solution install high macos linux windows

openclaw: command not found

Fix PATH issues that cause the OpenClaw CLI to be missing after install (wrong shell, npm prefix not on PATH, multiple Node installs).

By CoClaw Team •

Symptoms

  • You installed OpenClaw, but your shell says openclaw: command not found.

Cause

Almost always a Node/npm PATH problem:

  • npm global bin directory is not on PATH
  • you’re in a different shell than you configured (zsh vs bash)
  • multiple Node installs exist and the service/terminal is using a different PATH

Fix

1) Confirm where npm installs global binaries

npm prefix -g

Your global bin directory is typically <prefix>/bin. Ensure it’s on PATH.

2) Add it to your shell

Example:

export PATH="/path/from/npm/prefix/bin:$PATH"

Persist in:

  • zsh: ~/.zshrc
  • bash: ~/.bashrc

Then open a new terminal.

3) Recheck

command -v openclaw
openclaw --help

Verify

openclaw --help prints usage, and openclaw status runs (even if gateway isn’t configured yet).

Verification & references

  • Reviewed by:CoClaw Code Team
  • Last reviewed:March 14, 2026
  • Verified on: macOS · Linux · Windows

References

Official docs

  1. OpenClaw docs: /help/troubleshooting
  2. OpenClaw docs: /install/node
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