# How to connect Grist to OpenClaw (paste one key, 30 tools) > Connect Grist to OpenClaw with ClawLink: paste your Grist key once and 30 tools work from chat. No MCP server to run, nothing stored on your machine. Web version: https://claw-link.dev/openclaw/grist The usual route to Grist 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 Grist setup: install one ClawHub skill, connect Grist in the browser, and OpenClaw can call real Grist 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 Grist. 1. **Install ClawLink** — add the plugin to OpenClaw once. 2. **Connect Grist** — 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 grist # connect Grist (browser OAuth) npx -y @useclawlink/cli actions grist # list available actions npx -y @useclawlink/cli run grist --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 Grist in the [ClawLink dashboard](https://claw-link.dev/dashboard) — paste your Grist API key once. Verify the connection by asking OpenClaw: > Use Grist to download all attachments archive 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 Grist is connected in the dashboard, that agent calls the same 30 Grist 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). ## Grist MCP for OpenClaw Looking for a Grist MCP server for OpenClaw? ClawLink connects Grist to OpenClaw and exposes 30 Grist 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 Grist integration](https://claw-link.dev/hermes/grist) works the same way. ## What the OpenClaw Grist integration can do 30 Grist tools are ready for OpenClaw once the account is connected. The 25 below are the ones people reach for most; your agent can call all 30. ### 25 of 30 Grist tools for OpenClaw | Tool | What it does | |---|---| | **Download all attachments archive** `grist_download_all_attachments_archive` | Download all attachments from a Grist document as a single archive file (.zip or .tar) | | **Download attachment** `grist_download_attachment` | Download a file attachment from a Grist document | | **Fetch document metadata** `grist_fetch_document_metadata` | Fetch metadata for a specified Grist document | | **Fetch table metadata** `grist_fetch_table_metadata` | Retrieve metadata for a specified table in a Grist document | | **Get org access** `grist_get_org_access` | Retrieves the list of users who have access to a Grist organization along with their access | | **Get users** `grist_get_users` | Retrieve a list of users via SCIM v2 | | **List attachments** `grist_list_attachments` | List all attachments in a Grist document | | **List columns** `grist_list_columns` | List all columns in a specified Grist table | | **List organizations** `grist_list_organizations` | List all organizations accessible to the authenticated user | | **List records** `grist_list_records` | Retrieve records from a specified table within a Grist document | | **List tables** `grist_list_tables` | List all tables within a specified document | | **List webhooks** `grist_list_webhooks` | List all webhooks configured for a Grist document | | **List workspaces** `grist_list_workspaces` | List all workspaces and documents accessible to the authenticated user on the current site | | **Run SQL query** `grist_run_sql_query` | Execute a read-only SQL SELECT query on a Grist document | | **Add records** `grist_add_records` | Add one or more records to a Grist table | | **Create document** `grist_create_document` | Creates a new Grist document in a specified workspace | | **Create scim user** `grist_create_scim_user` | Create a new SCIM user | | **Create table** `grist_create_table` | Create tables in a document | | **Create webhook** `grist_create_webhook` | Create a new webhook for a specified document | | **Update column metadata** `grist_update_column_metadata` | Updates metadata (label, type, description, formula, etc.) for one or more columns in a Grist | | **Update document metadata** `grist_update_document_metadata` | Update metadata for a specified Grist document | | **Update records** `grist_update_records` | Update existing records in a Grist table by their row IDs | | **Update table metadata** `grist_update_table_metadata` | Update metadata properties for a table in a Grist document | | **Update webhook** `grist_update_webhook` | Update an existing webhook configuration for a Grist document | | **Upload attachment** `grist_upload_attachment` | Upload one or more file attachments to a Grist document | ## Example prompts **Download All Attachments Archive** > Use Grist to download all attachments archive and walk me through the result in plain English. **Download Attachment** > Use Grist to download attachment and walk me through the result in plain English. **Fetch Document Metadata** > Pull the relevant data from Grist, summarize it in plain English, and point out anything that needs attention. **Fetch Table Metadata** > Pull the relevant data from Grist, 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 Grist working from chat. | | Manual | ClawLink | |---|---|---| | **Credential handling** | Collect, validate, store, and rotate the Grist API key yourself, then make sure every tool call uses the right account. | Users complete the hosted ClawLink setup once and the connected Grist 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 Grist. | 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 Grist actions to the runtime in a format your agent can reliably use. | 30 tools for Grist are already exposed through ClawLink, so the agent can read and act from chat immediately. | ## ClawLink vs. Composio Composio also exposes Grist 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 Grist in the browser, and the 30 tools above work from chat. There is no SDK and no config file, and the Grist 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 Grist skill but can't call the tools The ClawHub skill teaches OpenClaw about Grist, but the calls run through the ClawLink plugin and your connected account. Make sure Grist 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 Grist 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 Grist tools Grist 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 Grist 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. ### Grist 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 Grist has the right scopes or account access. A valid key can still be too limited for some reads or writes. ### Is there a OpenClaw Grist integration? Yes. ClawLink is the fastest way to connect OpenClaw to Grist: link your Grist account once in the browser and OpenClaw can call the Grist API through 30 ready-made tools — no custom code or token handling. ### How do I add Grist to OpenClaw with ClawLink? Paste the setup prompt from this page into OpenClaw. It installs the ClawLink Grist skill from ClawHub, then you click Connect in the dashboard to authorize Grist. OpenClaw calls the tools from the next message — no config files, and the Grist key you paste is stored server-side instead of in your environment. ### How long does it take to connect Grist to OpenClaw? About two minutes. Sign in, click Connect next to Grist in the dashboard, authenticate, and OpenClaw can use it from the next chat message. ### Why use ClawLink instead of wiring Grist 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 Grist working from chat. ### OpenClaw installed the Grist skill but can't call the tools The ClawHub skill teaches OpenClaw about Grist, but the calls run through the ClawLink plugin and your connected account. Make sure Grist 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 - [PostHog tools](https://claw-link.dev/openclaw/posthog) — Track user behavior and feature flags - [Connect DataforSEO](https://claw-link.dev/openclaw/dataforseo) — SEO data APIs for keywords, SERP, and site audits - [Metabase](https://claw-link.dev/openclaw/metabase) — Metabase is an open-source business intelligence tool that lets you ask questions about your data and visualize answers as charts, graphs, and dashboards.