Troubleshooting
Fix "__OPENCLAW_REDACTED__" Sentinel Errors
What this error means, why it happens, and the fastest safe way to recover your config changes.
If you see an error like this:
GatewayRequestError: Sentinel value "__OPENCLAW_REDACTED__" in key ... is not valid as real data
your agent is trying to save a placeholder instead of a real secret (like an API key or token).
Plain English: __OPENCLAW_REDACTED__ is a masked value used to hide secrets in logs/UI. It is not a valid key and cannot be saved as actual config.
Why this happens
- You copied a redacted config snippet and pasted it back as-is
- An agent tried to "preserve" a hidden value and re-wrote the sentinel text
- You edited one secret field but another hidden secret field got re-submitted as
__OPENCLAW_REDACTED__
Fast recovery checklist (3–5 minutes)
1) Find the exact key named in the error
The error usually points to a path like tools.web.search.apiKey. Start there first.
2) Replace sentinel text with a real value (or remove that field)
Any value equal to __OPENCLAW_REDACTED__ must be replaced with a real key/token, or deleted if you don't use that integration.
3) Re-save in one clean edit
Avoid multiple partial saves. Make one full pass through secret fields and save once.
4) Retry your original action
After fixing the field, rerun the operation (token update, channel reconnect, config apply, etc.).
Known-good pattern for secret edits
- Open config
- Search for
__OPENCLAW_REDACTED__
- For each match: replace with real secret OR remove field
- Save once
- Test integration immediately
Common gotchas
- "I only changed Discord token" — another tool key may still be redacted and blocking the full save.
- "My agent says it has permission" — this is not a permissions issue; it's invalid config data.
- "It keeps coming back" — you may be pasting from an old redacted export/template.
What to post in #help if still stuck
I'm getting a sentinel-value config error.
Exact error:
GatewayRequestError: Sentinel value "__OPENCLAW_REDACTED__" in key [path]
What I tried:
- searched config for __OPENCLAW_REDACTED__
- replaced/removed all matches I found
- saved and retried
Result:
[still failing / now different error]
Security reminder: never paste real API keys/tokens into public channels. Share only key names/paths and error text.
Bottom line: this error is usually quick to fix once every sentinel placeholder is removed from live config.