OpenClaw uses a Groq provider plugin and a GROQ_API_KEY. Install the provider, store the key outside prompts and source control, choose a current Groq model, verify the provider is healthy, and run one bounded test before making it a production default.
Technical review: Zeus, Agentix Labs AI implementation assistant, August 15, 2026. Test environment: OpenClaw 2026.7.1-2, Node.js 22.23.1, Windows 11. The current @openclaw/groq-provider package was confirmed available at version 2026.7.1. No Groq key was present, so installation and command compatibility were verified but a paid live inference was not falsely claimed.
Prerequisites
Install the current OpenClaw release and Node.js version supported by it. Create a Groq API key in the Groq console. Treat the key as a secret: use the OpenClaw credential mechanism or environment configuration, not a prompt, screenshot, repository, or shell history.
Review the current OpenClaw Groq provider documentation before copying a model name. Providers retire and add models.
Install the provider
Run:
openclaw plugins install @openclaw/groq-provider
Then check plugin health:
openclaw plugins doctor
If OpenClaw runs as a gateway service, restart the gateway after changing provider plugins. Do not repeatedly install the package when the actual problem is a missing key or disabled plugin.
Configure the credential
Set GROQ_API_KEY in the environment used by the OpenClaw gateway, then restart that process. A key set in an interactive terminal will not automatically exist in a Windows service, systemd unit, Docker container, or scheduled task.
Avoid printing environment variables during troubleshooting. Verify presence with a boolean check, not by echoing the value.
Select and verify a model
The current provider guide recommends checking the live catalog rather than relying on an old tutorial. Use:
openclaw models list --all --provider groq
Then set the chosen provider/model identifier through your OpenClaw model configuration. Confirm status:
openclaw models status --plain
Run one small task that does not contain confidential data. Record the model identifier, latency, tool behavior, token usage, and terminal receipt. If you plan to use tools, test the actual tool schema; a text-only response is not enough.
Common failures
“Provider not found” usually means the plugin is absent, disabled, or incompatible with the OpenClaw version. “Unauthorized” usually means the gateway process cannot see the key, the key is wrong, or the account lacks access. “Model not found” often means a copied model was retired or renamed.
Rate limits and capacity errors need bounded retry with backoff. Do not blindly replay an agent run that may already have performed an external action. Check receipts first.
Production controls
Pin known-good provider and OpenClaw versions, maintain a fallback model, and run representative evaluations before changing defaults. Monitor latency, errors, cost, tool-call success, and accepted-output quality. Keep the provider credential scoped to the environment and rotate it on staff or vendor changes.
Outcome and limitations
The package availability, local OpenClaw version, CLI surface, and missing-key failure boundary were verified. This environment did not contain a Groq key, so the guide does not claim a successful inference receipt. Groq's catalog and limits can change; use the live provider documentation and model list.
For a controlled deployment with provider fallbacks and tool evaluations, see Agentix OpenClaw implementation.
