---
summary: "Exec tool usage, stdin modes, and TTY support"
read_when:
- Using or modifying the exec tool
- Debugging stdin or TTY behavior
title: "Exec tool"
---
Run shell commands in the workspace. `exec` is a mutating shell surface: commands can create, edit, or delete files wherever the selected host or sandbox filesystem permits. Disabling OpenClaw filesystem tools such as `write`, `edit`, or `apply_patch` does not make `exec` read-only.
Supports foreground and background execution via `process`. If `process` is disallowed, `exec` runs synchronously and ignores `yieldMs`/`background`. Background sessions are scoped per agent; `process` only sees sessions from the same agent.
## Parameters
Shell command to run.
Working directory for the command.
Key/value environment overrides merged on top of the inherited environment.
Auto-background the command after this delay (ms).
Background the command immediately instead of waiting for `yieldMs`.
Override the configured exec timeout for this call, in seconds. Applies to foreground, background, `yieldMs`, gateway, sandbox, and node `system.run` execution. `timeout: 0` disables the exec process timeout for that call.
Run in a pseudo-terminal when available. Use for TTY-only CLIs, coding agents, and terminal UIs.
Where to execute. `auto` resolves to `sandbox` when a sandbox runtime is active and `gateway` otherwise.
Ignored for normal tool calls. `gateway`/`node` security is controlled by `tools.exec.security` and the host approvals file; elevated mode can force `security=full` only when the operator explicitly grants elevated access.
The baseline ask mode comes from `tools.exec.ask` and host approvals. For channel-origin model calls, per-call `ask` is ignored when the effective host ask is `off`; otherwise it can only harden to a stricter mode. Trusted internal/API callers that construct exec tools with an explicit `ask` value are unchanged.
Node id/name when `host=node`.
Request elevated mode: escape the sandbox onto the configured host path. `security=full` is forced only when elevated resolves to `full`.
Notes:
- `host` only accepts `auto`, `sandbox`, `gateway`, or `node`. It is not a hostname selector; hostname-like values are rejected before the command runs.
- Per-call `host=node` is allowed from `auto`; per-call `host=gateway` is only allowed when no sandbox runtime is active.
- With no extra config, `host=auto` still "just works": no sandbox means it resolves to `gateway`; a live sandbox means it stays in the sandbox.
- `elevated` escapes the sandbox onto the configured host path: `gateway` by default, or `node` when `tools.exec.host=node` (or the session default is `host=node`). It is only available when elevated access is enabled for the current session/provider.
- `gateway`/`node` approvals are controlled by the host approvals file.
- `node` requires a paired node (companion app or headless node host). If multiple nodes are available, set `exec.node` or `tools.exec.node` to select one.
- `exec host=node` is the only shell-execution path for nodes; the legacy `nodes.run` wrapper has been removed.
- On non-Windows hosts, exec uses `SHELL` when set; if `SHELL` is `fish`, it prefers `bash` (or `sh`) from `PATH` to avoid fish-incompatible bashisms, then falls back to `SHELL` if neither exists.
- On Windows hosts, exec prefers PowerShell 7 (`pwsh`) discovery (Program Files, ProgramW6432, then PATH), then falls back to Windows PowerShell 5.1.
- On non-Windows gateway hosts, bash and zsh exec commands use a startup snapshot. OpenClaw captures sourceable aliases/functions and a small safe environment set from shell startup files into `$OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR/cache/shell-snapshots/`, then sources that snapshot before each exec command. Secret-looking variables are excluded; sandbox and node exec do not use this snapshot. Set `OPENCLAW_EXEC_SHELL_SNAPSHOT=0` in the Gateway process environment to disable this snapshot path.
- Host execution (`gateway`/`node`) rejects `env.PATH` and loader overrides (`LD_*`/`DYLD_*`) to prevent binary hijacking or injected code.
- OpenClaw sets `OPENCLAW_SHELL=exec` in the spawned command environment (including PTY and sandbox execution) so shell/profile rules can detect exec-tool context.
- For channel-origin runs, OpenClaw also exposes a narrow sender/chat identity JSON payload in `OPENCLAW_CHANNEL_CONTEXT` when the channel provided those ids.
- `exec` cannot run `openclaw channels login` or `/approve` shell commands: `openclaw channels login` is an interactive channel-auth flow, and `/approve` needs to go through the approval command handler, not a shell. Run channel login in a terminal on the gateway host, or use a channel-specific login agent tool when one exists (for example `whatsapp_login`).
- Important: sandboxing is **off by default**. If sandboxing is off, implicit `host=auto` resolves to `gateway`. Explicit `host=sandbox` still fails closed instead of silently running on the gateway host. Enable sandboxing or use `host=gateway` with approvals.
- Script preflight checks (for common Python/Node shell-syntax mistakes) only inspect files inside the effective `workdir` boundary. If a script path resolves outside `workdir`, preflight is skipped for that file. Preflight also skips entirely when `host=gateway` and the effective policy is `security=full` with `ask=off`.
- For long-running work that starts now, start it once and rely on automatic completion wake when it is enabled and the command emits output or fails. Use `process` for logs, status, input, or intervention; do not emulate scheduling with sleep loops, timeout loops, or repeated polling.
- For work that should happen later or on a schedule, use cron instead of `exec` sleep/delay patterns.
## Config
| Key | Default | Notes |
| ------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `tools.exec.timeoutSec` | `1800` | Default per-command exec timeout in seconds. Per-call `timeout` overrides it; per-call `timeout: 0` disables the exec process timeout. |
| `tools.exec.host` | `auto` | Resolves to `sandbox` when a sandbox runtime is active, `gateway` otherwise. |
| `tools.exec.security` | `deny` for sandbox, `full` for gateway/node when unset | |
| `tools.exec.ask` | `off` | |
| `tools.exec.mode` | unset | Normalized policy knob. See [Modes](#modes) below. Cannot be combined with `tools.exec.security`/`tools.exec.ask`. |
| `tools.exec.node` | unset | |
| `tools.exec.notifyOnExit` | `true` | When true, backgrounded exec sessions enqueue a system event and request a heartbeat on exit. |
| `tools.exec.approvalRunningNoticeMs` | `10000` | Emit a single "running" notice when an approval-gated exec runs longer than this (`0` disables). |
| `tools.exec.strictInlineEval` | `false` | See [Inline eval](#inline-eval-strictinlineeval). |
| `tools.exec.commandHighlighting` | `false` | When true, approval prompts can highlight parser-derived command spans in the command text. Set globally or per agent; does not change approval policy. |
| `tools.exec.pathPrepend` | unset | List of directories to prepend to `PATH` for exec runs (gateway + sandbox only). |
| `tools.exec.safeBins` | unset | Stdin-only safe binaries that can run without explicit allowlist entries. See [Safe bins](/tools/exec-approvals-advanced#safe-bins-stdin-only). |
| `tools.exec.safeBinTrustedDirs` | `/bin`, `/usr/bin` | Additional explicit directories trusted for `safeBins` path checks. `PATH` entries are never auto-trusted. |
| `tools.exec.safeBinProfiles` | unset | Optional custom argv policy per safe bin (`minPositional`, `maxPositional`, `allowedValueFlags`, `deniedFlags`). |
No-approval host exec is the default for gateway and node (`security=full`, `ask=off`) — this comes from the host-policy defaults, not from `host=auto`. If you want approvals/allowlist behavior, tighten both `tools.exec.*` and the host approvals file; see [Exec approvals](/tools/exec-approvals#yolo-mode-no-approval). To force gateway or node routing regardless of sandbox state, set `tools.exec.host` or use `/exec host=...`.
Example:
```json5
{
tools: {
exec: {
pathPrepend: ["~/bin", "/opt/oss/bin"],
},
},
}
```
### Modes
`tools.exec.mode` is the normalized policy knob. Setting it derives `security`/`ask` and cannot be combined with explicit `tools.exec.security`/`tools.exec.ask`.
| Mode | security | ask | Behavior |
| ----------- | ----------- | --------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| `deny` | `deny` | `off` | Exec is denied. |
| `allowlist` | `allowlist` | `off` | Only allowlisted/safe-bin commands run; nothing else is asked. |
| `ask` | `allowlist` | `on-miss` | Allowlist matches run directly; everything else asks a human. |
| `auto` | `allowlist` | `on-miss` | Allowlist/safe-bin matches run directly; everything else routes through OpenClaw's native auto reviewer before asking a human. |
| `full` | `full` | `off` | No approval gate. |
`ask`/`ask=always` still asks a human every time regardless of mode.
### Inline eval (`strictInlineEval`)
When `tools.exec.strictInlineEval` is `true`, inline interpreter-eval forms require reviewer or explicit approval: `python -c`, `node -e`, `ruby -e`, `perl -e`, `php -r`, `lua -e`, `osascript -e`, and similar forms across other supported interpreters and command carriers (`awk`, `find -exec`, `make`, `sed`, `xargs`, and more). In `mode=auto`, the normal exec approval path may let the native auto reviewer allow a clearly low-risk one-off command; direct node-host `system.run` calls still require an explicit approval because they cannot hand the command to a human approval route. If the reviewer asks, the request goes to a human. `allow-always` can still persist benign interpreter/script invocations, but inline-eval forms do not become durable allow rules.
### PATH handling
- `host=gateway`: merges your login-shell `PATH` into the exec environment. `env.PATH` overrides are rejected for host execution. The daemon itself still runs with a minimal `PATH`:
- macOS: `/opt/homebrew/bin`, `/usr/local/bin`, `/usr/bin`, `/bin`
- Linux: `/usr/local/bin`, `/usr/bin`, `/bin`
- To prevent user shell configuration (like `~/.zshenv` or `/etc/zshenv`) from overriding priority paths during startup, `tools.exec.pathPrepend` entries are securely prepended to the final `PATH` inside the shell command right before execution.
- `host=sandbox`: runs `sh -lc` (login shell) inside the container, so `/etc/profile` may reset `PATH`. OpenClaw prepends `env.PATH` after profile sourcing via an internal env var (no shell interpolation); `tools.exec.pathPrepend` applies here too.
- `host=node`: only non-blocked env overrides you pass are sent to the node. `env.PATH` overrides are rejected for host execution and ignored by node hosts. If you need additional PATH entries on a node, configure the node host service environment (systemd/launchd) or install tools in standard locations.
Per-agent node binding (use the agent list index in config):
```bash
openclaw config get agents.list
openclaw config set 'agents.list[0].tools.exec.node' "node-id-or-name"
```
Control UI: the Nodes tab includes a small "Exec node binding" panel for the same settings.
## Session overrides (`/exec`)
Use `/exec` to set **per-session** defaults for `host`, `security`, `ask`, and `node`. Send `/exec` with no arguments to show the current values.
Example:
```text
/exec host=auto security=allowlist ask=on-miss node=mac-1
```
`/exec` is only honored for **authorized senders** (channel allowlists/pairing plus `commands.useAccessGroups`). It updates **session state only** and does not write config. Authorized external channel senders may set these session defaults. Internal gateway/webchat clients need `operator.admin` to persist them.
To hard-disable exec, deny it via tool policy (`tools.deny: ["exec"]` or per-agent). Host approvals still apply unless you explicitly set `security=full` and `ask=off`.
## Exec approvals (companion app / node host)
Sandboxed agents can require per-request approval before `exec` runs on the gateway or node host. See [Exec approvals](/tools/exec-approvals) for the policy, allowlist, and UI flow.
When approvals are required, the exec tool returns immediately with `status: "approval-pending"` and an approval id. Once approved (or denied / timed out), the Gateway emits command progress and completion system events only for approved runs (`Exec running` / `Exec finished`). Denied or timed-out approvals are terminal and do not wake the agent session with a denial system event.
On channels with native approval cards/buttons, the agent should rely on that native UI first and only include a manual `/approve` command when the tool result explicitly says chat approvals are unavailable or manual approval is the only path.
## Allowlist + safe bins
Manual allowlist enforcement matches resolved binary path globs and bare command-name globs. Bare names match only commands invoked through PATH, so `rg` can match `/opt/homebrew/bin/rg` when the command is `rg`, but not `./rg` or `/tmp/rg`.
When `security=allowlist`, shell commands are auto-allowed only if every pipeline segment is allowlisted or a safe bin. Chaining (`;`, `&&`, `||`) and redirections are rejected in allowlist mode unless every top-level segment satisfies the allowlist (including safe bins). Redirections remain unsupported. Durable `allow-always` trust does not bypass that rule: a chained command still requires every top-level segment to match.
`autoAllowSkills` is a separate convenience path in exec approvals, not the same as manual path allowlist entries. For strict explicit trust, keep `autoAllowSkills` disabled.
Use the two controls for different jobs:
- `tools.exec.safeBins`: small, stdin-only stream filters.
- `tools.exec.safeBinTrustedDirs`: explicit extra trusted directories for safe-bin executable paths.
- `tools.exec.safeBinProfiles`: explicit argv policy for custom safe bins.
- allowlist: explicit trust for executable paths.
Do not treat `safeBins` as a generic allowlist, and do not add interpreter/runtime binaries (for example `python3`, `node`, `ruby`, `bash`). If you need those, use explicit allowlist entries and keep approval prompts enabled.
`openclaw security audit` warns when interpreter/runtime `safeBins` entries are missing explicit profiles, and `openclaw doctor --fix` can scaffold missing custom `safeBinProfiles` entries. `openclaw security audit` and `openclaw doctor` also warn when you explicitly add broad-behavior bins such as `jq` back into `safeBins` (`jq` supports broad programs and builtins, so prefer explicit allowlist entries or approval-gated runs instead). If you explicitly allowlist interpreters, enable `tools.exec.strictInlineEval` so inline code-eval forms still require reviewer or explicit approval.
For full policy details and examples, see [Exec approvals](/tools/exec-approvals-advanced#safe-bins-stdin-only) and [Safe bins versus allowlist](/tools/exec-approvals-advanced#safe-bins-versus-allowlist).
## Examples
Foreground:
```json
{ "tool": "exec", "command": "ls -la" }
```
Background + poll:
```json
{"tool":"exec","command":"npm run build","yieldMs":1000}
{"tool":"process","action":"poll","sessionId":""}
```
Polling is for on-demand status, not waiting loops. If automatic completion wake is enabled, the command can wake the session when it emits output or fails.
Send keys (tmux-style):
```json
{"tool":"process","action":"send-keys","sessionId":"","keys":["Enter"]}
{"tool":"process","action":"send-keys","sessionId":"","keys":["C-c"]}
{"tool":"process","action":"send-keys","sessionId":"","keys":["Up","Up","Enter"]}
```
Submit (send CR only):
```json
{ "tool": "process", "action": "submit", "sessionId": "" }
```
Paste (bracketed by default):
```json
{ "tool": "process", "action": "paste", "sessionId": "", "text": "line1\nline2\n" }
```
## apply_patch
`apply_patch` is a subtool of `exec` for structured multi-file edits. It is enabled by default and available to any model provider; `allowModels` can restrict it. Use config only when you want to disable it or restrict it to specific models:
```json5
{
tools: {
exec: {
applyPatch: { workspaceOnly: true, allowModels: ["gpt-5.5"] },
},
},
}
```
Notes:
- Tool policy still applies; `allow: ["write"]` implicitly allows `apply_patch`.
- `deny: ["write"]` does not deny `apply_patch`; deny `apply_patch` explicitly or use `deny: ["group:fs"]` when patch writes should also be blocked.
- Config lives under `tools.exec.applyPatch`.
- `tools.exec.applyPatch.enabled` defaults to `true`; set it to `false` to disable the tool.
- `tools.exec.applyPatch.workspaceOnly` defaults to `true` (workspace-contained). Set it to `false` only if you intentionally want `apply_patch` to write/delete outside the workspace directory.
- `tools.exec.applyPatch.allowModels` is an optional allowlist of model ids (raw, like `gpt-5.4`, or full, like `openai/gpt-5.4`). When set, only matching models get the tool; when unset, all models get it.
## Related
- [Exec Approvals](/tools/exec-approvals) — approval gates for shell commands
- [Sandboxing](/gateway/sandboxing) — running commands in sandboxed environments
- [Background Process](/gateway/background-process) — long-running exec and process tool
- [Security](/gateway/security) — tool policy and elevated access