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File Transfer plugin reference

Fetch, list, and write files on paired nodes via dedicated node commands. Bypasses bash stdout truncation by using base64 over node.invoke for binaries up to 16 MB.

Distribution

Package: @openclaw/file-transfer
Install route: included in OpenClaw

Surface

CLI commands: openclaw file-transfer
Contracts: tools

Directory archives

dir_fetch fetches the whole directory tree, including dotfiles and hidden directories. File-transfer policy checks every descendant; a denied entry rejects the whole transfer instead of being filtered out. Path identity, symlink, archive-size, and extraction limits still apply.

Migrate existing permissions

After upgrading, older positive file-transfer permissions remain inactive until you review them. Deny rules, size limits, and symlink settings continue to apply. Run this command on the Gateway host in an interactive terminal:

bash

openclaw file-transfer approvals migrate

See File transfers for the full flag surface and the non-interactive exit codes.

For each older path, choose one outcome:

Require exact reapproval removes the ambiguous permission. The next use prompts once and records the exact node, command, requested path, and canonical target.
Keep as an intentional wildcard preserves the entry as an operator-authored glob.
Remove this permission deletes the positive entry.

Use --dry-run to review the plan without writing. Non-interactive and --json runs never guess; they list unresolved items and direct you back to the same interactive command.

The migration writes the new format once after confirmation and reports whether the adjacent config backup was verified. Older OpenClaw versions cannot read the migrated format. To downgrade, restore that reported .bak file before starting the older version; doing so also restores the older permission semantics.

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