Lesson 7. Contributing to the Project#

Why You Need This#

OpenClaw is an open source project. This means anyone can look at how it works, suggest improvements, or fix bugs. Even if you’re not a programmer, you can help — for example, by reporting a bug, improving documentation, or translating the interface.

What You Need to Get Started#

An account on GitHub (free)
Installed programs: Git, Node.js (version 22+), pnpm
Basic understanding of the terminal (command line)

Git is a version control system that tracks all changes in the code.
Node.js is a runtime for JavaScript programs.
pnpm is a package manager (installs project dependencies).

Building from Source#

Step 1. Download the Project#

git clone https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw.git
cd openclaw

Step 2. Install Dependencies#

corepack enable     # enables pnpm
pnpm install        # downloads all required libraries

Step 3. Build the Project#

pnpm build

Step 4. Verify Everything Works#

pnpm check    # type checking, linting, formatting
pnpm test     # run tests

Testing System#

OpenClaw uses three levels of tests:

1. Unit Tests — Quick Checks#

pnpm test

Test individual parts of the code
Don’t require real API keys
Take a few minutes
Run before every commit

2. E2E Tests (End-to-End) — Full Flow Verification#

pnpm test:e2e

Start a real Gateway and test its behavior
Test WebSocket, HTTP, pairing
Also don’t require API keys

3. Live Tests — With Real Providers#

pnpm test:live

Require real API keys (Anthropic, OpenAI, etc.)
Use real models
Cost money (consume tokens)
Run only when necessary

Full Check Before Submitting#

pnpm build && pnpm check && pnpm test

CI Pipeline (Automated Checks)#

CI (Continuous Integration) is an automated system that checks every code change.

When you push your changes to GitHub, the following run automatically:

Check	What It Does	Time
`check`	TypeScript types, linting, formatting	~1-2 min
`secrets`	Scan for accidentally added passwords	~1 min
`code-analysis`	Check change size	~1 min
`checks`	Unit tests (Linux)	~3-5 min
`checks-windows`	Tests on Windows	~3-5 min

Checks run in order from “cheap to expensive” — if a simple check fails, the expensive ones don’t run.

Local Equivalents of CI Commands#

pnpm check          # types + linting + formatting
pnpm test           # unit tests
pnpm check:docs     # documentation check
pnpm release:check  # npm package check

How to Make Changes#

Step 1. Create a Branch#

A branch is a copy of the code where you make changes without touching the main code.

git checkout -b my-improvement

Step 2. Make Your Changes#

Edit files, add code, fix a bug.

Step 3. Check Locally#

pnpm build && pnpm check && pnpm test

Step 4. Commit Your Changes#

git add .
git commit -m "Description of what you changed"

Step 5. Push to GitHub#

git push origin my-improvement

Step 6. Create a Pull Request#

A Pull Request (PR) is a proposal to include your changes in the main project. Open GitHub and click “Create Pull Request.”

How to Help (Without Programming)#

Report a bug — create an Issue on GitHub
Improve documentation — fix a typo, add an example
Translate — OpenClaw supports multiple languages
Test — try a new version and report problems
Answer questions — help other users in discussions

Project Structure#

openclaw/
├── src/              ← main Gateway code
├── extensions/       ← built-in plugins
├── scripts/          ← helper scripts
├── docs/             ← documentation
├── ui/               ← web interface
├── skills/           ← built-in skills
├── Dockerfile        ← for building the Docker image
└── package.json      ← project description and dependencies

Useful Development Commands#

pnpm build           # build the project
pnpm check           # check types and code style
pnpm test            # run tests
pnpm test:e2e        # run integration tests
pnpm test:coverage   # tests with coverage report
pnpm check:docs      # check documentation

Lesson Summary#

OpenClaw is an open source project, and you can contribute
Building requires Git, Node.js 22+, and pnpm
Three test levels: unit (fast), e2e (medium), live (with real APIs)
Before submitting changes: pnpm build && pnpm check && pnpm test
CI automatically checks every Pull Request
You can help without programming — documentation, translations, testing