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openclaw - 💡(How to fix) Fix [Bug]: openclaw plugins update never upgrades ClawHub-sourced plugins — spec field always pins resolved version [1 participants]

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openclaw/openclaw#63010•Fetched 2026-04-09 07:59:33
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openclaw plugins update never upgrades ClawHub-sourced plugins to a newer version because the install flow always writes the resolved version into the spec field (e.g. clawhub:@[email protected]), causing update to re-resolve the same pinned version instead of fetching the latest from ClawHub.

Root Cause

openclaw plugins update never upgrades ClawHub-sourced plugins to a newer version because the install flow always writes the resolved version into the spec field (e.g. clawhub:@[email protected]), causing update to re-resolve the same pinned version instead of fetching the latest from ClawHub.

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Bug type

Behavior bug (incorrect output/state without crash)

Beta release blocker

No

Summary

openclaw plugins update never upgrades ClawHub-sourced plugins to a newer version because the install flow always writes the resolved version into the spec field (e.g. clawhub:@[email protected]), causing update to re-resolve the same pinned version instead of fetching the latest from ClawHub.

Steps to reproduce

  1. Publish 0.0.2 versions of a plugin to ClawHub
  2. Install the older version: openclaw plugins install plugin
  3. Confirm spec is pinned in ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json: "spec": "[email protected]" 3.1. Publish 0.0.3 versions of a plugin to ClawHub
  4. Run: openclaw plugins update plugin
  5. Observe it resolves to 0.0.2 and reports "already at 0.0.2".

Expected behavior

When no version is specified during install, the spec should be saved without a version , consistent with how npm installs work . This way, plugins update can resolve to the latest ClawHub version. The official docs state: "previously stored dist-tags such as @beta and exact pinned versions continue to be used" — implying that unpinned installs should resolve to latest on update.

Actual behavior

The clawhub install handler always writes the resolved version into the spec field, regardless of whether the user specified a version. As a result, plugins update always re-resolves the same pinned version and never upgrades.

OpenClaw version

2026.3.31

Operating system

macOS 15.1.1

Install method

npm global

Model

N/A — this is a CLI plugin management bug, not model-related.

Provider / routing chain

N/A

Additional provider/model setup details

No response

Logs, screenshots, and evidence

Impact and severity

No response

Additional information

No response

extent analysis

TL;DR

Update the install flow to save the spec without a version when no version is specified, allowing plugins to resolve to the latest version from ClawHub during updates.

Guidance

  • Modify the openclaw plugins install command to check if a version is specified, and if not, save the spec without a version (e.g., "plugin" instead of "[email protected]").
  • Verify the change by installing a plugin without specifying a version, checking the ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json file to ensure the spec is saved without a version, and then running openclaw plugins update to confirm it resolves to the latest version.
  • Review the official documentation to ensure the updated behavior aligns with the stated expectations for unpinned installs.
  • Consider adding a flag or option to the openclaw plugins install command to allow users to explicitly specify whether to pin the version or not.

Example

No code snippet is provided as the issue does not include specific code details.

Notes

The solution assumes that the openclaw plugins install command can be modified to change its behavior when no version is specified. If this is not possible, alternative solutions may be needed.

Recommendation

Apply workaround: Modify the openclaw plugins install command to save the spec without a version when no version is specified, as this change aligns with the expected behavior described in the official documentation and allows plugins to update to the latest version from ClawHub.

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FAQ

Expected behavior

When no version is specified during install, the spec should be saved without a version , consistent with how npm installs work . This way, plugins update can resolve to the latest ClawHub version. The official docs state: "previously stored dist-tags such as @beta and exact pinned versions continue to be used" — implying that unpinned installs should resolve to latest on update.

#tool integration#LLM response#prompt template#agent execution#callback error

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