plugins

Install, enable, disable, and inspect plugins

SERVEROpenClaw SOURCEopenclaw

High RISK CLASS

Category Execute

Parameters 00 required

Recommended Rate-limitedsee the rule below

Registry record Grade F, identity verified Pull the record →

This record as markdown: /tools/openclaw/plugins.md

WHAT IT DOES

What plugins does on OpenClaw

AI agents invoke plugins to trigger actions in OpenClaw. What it does depends on the arguments the agent supplies, and its effects often reach beyond the immediate call: builds kicked off, notifications sent, workflows started.

RISK

Why plugins is rated High

Installing or enabling plugins executes third-party or external code within the host environment, which can have wide-ranging side effects. This goes beyond a simple write operation because it triggers execution of plugin logic. Disabling/inspecting are lower risk, but the install/enable capabilities dominate. Misuse by an AI agent could introduce malicious plugins or alter system behavior significantly.

From the tool's definition 'Install, enable, disable, and inspect plugins' — installing and enabling plugins runs external code/modules within the system

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

RECOMMENDED RULE

The rule that runs plugins safely

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and OpenClaw, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For plugins, this is the rule to start with:

plugins Rate-limited

plugins stays usable, but rate-capped: a runaway agent can't fire it dozens of times a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "plugins": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "plugins_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 10,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

RATE-LIMIT THIS TOOL → Instant setup, no code required.

The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect OpenClaw, apply this rule, and every plugins call is checked against it from then on.

FAQ

Questions about plugins

What does the plugins tool do? +

Install, enable, disable, and inspect plugins. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the OpenClaw MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.

How do I enforce a policy on plugins? +

Register the OpenClaw MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for plugins: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches OpenClaw. Nothing to install.

What risk level is plugins? +

plugins is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.

Can I rate-limit plugins? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the plugins rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.

How do I block plugins completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for plugins. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.

What MCP server provides plugins? +

plugins is provided by the OpenClaw MCP server (openclaw). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

KEEP EXPLORING

More on OpenClaw, and thousands of servers like it.

This server

All 129 OpenClaw tools → High-risk tools on this server →

Across the catalogue

All high-risk MCP tools → The MCP Attack Database →

Guides

Govern code and CI agents →Agent sandbox →Least privilege for MCP →