summary: "CLI reference for `openclaw update` (safe-ish source update + gateway auto-restart)"

read_when:

- You want to update a source checkout safely

- You are debugging `openclaw update` output or options

- You need to understand `--update` shorthand behavior

title: "Update"

---

- `--timeout <seconds>`: per-step timeout (default is 1800s).

- `--yes`: skip confirmation prompts (for example downgrade confirmation).

`openclaw update` does not have a `--verbose` flag. Use `--dry-run` to preview

the planned channel/tag/install/restart actions, `--json` for machine-readable

results, and `openclaw update status --json` when you only need channel and

availability details. If you are debugging Gateway logs around an update,

console verbosity and file log level are separate: Gateway `--verbose` affects

terminal/WebSocket output, while file logs require `logging.level: "debug"` or

`"trace"` in config. See [Gateway logging](/gateway/logging).

<Warning>

Downgrades require confirmation because older versions can break configuration.

</Warning>

openclaw update --dry-run # preview without applying

```

`openclaw update` does not accept `--verbose`. For update diagnostics, use

`--dry-run` to preview the planned actions, `--json` for structured results, or

`openclaw update status --json` to inspect channel and availability state. The

installer has its own `--verbose` flag, but that flag is not part of

`openclaw update`.

`--channel beta` prefers beta, but the runtime falls back to stable/latest when

the beta tag is missing or older than the latest stable release. Use `--tag beta`

if you want the raw npm beta dist-tag for a one-off package update.