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BytesAgainBytesAgain
πŸ¦€ ClawHub

openclaw menubar

by @prab002

Enable OpenClaw as a native macOS menu bar app with quick access popup. **macOS ONLY** - not compatible with Windows or Linux. Use when user asks to "enable menubar", "add menu bar", "run in menu bar", "make it accessible from menu bar", or wants quick OpenClaw access without opening full dashboard.

Versionv1.0.0
Downloads1,142
TERMINAL
clawhub install openclaw-menubar

πŸ“– About This Skill


slug: openclaw-menubar displayName: OpenClaw Menu Bar description: Enable OpenClaw as a native macOS menu bar app with quick access popup. macOS ONLY - not compatible with Windows or Linux. Use when user asks to "enable menubar", "add menu bar", "run in menu bar", "make it accessible from menu bar", or wants quick OpenClaw access without opening full dashboard.

OpenClaw Menu Bar

> ⚠️ macOS ONLY - This skill requires macOS. Menu bar apps are not supported on Windows or Linux.

Adds a native macOS menu bar app for quick OpenClaw access - click the crab icon πŸ¦€ in your menu bar to get an instant chat popup.

Quick Start

Install & Launch

scripts/install.sh
scripts/start.sh

The crab icon will appear in your menu bar. Click it to open the chat window.

Stop

scripts/stop.sh

Check Status

scripts/status.sh

What It Does

  • Menu bar icon: Crab πŸ¦€ icon appears in macOS menu bar
  • Quick popup: Click icon β†’ instant chat window (no browser needed)
  • Keyboard shortcut: Cmd+Shift+O to toggle popup
  • Native feel: Proper macOS vibrancy, stays on top when needed
  • Lightweight: Electron app, ~480x680px popup window
  • Icon Setup

    The menubar app requires two icon files in assets/openclaw-menubar/icons/:

  • icon.png (22x22 pixels, transparent PNG)
  • icon@2x.png (44x44 pixels, transparent PNG)
  • Option 1: Auto-generate icons

    cd assets/openclaw-menubar
    ./create-icon.sh
    

    This creates a simple crab emoji icon.

    Option 2: Custom icons

    Replace the generated icons with your own 22x22 and 44x44 transparent PNGs.

    Note: macOS menu bar uses monochrome template mode (auto-colorizes your icon).

    Window Size

    Edit assets/openclaw-menubar/main.js:

    browserWindow: {
      width: 480,  // Change width
      height: 680  // Change height
    }
    

    Keyboard Shortcut

    Edit assets/openclaw-menubar/main.js:

    globalShortcut.register('CommandOrControl+Shift+O', () => {
      // Change 'O' to any key
    });
    

    Architecture

  • Electron app using menubar package
  • Header: Custom HTML header (index-webchat.html) with branding
  • Content: OpenClaw webchat loaded via BrowserView with auth token
  • Auto-auth: Reads gateway config from ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
  • Requirements

  • macOS (menu bar apps are macOS-specific)
  • OpenClaw Gateway running on localhost
  • Node.js (for Electron)
  • Troubleshooting

    Icon not showing

  • Icon must be 22x22 PNG with transparent background
  • macOS menu bar uses monochrome template mode (auto-colorizes)
  • "OpenClaw Not Running" error

  • Ensure OpenClaw Gateway is running: openclaw gateway status
  • Check config: cat ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
  • Window doesn't open

  • Check logs in Console.app (search "OpenClaw")
  • Try: scripts/stop.sh && scripts/start.sh
  • Files

  • assets/openclaw-menubar/ - Complete Electron app
  • scripts/install.sh - Install dependencies (npm install)
  • scripts/start.sh - Launch the menu bar app
  • scripts/stop.sh - Kill the app process
  • scripts/status.sh - Check if app is running
  • πŸ’‘ Examples

    Install & Launch

    scripts/install.sh
    scripts/start.sh
    

    The crab icon will appear in your menu bar. Click it to open the chat window.

    Stop

    scripts/stop.sh
    

    Check Status

    scripts/status.sh
    

    πŸ“‹ Tips & Best Practices

    Icon not showing

  • Icon must be 22x22 PNG with transparent background
  • macOS menu bar uses monochrome template mode (auto-colorizes)
  • "OpenClaw Not Running" error

  • Ensure OpenClaw Gateway is running: openclaw gateway status
  • Check config: cat ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
  • Window doesn't open

  • Check logs in Console.app (search "OpenClaw")
  • Try: scripts/stop.sh && scripts/start.sh