controls whether your agent automatically receives new OpenClaw versions when they are released. By default, this is turned OFF. This means your agent stays on the version it was deployed with until you manually update it or enable auto-updates.
- Auto-update OFF (default): Your agent stays on its current version. You have full control over when updates are applied. This is the safer option if stability is your top priority.
- Auto-update ON: Your agent automatically receives new OpenClaw versions as they release. Updates are applied during low-traffic periods to minimize disruption. Your agent briefly restarts during the update process.
Warning
Auto-update is off by default for a reason. Enable it only if you want your agent to automatically receive new OpenClaw versions. If you rely on specific behavior that could change with an update, keep auto-update off and test new versions manually before applying them.
Agent restart vs. server reboot
It is important to understand the difference between these two actions:
- Agent restart: Restarts only the OpenClaw agent process on your server. The server itself stays running. This is fast (a few seconds) and is the right action for most situations, such as applying a configuration change or recovering from a minor agent hiccup.
- Server reboot: Reboots the entire VPS, including the operating system. This takes 1 to 2 minutes and is a last-resort action for when the server itself is unresponsive. Use this only when an agent restart does not resolve the issue.
You can restart the agent from the Agent Control Panel. Server reboots are available on the Server Details page.
Tip
Always try an agent restart before a full server reboot. An agent restart is faster, causes less disruption, and resolves most common issues. Reserve server reboots for situations where the agent restart button itself is not responding.
Configuration versioning
Every configuration change you make is tracked and timestamped. When you switch providers, change models, update your system prompt, or modify any agent setting, a record is created in your instance's configuration history. This versioning gives you:
- An audit trail: See exactly what changed, when it changed, and what the previous value was. This is useful for troubleshooting if your agent starts behaving differently after a change.
- Rollback context: If a change causes problems, the history helps you identify what to revert. You can see the previous configuration and manually restore it.
- Team visibility: If multiple people manage the same instance, the history shows who changed what and when.
Note
Configuration changes are applied immediately when you save. The versioning system records changes but does not currently support one-click rollback. To revert a change, view the previous value in the history and manually apply it.
Activity logging
OneClickClaw logs key operational events related to your agent: starts, stops, restarts, configuration changes, provider switches, health check results, and error events. These events appear in the Event Viewer on your dashboard's Overview page.
Activity logs help you troubleshoot issues, track configuration changes over time, and understand your agent's uptime patterns. Events are organized into eight color-coded categories (SERVER, AGENT, CHANNEL, CONFIG, UPDATE, HEALTH, BILLING, SETUP) and are retained for 30 days on your dedicated server.
Note
Activity logs record operational events only. They do not store the content of conversations between your agent and users. Message content is handled by your AI provider and is subject to their privacy policy, not ours. For more on data handling, see Data & Privacy.
Tip
If your agent restarts frequently (you see many AGENT restart events in the Event Viewer), it may indicate a configuration problem. Common causes include an invalid API key, a model that is no longer available, or insufficient server resources. Check your Server Details metrics to rule out resource issues.