openclaw - 💡(How to fix) Fix [Bug]: tools.profile: "coding" [1 participants]

Bug type

Behavior bug (incorrect output/state without crash)

Beta release blocker

No

Summary

With top-level "tools.profile": "coding" configured, openclaw agent --agent main --json --message "List every tool available to you right now." produced systemPromptReport.tools.entries: [] in the JSON output.

Steps to reproduce

1. Configure ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json with:

   agents.list[0].id = "main" agents.list[0].tools.allow = ["browser", "gmail-tools", "gmail_send", "gmail_search", "gmail_read"] top-level "tools.profile": "coding" plugins enabled for browser and gmail-tools

2. run: openclaw gateway restart openclaw agent --agent main --json --message "List every tool available to you right now."

3. Observe that the JSON output contains: "tools": { "entries": [] }

4. Remove top-level "tools.profile" from ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json

5. run: openclaw gateway restart openclaw agent --agent main --json --message "List every tool available to you right now."

6. Observe that the JSON output now contains tool entries for:

   gmail_search gmail_read gmail_send browser

Expected behavior

After removing "tools.profile", the same command injected tool entries for gmail_search, gmail_read, gmail_send, and browser. Based on that observed behavior, the expected result is that these tools are injected for this agent configuration.

Actual behavior

When "tools.profile": "coding" was present, the command completed successfully but the JSON output included:

"systemPromptReport": { ... "tools": { "entries": [] } }

The model reply in that run said no live external tools were available. After removing "tools.profile" and restarting the gateway, the same command returned injected tool entries for gmail_search, gmail_read, gmail_send, and browser.

OpenClaw version

2026.4.5 (3e72c03)

Operating system

Linux, Pop!_OS

Install method

npm

Model

openai-codex/gpt-5.4

Provider / routing chain

openai-codex

Additional provider/model setup details

Agent config observed via openclaw config get agents:

{ "defaults": { "model": { "primary": "openai-codex/gpt-5.4", "fallbacks": [ "ollama/qwen3.5:9b" ] } }, "list": [ { "id": "main", "model": "openai-codex/gpt-5.4", "tools": { "allow": [ "browser", "gmail-tools", "gmail_send", "gmail_search", "gmail_read" ], "deny": [ "exec", "web_search", "web_fetch" ] } } ] }

Relevant redacted config shape observed from ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json:

{ "tools": { "profile": "coding" }, "plugins": { "load": { "paths": [ "~/.openclaw/openclaw-tools/gmail-tools" ] }, "entries": { "browser": { "enabled": true }, "gmail-tools": { "enabled": true }, "openai": { "enabled": true }, "ollama": { "enabled": true } } } }

Logs, screenshots, and evidence

Observed command outputs:

openclaw config get agents

{
  "defaults": {
    "model": {
      "primary": "openai-codex/gpt-5.4",
      "fallbacks": [
        "ollama/qwen3.5:9b"
      ]
    },
    "models": {
      "openai-codex/gpt-5.4": {
        "alias": "GPT-5.4"
      },
      "ollama/qwen3.5:9b": {
        "alias": "Qwen 3.5 9B"
      }
    },
    "workspace": "/home/claw/.openclaw/workspace"
  },
  "list": [
    {
      "id": "main",
      "model": "openai-codex/gpt-5.4",
      "tools": {
        "allow": [
          "browser",
          "gmail-tools",
          "gmail_send",
          "gmail_search",
          "gmail_read"
        ],
        "deny": [
          "exec",
          "web_search",
          "web_fetch"
        ]
      }
    }
  ]
}

openclaw plugins inspect browser

Browser
id: browser
Status: loaded
Tools:
(anonymous)

openclaw plugins inspect gmail-tools

Gmail Tools
id: gmail-tools
Status: loaded
Tools:
gmail_search [optional]
gmail_read [optional]
gmail_send [optional]

Before removing tools.profile:

"systemPromptReport": {
  ...
  "tools": {
    "listChars": 0,
    "schemaChars": 0,
    "entries": []
  }
}

After removing tools.profile and restarting:

"systemPromptReport": {
  ...
  "tools": {
    "entries": [
      { "name": "gmail_search" },
      { "name": "gmail_read" },
      { "name": "gmail_send" },
      { "name": "browser" }
    ]
  }
}

After removing tools.profile, these commands also completed successfully:

    Use gmail_search to find the 3 most recent emails from the last 7 days and summarize sender and subject only.
    Use browser to report browser status only.

Impact and severity

Affected users/systems/channels: observed on a local OpenClaw CLI + gateway setup using openclaw agent --agent main --json Severity: blocks tool use for the tested agent configuration Frequency: observed consistently before removing "tools.profile" and resolved after removing it Consequence: the agent run had no injected tools in systemPromptReport.tools.entries, and tool-using prompts did not have access to browser/Gmail tools until the config was changed

Additional information

openclaw config get agents.main returned:

Config path not found: agents.main

openclaw agent --help showed supported flags including --json, --local, --message, --timeout, and --verbose.

One tweak I’d recommend before filing:

change “Operating system” from Linux, Pop!_OS to the exact output of uname -a or /etc/os-release if you want it cleaner and more defensible. If not, this is still usable.