# How to connect Sideshow to OpenClaw (no API keys) > Connect Sideshow to OpenClaw with ClawLink in one click — 18 tools your AI agent can call from chat via hosted OAuth. No API keys, no manual setup. Web version: https://claw-link.dev/openclaw/sideshow The usual route to Sideshow 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 Sideshow setup: install one ClawHub skill, connect Sideshow in the browser, and OpenClaw can call real Sideshow 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 Sideshow. 1. **Install ClawLink** — add the plugin to OpenClaw once. 2. **Connect Sideshow** — 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 sideshow # connect Sideshow (browser OAuth) npx -y @useclawlink/cli actions sideshow # list available actions npx -y @useclawlink/cli run sideshow --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 Sideshow in the [ClawLink dashboard](https://claw-link.dev/dashboard) — a one-click OAuth approval, no API keys. Verify the connection by asking OpenClaw: > Use Sideshow to mcp get design guide 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 Sideshow is connected in the dashboard, that agent calls the same 18 Sideshow 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). ## Sideshow MCP for OpenClaw Looking for a Sideshow MCP server for OpenClaw? ClawLink connects Sideshow to OpenClaw and exposes 18 Sideshow 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 Sideshow integration](https://claw-link.dev/hermes/sideshow) works the same way. ## What the OpenClaw Sideshow integration can do 18 Sideshow tools are ready for OpenClaw once the account is connected. ### All 18 Sideshow tools for OpenClaw | Tool | What it does | |---|---| | **Mcp get design guide** `sideshow_mcp_get_design_guide` | Fetch HTML fragment, sizing, theme, kit, CDN, and interactivity guidance | | **Mcp get post** `sideshow_mcp_get_post` | Get one full post with surface ids/indexes, version, and history; use before targeted edits or | | **Mcp list posts** `sideshow_mcp_list_posts` | List posts, optionally scoped by session | | **Mcp list surfaces** `sideshow_mcp_list_surfaces` | Deprecated list_posts alias | | **Mcp add surface** `sideshow_mcp_add_surface` | Insert one publish_post-shaped surface into a post; before/after accepts an id or 0-based index | | **Mcp edit surface** `sideshow_mcp_edit_surface` | Replace one surface by id/index, or pass content to preserve its kind-specific options | | **Mcp publish post** `sideshow_mcp_publish_post` | Publish ordered surfaces as one post | | **Mcp publish snippet** `sideshow_mcp_publish_snippet` | Deprecated HTML-only publish_post sugar | | **Mcp publish surface** `sideshow_mcp_publish_surface` | Deprecated publish_post alias; pass the same surface shape as parts | | **Mcp reorder surfaces** `sideshow_mcp_reorder_surfaces` | Reorder every surface using ids or 0-based indexes; order length must match | | **Mcp reply to user** `sideshow_mcp_reply_to_user` | Post a short plain-text reply using postId (surfaceId is deprecated) | | **Mcp send test post** `sideshow_mcp_send_test_post` | Publish the idempotent built-in welcome post to test a connection or fresh workspace; returns | | **Mcp update post** `sideshow_mcp_update_post` | Revise a post in place instead of publishing a duplicate | | **Mcp update snippet** `sideshow_mcp_update_snippet` | Deprecated HTML-only update_post sugar | | **Mcp update surface** `sideshow_mcp_update_surface` | Deprecated update_post alias; pass replacement surfaces as parts | | **Mcp upload asset** `sideshow_mcp_upload_asset` | Upload base64 bytes and return id and URL | | **Mcp wait for feedback** `sideshow_mcp_wait_for_feedback` | Wait up to 300 seconds for comments not yet delivered on any channel; 0 is a non-blocking check | | **Mcp remove surface** `sideshow_mcp_remove_surface` | Remove one surface by id/index; a post must retain at least one | ## Example prompts **Mcp Get Design Guide** > Use Sideshow to mcp get design guide and walk me through the result in plain English. **Mcp Get Post** > Use Sideshow to mcp get post and walk me through the result in plain English. **Mcp List Posts** > Use Sideshow to mcp list posts and walk me through the result in plain English. **Mcp List Surfaces** > Use Sideshow to mcp list surfaces and walk me through the result in plain English. ## ClawLink vs. building it yourself The alternative to ClawLink is usually manual OAuth app 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 Sideshow working from chat. | | Manual | ClawLink | |---|---|---| | **Connection flow** | Register a Sideshow app, configure redirect URLs, manage consent details, and reconnect users when auth settings drift. | Users connect Sideshow through the hosted browser flow and ClawLink keeps the token lifecycle out of your app code. | | **Ongoing maintenance** | You own refresh logic, permission debugging, environment config, and every provider-specific edge case for Sideshow. | 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 Sideshow actions to the runtime in a format your agent can reliably use. | 18 tools for Sideshow are already exposed through ClawLink, so the agent can read and act from chat immediately. | ## ClawLink vs. Composio Composio also exposes Sideshow 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 Sideshow in the browser, and the 18 tools above work from chat. There is no SDK, no config file, and no API key handling. Choosing between them? Read the full [Composio alternatives](https://claw-link.dev/hub/composio-alternatives) comparison. ### OpenClaw installed the Sideshow skill but can't call the tools The ClawHub skill teaches OpenClaw about Sideshow, but the calls run through the ClawLink plugin and your connected account. Make sure Sideshow 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 Sideshow 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 Sideshow tools Sideshow 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 Sideshow 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. ### Sideshow 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. ### OAuth finished in the browser but the account is still missing Try reconnecting Sideshow and complete the consent flow in the same browser session. Partial OAuth approvals or switching accounts mid-flow can leave the connection incomplete. ### Is there a OpenClaw Sideshow integration? Yes. ClawLink is the fastest way to connect OpenClaw to Sideshow: link your Sideshow account once in the browser and OpenClaw can call the Sideshow API through 18 ready-made tools — no custom code or token handling. ### How do I add Sideshow to OpenClaw with ClawLink? Paste the setup prompt from this page into OpenClaw. It installs the ClawLink Sideshow skill from ClawHub, then you click Connect in the dashboard to authorize Sideshow. OpenClaw calls the tools from the next message — no config files or API keys to manage. ### How long does it take to connect Sideshow to OpenClaw? About two minutes. Sign in, click Connect next to Sideshow in the dashboard, authenticate, and OpenClaw can use it from the next chat message. ### Why use ClawLink instead of wiring Sideshow up myself? The alternative to ClawLink is usually manual OAuth app 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 Sideshow working from chat. ### OpenClaw installed the Sideshow skill but can't call the tools The ClawHub skill teaches OpenClaw about Sideshow, but the calls run through the ClawLink plugin and your connected account. Make sure Sideshow 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 - [Connect PagerDuty](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.