# How to connect DeskTime to OpenClaw (paste one key, 11 tools) > Connect DeskTime to OpenClaw with ClawLink: paste your DeskTime key once and 11 tools work from chat. No MCP server to run, nothing stored on your machine. Web version: https://claw-link.dev/openclaw/desktime The usual route to DeskTime access for OpenClaw is an MCP server you configure and keep running, plus your own OAuth app or API keys. ClawLink gives OpenClaw a more practical DeskTime setup: install one ClawHub skill, connect DeskTime in the browser, and OpenClaw can call real DeskTime actions from any chat surface with no auth, token refresh, or tool wiring to build yourself. ## Setup It takes three steps to connect OpenClaw to DeskTime. 1. **Install ClawLink** — add the plugin to OpenClaw once. 2. **Connect DeskTime** — one-click OAuth in the ClawLink dashboard. 3. **Use it from chat** — ask OpenClaw in plain English. **Paste this into OpenClaw to set up ClawLink:** > I want to connect my apps to OpenClaw through ClawLink. > Please install the ClawLink plugin from ClawHub and enable it: `openclaw plugins install clawhub:clawlink-plugin` > When it is installed, tell me and stop. After I reply, give me the ClawLink pairing link. Setup notes, if you need them: https://claw-link.dev/skill.md **Alternative for any agent (no plugin needed):** if the OpenClaw plugin route isn't available or doesn't work, any AI agent with shell access can use the ClawLink CLI instead: ```bash npx -y @useclawlink/cli login # sign in via browser — no API key to paste npx -y @useclawlink/cli connect desktime # connect DeskTime (browser OAuth) npx -y @useclawlink/cli actions desktime # list available actions npx -y @useclawlink/cli run desktime --input '' # execute (add --confirm for writes) ``` ### Install by command The setup prompt above does all of this in one paste. By hand, it is one install command plus a browser approval: ```bash openclaw plugins install clawhub:clawlink-plugin ``` Then ask OpenClaw to set up ClawLink. It starts browser pairing and prints an approval link — open it, approve the device, return to the chat, and say `done`. Finally, connect DeskTime in the [ClawLink dashboard](https://claw-link.dev/dashboard) — paste your DeskTime API key once. Verify the connection by asking OpenClaw: > Pull the relevant data from DeskTime, summarize it in plain English, and point out anything that needs attention. ### Using a different agent? The OpenClaw plugin is one client of ClawLink's MCP server. Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, or any agent that can run a shell command pairs with the same ClawLink account through the CLI: ```bash npx -y @useclawlink/cli login ``` `login` opens the same browser approval and stores a credential locally. Once DeskTime is connected in the dashboard, that agent calls the same 11 DeskTime tools over MCP. Full setup for MCP clients and shell agents: [connect apps to any AI agent](https://claw-link.dev/learn/connect-apps-to-any-ai-agent). ## DeskTime MCP for OpenClaw Looking for a DeskTime MCP server for OpenClaw? ClawLink connects DeskTime to OpenClaw and exposes 11 DeskTime tools your agent can call over [MCP](https://claw-link.dev/learn/what-is-an-mcp-server), with [hosted auth](https://claw-link.dev/learn/oauth-for-ai-agents) and nothing to run or maintain yourself. Using Hermes instead? The [Hermes DeskTime integration](https://claw-link.dev/hermes/desktime) works the same way. ## What the OpenClaw DeskTime integration can do 11 DeskTime tools are ready for OpenClaw once the account is connected. ### All 11 DeskTime tools for OpenClaw | Tool | What it does | |---|---| | **Get account details** `desktime_get_account_details` | Retrieves company account configuration including work schedule and timezone settings | | **Get all company employees** `desktime_get_all_company_employees` | List all employees in the company, including their roles and statuses | | **Get employee** `desktime_get_employee` | Retrieve information about a single employee including user info, work settings, and tracking | | **Get employee apps** `desktime_get_employee_apps` | Retrieves employee tracking data including tracked apps for a specific date | | **Get employee projects** `desktime_get_employee_projects` | Retrieves comprehensive employee project tracking data including project assignments, time | | **Get employee projects and apps** `desktime_get_employee_projects_and_apps` | Retrieve an employee's basic information and daily tracking statistics from DeskTime | | **Get projects list** `desktime_get_projects_list` | Retrieve all active projects for the company, including related tasks | | **Ping request** `desktime_ping_request` | Check the API's availability and confirm the service is operational | | **Create project with task** `desktime_create_project_with_task` | Create a new project with an optional initial task | | **Start project task** `desktime_start_project_task` | Starts time tracking for a specified project and optional task in DeskTime | | **Stop project task** `desktime_stop_project_task` | Stop tracking time for a specified project and optional task | ## Example prompts **Get Account Details** > Pull the relevant data from DeskTime, summarize it in plain English, and point out anything that needs attention. **Get All Company Employees** > Pull the relevant data from DeskTime, summarize it in plain English, and point out anything that needs attention. **Get Employee** > Pull the relevant data from DeskTime, summarize it in plain English, and point out anything that needs attention. **Get Employee Apps** > Pull the relevant data from DeskTime, summarize it in plain English, and point out anything that needs attention. ## ClawLink vs. building it yourself The alternative to ClawLink is usually manual API key setup plus your own token handling, permission troubleshooting, and tool plumbing for OpenClaw. That is fine if you want to build and maintain the integration yourself. Most teams just want DeskTime working from chat. | | Manual | ClawLink | |---|---|---| | **Credential handling** | Collect, validate, store, and rotate the DeskTime API key yourself, then make sure every tool call uses the right account. | Users complete the hosted ClawLink setup once and the connected DeskTime account becomes available to the agent without you building credential management. | | **Ongoing maintenance** | You own refresh logic, permission debugging, environment config, and every provider-specific edge case for DeskTime. | ClawLink handles the repetitive integration plumbing so your team can focus on the workflow instead of the infrastructure. | | **Agent usability** | You still need to expose the right DeskTime actions to the runtime in a format your agent can reliably use. | 11 tools for DeskTime are already exposed through ClawLink, so the agent can read and act from chat immediately. | ## ClawLink vs. Composio Composio also exposes DeskTime to AI agents. It is developer infrastructure: Python and TypeScript SDKs, an MCP server, and a catalog past 1,000 apps, aimed at teams shipping agent products. ClawLink is built for OpenClaw users instead. You install the plugin once, connect DeskTime in the browser, and the 11 tools above work from chat. There is no SDK and no config file, and the DeskTime key you paste at setup is stored server-side rather than kept in your environment. Choosing between them? Read the full [Composio alternatives](https://claw-link.dev/hub/composio-alternatives) comparison. ### OpenClaw installed the DeskTime skill but can't call the tools The ClawHub skill teaches OpenClaw about DeskTime, but the calls run through the ClawLink plugin and your connected account. Make sure DeskTime is connected in the dashboard, then start a fresh chat so OpenClaw reloads the tool catalog. If OpenClaw runs as a persistent gateway, restart it so the new tools register. ### Connection succeeds but no tools appear Reconnect DeskTime from the dashboard, then start a fresh chat if the runtime still has the old tool catalog loaded. ### "Tool schema not loaded yet" error when calling DeskTime tools DeskTime tool schemas load on demand the first time a tool runs and are cached after that, so this error usually clears on its own: wait a few seconds and retry the same request. If every DeskTime call keeps failing with it in a fresh chat, reconnect from the dashboard, and contact support if it still persists — that pattern points to a configuration problem on our side, not something you can fix by reconnecting again. ### DeskTime returns 403 or "permission denied" on one action while others work Two usual causes. The connected account may not have access to the specific workspace, inbox, store, or project in the request — check that first. If access looks right, the agent may have sent a placeholder value (like "YOUR_ID" or an example id from documentation) instead of a real one: ask it to run a list or search tool first, then retry the action with a real id from those results. Most failures at this stage are one of these two, not ClawLink bugs. ### API key setup works but results look incomplete Double-check that the API key for DeskTime has the right scopes or account access. A valid key can still be too limited for some reads or writes. ### Is there a OpenClaw DeskTime integration? Yes. ClawLink is the fastest way to connect OpenClaw to DeskTime: link your DeskTime account once in the browser and OpenClaw can call the DeskTime API through 11 ready-made tools — no custom code or token handling. ### How do I add DeskTime to OpenClaw with ClawLink? Paste the setup prompt from this page into OpenClaw. It installs the ClawLink DeskTime skill from ClawHub, then you click Connect in the dashboard to authorize DeskTime. OpenClaw calls the tools from the next message — no config files, and the DeskTime key you paste is stored server-side instead of in your environment. ### How long does it take to connect DeskTime to OpenClaw? About two minutes. Sign in, click Connect next to DeskTime in the dashboard, authenticate, and OpenClaw can use it from the next chat message. ### Why use ClawLink instead of wiring DeskTime up myself? The alternative to ClawLink is usually manual API key setup plus your own token handling, permission troubleshooting, and tool plumbing for OpenClaw. That is fine if you want to build and maintain the integration yourself. Most teams just want DeskTime working from chat. ### OpenClaw installed the DeskTime skill but can't call the tools The ClawHub skill teaches OpenClaw about DeskTime, but the calls run through the ClawLink plugin and your connected account. Make sure DeskTime is connected in the dashboard, then start a fresh chat so OpenClaw reloads the tool catalog. If OpenClaw runs as a persistent gateway, restart it so the new tools register. ## Related - [Trello tools](https://claw-link.dev/openclaw/trello) — Manage boards, lists, and cards - [Connect Moco](https://claw-link.dev/openclaw/moco) — MOCO is a business management software offering project management, time tracking, and invoicing solutions. - [Connect ClickUp](https://claw-link.dev/openclaw/clickup) — Manage tasks, docs, goals, and sprints