OpenClaw users often encounter error messages when deploying or running instances, which can slow down productivity. This article covers the most common OpenClaw error codes and provides actionable solutions to help you restore service quickly and reduce troubleshooting time.
Error 401: Authentication Failed
A 401 error typically means your API key has expired or the permissions are misconfigured. Start by checking whether the key you are using is still valid, and confirm that the role attached to the key has the required access to the target resources.
If the key hasn’t expired, try generating a new one in the OpenClaw console and update it in your client configuration file. Avoid hardcoding keys in scripts—use environment variables or a key management service instead.
Error 503: Service Temporarily Unavailable
A 503 error is usually caused by insufficient resources in a region or backend maintenance. OpenClaw’s spot instances are more prone to this issue during peak hours. Try switching to another available region to launch your instance, or wait a few minutes and retry.
If 503 errors happen frequently over a long period, consider enabling automatic failover with multiple regions configured as backups. Also check whether you’ve hit a resource quota limit—if so, submit a quota increase request in the console.
Error 429: Request Rate Limit Exceeded
Sending a high volume of API calls in a short period can trigger a 429 rate limit. OpenClaw imposes per-second request limits on sensitive operations like creating or deleting instances. The fix is to implement an exponential backoff retry mechanism, waiting progressively longer between retries after each failure.
If your business genuinely requires high-frequency calls, contact OpenClaw support to request a higher rate limit, or use batch operations instead of individual calls to reduce the total number of requests.
Error 400: Invalid Parameter Format
A 400 error usually indicates that the request parameters don’t meet the required format—for example, a misspelled instance type name or an incorrect image ID. Carefully compare your parameters against the official OpenClaw API documentation, paying attention to case sensitivity and field types.
When using the OpenClaw SDK or CLI, take advantage of the built-in parameter validation features to catch format issues before submission. Also look for extra spaces or special characters in the request body, as these subtle details can cause parsing failures.
For error codes not listed here, start by checking the official OpenClaw error code reference table, or submit a ticket with your logs—the support team can usually provide a specific solution within one hour. Keeping your client and SDK versions up to date also helps prevent many known issues.
