OpenClaw

OpenClaw (opens in a new tab) is an open-source agent framework. Route OpenClaw traffic through Xilos to apply routing rules, restriction rules, guardrails, and caching to every agent call.

Prerequisites

A Xilos account with an active organization.
An API key from Settings in the Xilos dashboard, or a Virtual Key with scoped limits.
OpenClaw installed and initialized in your project.
The base URL: https://api.xilos.ai/api/v1.

Configuration

OpenClaw uses the OpenAI-compatible provider as its default backend. Set two environment variables and update the model name in your OpenClaw configuration file.

Set environment variables

OpenClaw respects the standard OPENAI_API_KEY and OPENAI_BASE_URL variables. Set them to your Xilos API key and the Xilos base URL.

export OPENAI_API_KEY="your-xilos-api-key"
export OPENAI_BASE_URL="https://api.xilos.ai/api/v1"

Add these lines to your shell profile (~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc) so they persist across sessions.

Configure the model in your OpenClaw config

In your OpenClaw configuration file (typically openclaw.yaml or .openclaw/config.yaml), set the model name to xilos so the Xilos routing engine selects the underlying LLM:

model:
  name: xilos
  provider: openai

Run your agent

openclaw run

All LLM calls now route through Xilos.

Info: When the model name is xilos, Xilos applies your routing rules to select the best LLM for each query. To target a specific model, set model.name to a concrete model identifier (for example, claude-sonnet-4).

Verify the Connection

Send a test query from OpenClaw and confirm it appears in the Xilos dashboard:

Trigger any agent action that requires an LLM call.
Open your Xilos dashboard.
Navigate to Query Log.
Confirm the query appears with the routing decision, governance actions, and cost breakdown.

curl https://api.xilos.ai/api/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $OPENAI_API_KEY" \
  -d '{
    "model": "xilos",
    "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello, Xilos!"}]
  }'

Troubleshooting

Problem	Cause	Fix
401 Unauthorized	The API key is invalid or expired.	Regenerate the key in the Xilos dashboard under Settings and update `OPENAI_API_KEY`.
Requests go to OpenAI directly	`OPENAI_BASE_URL` is not set or is overridden in the config file.	Ensure `OPENAI_BASE_URL` is exported and that the OpenClaw config does not hardcode a different endpoint.
Routing rules do not apply	The model name is set to a concrete model instead of `xilos`.	Set `model.name` to `xilos` so the Xilos routing engine processes each query.
403 Forbidden	A Xilos restriction rule blocked the query.	Check the Query Log for the triggered rule and adjust the rule or the query content.
Connection refused	Network proxy or firewall blocks outbound HTTPS to `api.xilos.ai`.	Allow outbound traffic to `https://api.xilos.ai` on port 443.

Next Steps

Create a Routing Rule — Direct specific query types to the best model.
Create a Restriction Rule — Block, mask, or flag sensitive content.
Manage Virtual Keys — Scope API keys with budget and rate limits.
Set Up Webhooks — Receive real-time event notifications.

Hermes Agent Claude Code