OpenClaw Web UI
Basic Information
- Company/Brand: OpenClaw / OpenClaw Foundation
- Country/Region: Global
- Official Website: https://docs.openclaw.ai/web/control-ui
- Type: Open-source component (Web Interface)
- Founded: Concurrent with OpenClaw
Product Description
OpenClaw Web UI (also known as Control UI or Dashboard) is a browser-based web dashboard embedded within the OpenClaw gateway, designed for managing and monitoring the OpenClaw gateway. It provides a graphical interface for configuration management, session monitoring, agent management, Cron task scheduling, and real-time chat interaction.
Control UI is a lightweight single-page application (SPA) built with Vite + Lit, served directly by the gateway, and runs by default at http://<host>:18789/. Its greatest advantage is zero installation—as long as the gateway is running, the Web UI is automatically available. The interface adopts a classic SPA layout, with a left-hand navigation and a right-hand content area, featuring four main functional areas: Overview, Agents, Channels, and Logs.
In terms of security, authentication is provided via token or password during the WebSocket handshake. When connecting from a new browser or device, the gateway requires a one-time pairing approval. Importantly, Control UI is a management interface (chat, configuration, execution approval) and should not be exposed to the internet. Additionally, the community has developed several third-party dashboard projects, such as openclaw-studio and openclaw-dashboard, offering richer functionalities.
Core Features/Characteristics
- Zero installation (built into the gateway, automatically available)
- Agent management and monitoring
- Session record viewing
- Channel status monitoring
- System resource dashboard
- Real-time chat interaction
- Configuration management interface
- Cron task scheduling
- Execution approval management
- WebSocket real-time communication
- One-time pairing authentication
Business Model
As a core component of OpenClaw, it is completely open-source and free.
Target Users
- OpenClaw users who prefer graphical interfaces
- Users needing remote management of OpenClaw instances
- Team collaboration management scenarios
- Users unfamiliar with command-line operations
Competitive Advantages
- Zero installation, built into the gateway
- Lightweight (Vite + Lit, small footprint)
- Secure authentication mechanism
- Real-time WebSocket communication
- Rich community ecosystem (multiple third-party dashboard projects)
Market Performance
The community has responded positively to the official Web UI, and several third-party enhanced dashboards have emerged, such as openclaw-studio (a cleaner management interface) and openclaw-dashboard (a secure monitoring dashboard with TOTP MFA and cost tracking), reflecting the community's strong demand for visual management.
Relationship with the OpenClaw Ecosystem
Web UI is one of the two main user interfaces of OpenClaw (alongside CLI), providing a graphical alternative for users who are not proficient in command-line operations and scenarios requiring visual monitoring. Together with third-party dashboards like tenacitOS, it forms the visual management layer of OpenClaw.