WebSocket Control Plane
The OpenClaw Control Plane uses WebSockets to provide real-time, bidirectional communication between the agent core, the dashboard, messaging channels, and external integrations.
Architecture
The control plane operates as a central message bus:
- Agent Core ↔ Dashboard: Real-time status updates, log streaming, and command execution
- Agent Core ↔ Channels: Message routing between messaging platforms and the AI engine
- Agent Core ↔ Skills: Skill invocation, progress updates, and result streaming
- Dashboard ↔ Client: Browser-based UI receives live updates without polling
Why WebSockets?
Traditional REST APIs require polling for updates, which introduces latency and wastes bandwidth. WebSockets maintain a persistent connection, enabling:
- Instant updates: Agent status changes appear in the dashboard immediately
- Streaming responses: LLM responses stream token-by-token to the UI
- Bidirectional control: You can send commands to the agent and receive responses in real-time
- Efficient resource usage: No wasted HTTP requests for polling
Connection Management
The control plane implements automatic reconnection, heartbeat monitoring, and message queuing to ensure reliable operation even during network interruptions.
OpenClaw Setup
See how OpenClaw works under the hood, then build your own agent.