# How to connect Gist to OpenClaw (paste one key, 20 tools) > Connect Gist to OpenClaw with ClawLink: paste your Gist key once and 20 tools work from chat. No MCP server to run, nothing stored on your machine. Web version: https://claw-link.dev/openclaw/gist The usual route to Gist 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 Gist setup: install one ClawHub skill, connect Gist in the browser, and OpenClaw can call real Gist 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 Gist. 1. **Install ClawLink** — add the plugin to OpenClaw once. 2. **Connect Gist** — 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 gist # connect Gist (browser OAuth) npx -y @useclawlink/cli actions gist # list available actions npx -y @useclawlink/cli run gist --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 Gist in the [ClawLink dashboard](https://claw-link.dev/dashboard) — paste your Gist API key once. Verify the connection by asking OpenClaw: > Use Gist to check gist star and walk me through the result in plain English. ### 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 Gist is connected in the dashboard, that agent calls the same 20 Gist 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). ## Gist MCP for OpenClaw Looking for a Gist MCP server for OpenClaw? ClawLink connects Gist to OpenClaw and exposes 20 Gist 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 Gist integration](https://claw-link.dev/hermes/gist) works the same way. ## What the OpenClaw Gist integration can do 20 Gist tools are ready for OpenClaw once the account is connected. The 18 below are the ones people reach for most; your agent can call all 20. ### 18 of 20 Gist tools for OpenClaw | Tool | What it does | |---|---| | **Check gist star** `gist_check_gist_star` | Check if the authenticated user has starred a specific gist | | **Get gist** `gist_get_gist` | Retrieve a specific gist by its ID | | **Get gist comment** `gist_get_gist_comment` | Get a specific comment on a gist | | **Get gist revision** `gist_get_gist_revision` | Retrieve a specific gist revision | | **List gist comments** `gist_list_gist_comments` | List comments on a gist | | **List gist commits** `gist_list_gist_commits` | List the commit history of a gist | | **List gist forks** `gist_list_gist_forks` | List forks of a gist | | **List gists** `gist_list_gists` | List the authenticated user's gists or all public gists if called anonymously | | **List public gists** `gist_list_public_gists` | List public gists sorted by most recently updated | | **List starred gists** `gist_list_starred_gists` | List the authenticated user's starred gists | | **List user gists** `gist_list_user_gists` | List public gists for a specified GitHub user | | **Create gist** `gist_create_gist` | Create a new gist with one or more files | | **Create gist comment** `gist_create_gist_comment` | Create a comment on a gist | | **Fork gist** `gist_fork_gist` | Fork a gist | | **Star gist** `gist_star_gist` | Star a GitHub gist | | **Update gist** `gist_update_gist` | Update a gist's description and files | | **Update gist comment** `gist_update_gist_comment` | Update a Gist comment | | **Unstar gist** `gist_unstar_gist` | Unstar a GitHub gist | ## Example prompts **Check Gist Star** > Use Gist to check gist star and walk me through the result in plain English. **Get Gist** > Pull the relevant data from Gist, summarize it in plain English, and point out anything that needs attention. **Get Gist Comment** > Pull the relevant data from Gist, summarize it in plain English, and point out anything that needs attention. **Get Gist Revision** > Pull the relevant data from Gist, 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 Gist working from chat. | | Manual | ClawLink | |---|---|---| | **Credential handling** | Collect, validate, store, and rotate the Gist API key yourself, then make sure every tool call uses the right account. | Users complete the hosted ClawLink setup once and the connected Gist 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 Gist. | 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 Gist actions to the runtime in a format your agent can reliably use. | 20 tools for Gist are already exposed through ClawLink, so the agent can read and act from chat immediately. | ## ClawLink vs. Composio Composio also exposes Gist 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 Gist in the browser, and the 20 tools above work from chat. There is no SDK and no config file, and the Gist 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 Gist skill but can't call the tools The ClawHub skill teaches OpenClaw about Gist, but the calls run through the ClawLink plugin and your connected account. Make sure Gist 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 Gist 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 Gist tools Gist 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 Gist 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. ### Gist 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 Gist has the right scopes or account access. A valid key can still be too limited for some reads or writes. ### Is there a OpenClaw Gist integration? Yes. ClawLink is the fastest way to connect OpenClaw to Gist: link your Gist account once in the browser and OpenClaw can call the Gist API through 20 ready-made tools — no custom code or token handling. ### How do I add Gist to OpenClaw with ClawLink? Paste the setup prompt from this page into OpenClaw. It installs the ClawLink Gist skill from ClawHub, then you click Connect in the dashboard to authorize Gist. OpenClaw calls the tools from the next message — no config files, and the Gist key you paste is stored server-side instead of in your environment. ### How long does it take to connect Gist to OpenClaw? About two minutes. Sign in, click Connect next to Gist in the dashboard, authenticate, and OpenClaw can use it from the next chat message. ### Why use ClawLink instead of wiring Gist 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 Gist working from chat. ### OpenClaw installed the Gist skill but can't call the tools The ClawHub skill teaches OpenClaw about Gist, but the calls run through the ClawLink plugin and your connected account. Make sure Gist 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 - [OpenClaw GitHub integration](https://claw-link.dev/openclaw/github) — Manage repositories, issues, pull requests, and workflows - [OpenClaw PagerDuty integration](https://claw-link.dev/openclaw/pagerduty) — Manage incidents, on-call schedules, and services - [Connect SafetyCulture](https://claw-link.dev/openclaw/safetyculture) — SafetyCulture (formerly iAuditor) is a workplace operations platform that enables teams to conduct digital inspections, manage audits, track issues, schedule tasks, and maintain compliance through mobile and web applications.