openclaw/docs/gateway/openresponses-http-api.md

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summary	read_when	title
Expose an OpenResponses-compatible /v1/responses HTTP endpoint from the Gateway	Integrating clients that speak the OpenResponses API You want item-based inputs, client tool calls, or SSE events	OpenResponses API

OpenResponses API (HTTP)

OpenClaw’s Gateway can serve an OpenResponses-compatible POST /v1/responses endpoint.

This endpoint is disabled by default. Enable it in config first.

• POST /v1/responses
• Same port as the Gateway (WS + HTTP multiplex): http://<gateway-host>:<port>/v1/responses

Under the hood, requests are executed as a normal Gateway agent run (same codepath as openclaw agent), so routing/permissions/config match your Gateway.

Authentication

Uses the Gateway auth configuration. Send a bearer token:

• Authorization: Bearer <token>

Notes:

• When gateway.auth.mode="token", use gateway.auth.token (or OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN).
• When gateway.auth.mode="password", use gateway.auth.password (or OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_PASSWORD).
• If gateway.auth.rateLimit is configured and too many auth failures occur, the endpoint returns 429 with Retry-After.

Choosing an agent

No custom headers required: encode the agent id in the OpenResponses model field:

• model: "openclaw:<agentId>" (example: "openclaw:main", "openclaw:beta")
• model: "agent:<agentId>" (alias)

Or target a specific OpenClaw agent by header:

• x-openclaw-agent-id: <agentId> (default: main)

Advanced:

• x-openclaw-session-key: <sessionKey> to fully control session routing.

Enabling the endpoint

Set gateway.http.endpoints.responses.enabled to true:

{
  gateway: {
    http: {
      endpoints: {
        responses: { enabled: true },
      },
    },
  },
}

Disabling the endpoint

Set gateway.http.endpoints.responses.enabled to false:

{
  gateway: {
    http: {
      endpoints: {
        responses: { enabled: false },
      },
    },
  },
}

Session behavior

By default the endpoint is stateless per request (a new session key is generated each call).

If the request includes an OpenResponses user string, the Gateway derives a stable session key from it, so repeated calls can share an agent session.

Request shape (supported)

The request follows the OpenResponses API with item-based input. Current support:

• input: string or array of item objects.
• instructions: merged into the system prompt.
• tools: client tool definitions (function tools).
• tool_choice: filter or require client tools.
• stream: enables SSE streaming.
• max_output_tokens: best-effort output limit (provider dependent).
• user: stable session routing.

Accepted but currently ignored:

• max_tool_calls
• reasoning
• metadata
• store
• previous_response_id
• truncation

Items (input)

message

Roles: system, developer, user, assistant.

• system and developer are appended to the system prompt.
• The most recent user or function_call_output item becomes the “current message.”
• Earlier user/assistant messages are included as history for context.

function_call_output (turn-based tools)

Send tool results back to the model:

{
  "type": "function_call_output",
  "call_id": "call_123",
  "output": "{\"temperature\": \"72F\"}"
}

reasoning and item_reference

Accepted for schema compatibility but ignored when building the prompt.

Tools (client-side function tools)

Provide tools with tools: [{ type: "function", function: { name, description?, parameters? } }].

If the agent decides to call a tool, the response returns a function_call output item. You then send a follow-up request with function_call_output to continue the turn.

Images (input_image)

Supports base64 or URL sources:

{
  "type": "input_image",
  "source": { "type": "url", "url": "https://example.com/image.png" }
}

Allowed MIME types (current): image/jpeg, image/png, image/gif, image/webp. Max size (current): 10MB.

Files (input_file)

Supports base64 or URL sources:

{
  "type": "input_file",
  "source": {
    "type": "base64",
    "media_type": "text/plain",
    "data": "SGVsbG8gV29ybGQh",
    "filename": "hello.txt"
  }
}

Allowed MIME types (current): text/plain, text/markdown, text/html, text/csv, application/json, application/pdf.

Max size (current): 5MB.

Current behavior:

• File content is decoded and added to the system prompt, not the user message, so it stays ephemeral (not persisted in session history).
• PDFs are parsed for text. If little text is found, the first pages are rasterized into images and passed to the model.

PDF parsing uses the Node-friendly pdfjs-dist legacy build (no worker). The modern PDF.js build expects browser workers/DOM globals, so it is not used in the Gateway.

URL fetch defaults:

• files.allowUrl: true
• images.allowUrl: true
• maxUrlParts: 8 (total URL-based input_file + input_image parts per request)
• Requests are guarded (DNS resolution, private IP blocking, redirect caps, timeouts).
• Optional hostname allowlists are supported per input type (files.urlAllowlist, images.urlAllowlist).
  • Exact host: "cdn.example.com"
  • Wildcard subdomains: "*.assets.example.com" (does not match apex)

File + image limits (config)

Defaults can be tuned under gateway.http.endpoints.responses:

{
  gateway: {
    http: {
      endpoints: {
        responses: {
          enabled: true,
          maxBodyBytes: 20000000,
          maxUrlParts: 8,
          files: {
            allowUrl: true,
            urlAllowlist: ["cdn.example.com", "*.assets.example.com"],
            allowedMimes: [
              "text/plain",
              "text/markdown",
              "text/html",
              "text/csv",
              "application/json",
              "application/pdf",
            ],
            maxBytes: 5242880,
            maxChars: 200000,
            maxRedirects: 3,
            timeoutMs: 10000,
            pdf: {
              maxPages: 4,
              maxPixels: 4000000,
              minTextChars: 200,
            },
          },
          images: {
            allowUrl: true,
            urlAllowlist: ["images.example.com"],
            allowedMimes: ["image/jpeg", "image/png", "image/gif", "image/webp"],
            maxBytes: 10485760,
            maxRedirects: 3,
            timeoutMs: 10000,
          },
        },
      },
    },
  },
}

Defaults when omitted:

• maxBodyBytes: 20MB
• maxUrlParts: 8
• files.maxBytes: 5MB
• files.maxChars: 200k
• files.maxRedirects: 3
• files.timeoutMs: 10s
• files.pdf.maxPages: 4
• files.pdf.maxPixels: 4,000,000
• files.pdf.minTextChars: 200
• images.maxBytes: 10MB
• images.maxRedirects: 3
• images.timeoutMs: 10s

Security note:

• URL allowlists are enforced before fetch and on redirect hops.
• Allowlisting a hostname does not bypass private/internal IP blocking.
• For internet-exposed gateways, apply network egress controls in addition to app-level guards. See Security.

Streaming (SSE)

Set stream: true to receive Server-Sent Events (SSE):

• Content-Type: text/event-stream
• Each event line is event: <type> and data: <json>
• Stream ends with data: [DONE]

Event types currently emitted:

• response.created
• response.in_progress
• response.output_item.added
• response.content_part.added
• response.output_text.delta
• response.output_text.done
• response.content_part.done
• response.output_item.done
• response.completed
• response.failed (on error)

Usage

usage is populated when the underlying provider reports token counts.

Errors

Errors use a JSON object like:

{ "error": { "message": "...", "type": "invalid_request_error" } }

Common cases:

• 401 missing/invalid auth
• 400 invalid request body
• 405 wrong method

Examples

Non-streaming:

curl -sS http://127.0.0.1:18789/v1/responses \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -H 'x-openclaw-agent-id: main' \
  -d '{
    "model": "openclaw",
    "input": "hi"
  }'

Streaming:

curl -N http://127.0.0.1:18789/v1/responses \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -H 'x-openclaw-agent-id: main' \
  -d '{
    "model": "openclaw",
    "stream": true,
    "input": "hi"
  }'