This record as markdown: /tools/openclaw/tui.md
What tui does on OpenClaw
AI agents invoke tui 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.
Why tui is rated High
Opening a terminal UI implies launching an interactive terminal/shell interface connected to a gateway system. This is an Execute-category action because it initiates an external operational session (terminal interface) whose effects depend on subsequent user/agent actions.
From the tool's definition Open a terminal UI connected to the Gateway
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs tui 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 tui, this is the rule to start with:
tui 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.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect OpenClaw, apply this rule, and every tui call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about tui
Open a terminal UI connected to the Gateway. 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.
Register the OpenClaw MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for tui: 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.
tui is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the tui 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.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for tui. 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.
tui 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.
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