# How to Connect OpenClaw to xCloud (Skills and MCP)

> Install the xCloud skill from ClawHub, add the xCloud MCP server and check it with openclaw mcp doctor, then manage hosting from chat or on a schedule.

OpenClaw is an open-source AI agent runtime that you run yourself, talk to through chat apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack and Discord, and schedule with built-in automations. Connected to xCloud through a ClawHub skill and the MCP client, it deploys, backs up, updates and diagnoses your servers and sites from a message, and on a timer it reads, scans and reports, leaving the changes for a message you can approve.

This guide covers the connection only. For what OpenClaw can do once it is connected, with one guide per hosting job, see the [OpenClaw and xCloud guide](/agents/openclaw/). The xCloud side is free with every account, including the free plan.

## What you need

- An xCloud account. If you do not have one yet, [sign up for free](https://app.xcloud.host/register).
- OpenClaw installed on the machine or server it runs on.
- A browser for the OAuth sign-in. No API key is needed for the MCP connection.

The xCloud MCP server lives at one endpoint, `https://app.xcloud.host/mcp`, over the MCP Streamable HTTP transport. The same setup also lives in your dashboard under **Settings → Developers → MCP**.

## Step 1: Install the xCloud skill from ClawHub

This installs the nine xCloud skills into the active workspace skills folder. Add `--global` to install them into ~/.openclaw/skills for every local agent. The clawhub CLI installs the same listing with clawhub install xcloud.

```bash
openclaw skills install @asif2bd/xcloud
```

## Step 2: Add the xCloud MCP server and sign in

Run these on the installation that owns the connector. The `--auth` oauth flag matters: openclaw mcp login only runs for HTTP servers saved with OAuth, so without it the login is refused. The login prints an authorization URL, and OpenClaw normally captures the redirect on a loopback address and saves the credentials; Settings, MCP, Sign in in the Control UI does the same. On the xCloud approval screen tick the teams and choose Read-only or Full access.

```bash
openclaw mcp add xcloud \
  --url https://app.xcloud.host/mcp \
  --transport streamable-http \
  --auth oauth
openclaw mcp login xcloud
```

## Step 3: Check the skill and the connection

The first command lists the skills that are eligible to run in this environment, and xcloud should be among them. The second opens a live connection and reports the tools the server offers. A saved server entry proves nothing until the probe passes. Then ask who am I on xCloud.

```bash
openclaw skills list --eligible
openclaw mcp doctor xcloud --probe
```

## Approve access in your browser

The first time OpenClaw reaches for an xCloud tool, your browser opens on the xCloud authorization screen. Tick the teams the connection may act on and choose **Read-only** or **Full access**. openclaw mcp login signs you in with OAuth and saves the credentials on the installation that owns the connector, so automations reuse them. The skill's GET-only REST fallback, if you use it, reads XCLOUD_API_TOKEN from the agent's secret store, never from chat.

![The xCloud authorization screen: the signed-in account, the teams to tick, and the choice between Full access and Read-only](/_landing/docs/how-to-connect-xcloud-mcp-to-ai-agent-oauth-teams.png)

Every connection is listed with your [API keys](https://app.xcloud.host/user/api-tokens), so you can revoke it at any time. Read-only is enough for reports and checks; choose Full access when you want the agent to deploy, update or change things. With Full access, routine actions such as a backup, a cache purge or a service restart run without an xCloud prompt, while creating, deploying, updating, rebooting, deleting or buying still waits for your confirmation.

## Check it worked

Ask OpenClaw:

```text
Who am I on xCloud?
```

It should answer with your real account name, email and teams, not a guess. If it says it has no xCloud tools, re-check the step above and restart the client.

## What OpenClaw can do on xCloud

On the xCloud side, reads run straight away, and anything that creates, deploys, updates, reboots, deletes or buys is previewed first and waits for your confirmation. OpenClaw's own approval prompts, where it has them, apply on top of that. A few prompts to start with:

```text
Deploy https://github.com/example/shop to my Frankfurt server and show me the dry run before you create anything.
```

```text
Which of my sites have pending WordPress updates? Back each one up first, then list what each update changes.
```

```text
Is example.com up, is its SSL certificate healthy and are there any known vulnerabilities? Reply in two lines.
```

There is a guide for each hosting job, from deploying a repository to fixing a 502, on the [OpenClaw and xCloud guide](/agents/openclaw/), and a longer prompt library in [What You Can Ask xCloud MCP to Do](/what-you-can-ask-xcloud-mcp-to-do/).

## Run a weekly hosting audit with OpenClaw automations

Automations are OpenClaw's built-in scheduler, and openclaw cron is an alias for the same commands. This job runs every Monday in an isolated session, checks your sites and announces the result in a Telegram chat. List past runs with openclaw automations runs followed by the job ID. Keep the prompt to reads and reports, because anything that creates, deploys, updates or deletes still needs your approval.

```bash
openclaw automations create "0 8 * * 1" \
  "Use xCloud to check every site: is it up, is SSL healthy, any known vulnerabilities. Report only and change nothing." \
  --name "Monday hosting audit" \
  --tz "Europe/Berlin" \
  --session isolated \
  --announce --channel telegram --to "-1001234567890"
```

## Good to know

- Run the mcp commands on the installation that owns the connector. A Gateway or agent running on another host needs its own openclaw mcp reload, config publish or restart before it sees the xcloud server.
- The skill alone is not a connection to xCloud. Without the MCP server it falls back to a GET-only REST wrapper that needs bash, curl, jq and an XCLOUD_API_TOKEN, and it cannot make changes.
- openclaw skills install puts the skill in the active workspace. Other agents with their own workspace do not see it unless you install with `--global` or add it to their skills allowlist.
- Scheduled runs have no one watching. Keep automations to reads, PageSpeed and vulnerability scans and reports. Start a backup only from a message you are watching, because a Docker backup stops the app while it captures, and ask for changes, and for a broken-link scan, in a message you can approve.

## Frequently asked questions

### How do I connect OpenClaw to xCloud?

Run openclaw skills install @asif2bd/xcloud, then openclaw mcp add xcloud `--url` https://app.xcloud.host/mcp `--transport` streamable-http `--auth` oauth and openclaw mcp login xcloud. Approve access in the browser, then run openclaw mcp doctor xcloud `--probe` to confirm the connection and ask who am I on xCloud.

### Do I need both the xCloud skill and the MCP server in OpenClaw?

The MCP server is the connection and gives OpenClaw every xCloud tool. The skill adds xCloud's workflows on top: routing, previews, confirmation, polling and diagnosis. Without MCP the skill can only read through a GET-only REST wrapper, so install both.

### Does OpenClaw need an xCloud API key?

Not when you sign in with openclaw mcp login. An API key matters only for the skill's GET-only REST fallback, which reads XCLOUD_API_TOKEN from the agent's secret store. Keep that token out of chat messages and create it with a read-only scope.

### How do I check that OpenClaw can reach xCloud?

Run openclaw mcp doctor xcloud `--probe`. It validates the saved server entry, opens a live connection and reports the tools xCloud offers. Run openclaw skills list `--eligible` as well to confirm the xcloud skill is ready in this environment.

## Next steps

- [OpenClaw and xCloud: every job guide](/agents/openclaw/)
- [How to connect xCloud MCP to your AI agent](/docs/how-to-connect-xcloud-mcp-to-ai-agent/) for the other clients
- [How to install and use xCloud AI Agent Skills](/docs/install-and-use-xcloud-ai-agent-skills/)
- [Multi-team API tokens and MCP access](/docs/multi-team-api-tokens-and-mcp-access/)

If you run into any issues connecting, feel free to reach out to our [support team](/docs/access-built-in-support-portal-in-xcloud/).