Securing OpenClaw Secrets with macOS Keychain

I run OpenClaw with 13 AI agents, each with their own Discord bot. That's 14 Discord tokens, a Telegram token, API keys for Brave Search, Google Places, Gemini — 21 secrets total. All sitting in ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json in plaintext.

{
  "channels": {
    "discord": {
      "accounts": {
        "default": {
          "token": "MTQ2NzAyMDMxNDE5NzEwMjc1NQ.GyBpYi.actualtoken..."
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

One leaked config file = complete compromise. Not ideal.

Why Not 1Password?

My first thought was 1Password CLI. It works, but:

1. Session timeouts — CLI needs the desktop app unlocked
2. Theft risk — If my Mac is stolen unlocked with 1Password open, everything is exposed
3. Daemon-unfriendly — OpenClaw runs via pm2; can't prompt for auth

I wanted secrets accessible to the running gateway but locked when I'm not around.

macOS Keychain: The Sweet Spot

macOS Keychain hits the right balance:

• Locked when Mac is locked — Secrets inaccessible if stolen while sleeping
• No extra app required — Built into the OS
• Daemon-friendly — Can allow access without prompts using -A flag
• FileVault protected — Encrypted at rest

The tradeoff: if someone grabs your Mac while you're logged in, they can access the keychain. But at that point, they can also access your terminal, so you're already compromised.

The Implementation

1. Store Secrets in Keychain

# Add a secret
security add-generic-password \
  -a "openclaw" \
  -s "discord-token-spark" \
  -w "MTQ2NzAyMDMxNDE5NzEwMjc1NQ.GyBpYi.xxx" \
  -A \
  ~/Library/Keychains/login.keychain-db

The -A flag allows access without prompting. Use -T "" instead if you want Touch ID prompts.

2. Create a Startup Script

#!/bin/bash
# gateway-start.sh
 
get_secret() {
    security find-generic-password -a "openclaw" -s "$1" -w 2>/dev/null
}
 
# Load all secrets as env vars
export DISCORD_TOKEN_SPARK=$(get_secret "discord-token-spark")
export DISCORD_TOKEN_GILFOYLE=$(get_secret "discord-token-gilfoyle")
# ... 19 more
 
# Start gateway in foreground (for pm2)
exec openclaw gateway

3. Update Config to Use Variables

OpenClaw supports ${VAR_NAME} substitution:

{
  "channels": {
    "discord": {
      "accounts": {
        "default": {
          "token": "${DISCORD_TOKEN_SPARK}"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

4. Point pm2 at the Script

// ecosystem.config.js
module.exports = {
  apps: [{
    name: 'openclaw-gateway',
    script: '/Users/me/.openclaw/scripts/gateway-start.sh',
    interpreter: '/bin/bash',
    // ...
  }]
};

The Result

Before:

~/.openclaw/openclaw.json — 21 plaintext secrets
~/.openclaw/openclaw.json.bak — more plaintext secrets
~/.openclaw/openclaw.json.bak.1 — even more

After:

~/.openclaw/openclaw.json — only ${VAR} references, safe to share
macOS Keychain — 21 secrets, locked when Mac is locked

Config file went from a liability to something I could commit to git.

Gotchas

pm2 Needs Foreground Mode

openclaw gateway start tries to daemonize. pm2 needs openclaw gateway (no start) to run in foreground.

Keychain Access Prompts

First run after reboot might prompt for keychain access. Use Keychain Access.app to set "Always Allow" if needed.

Backup Your Keychain

Secrets are now only in the keychain. Make sure your keychain is backed up (Time Machine covers this).

Commands Reference

# View a secret
security find-generic-password -a openclaw -s discord-token-spark -w
 
# Update a secret
security delete-generic-password -a openclaw -s discord-token-spark
security add-generic-password -a openclaw -s discord-token-spark \
  -w "NEW_TOKEN" -A ~/Library/Keychains/login.keychain-db
 
# List all openclaw secrets
security dump-keychain ~/Library/Keychains/login.keychain-db 2>/dev/null | \
  grep -A3 "openclaw"

Was It Worth It?

Absolutely. 30 minutes of work for:

• Config file I can share without redacting
• Secrets locked when I step away
• No dependency on 1Password being open
• Clean separation of config vs. credentials