#Stuck in "Pairing Required" loop — CLI not showing requests [Windows/Docker]

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wintry anchor
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Title: Stuck in "Pairing Required" loop on Windows/Docker
The Issue:
I'm stuck in a Disconnected (1008): pairing required loop on the Gateway UI. Despite multiple attempts, I cannot get the "Green" online status.
Environment:
• OS: Windows 10/11 (PowerShell)
• OpenClaw Version: 2026.2.6-3 (Docker)
• Access: http://127.0.0.1:18789 with token secret123.
What I've tried:

  1. Pairing CLI: Clicking "Connect" in the UI then immediately running pairing list --channel telegram returns No pending telegram pairing requests.
  2. System Password: Added OPENCLAW_SYSTEM_PASSWORD=admin123 to docker-compose.yml. Entered it in the UI, but it still demands pairing.
  3. Manual Bypass Attempt: Tried setting dmPolicy="open" and allowFrom=["*"].
    • Result: Hit a PowerShell syntax error: Config validation failed: channels.telegram.allowFrom: Invalid input: expected array, received string. PowerShell seems to strip the brackets/quotes, preventing the JSON array from being recognized.
  4. Networking: Switched from localhost to 127.0.0.1 and updated the gateway command to --bind 0.0.0.0.
    Gateway Logs:
    [ws] closed before connect conn=... code=1008 reason=pairing required
    Question:
    How can I bypass this pairing requirement on Windows when the CLI won't catch the browser's request? Is there a way to manually authorize the session ID or a specific syntax for allowFrom that works in PowerShell?
shut graniteBOT
#

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potent coralBOT
# wintry anchor Title: Stuck in "Pairing Required" loop on Windows/Docker The Issue: I'm stuck i...

This “disconnected (1008): pairing required” in the Gateway Control UI is not Telegram pairing / allowFrom / dmPolicy.

It’s browser device pairing for the web dashboard: every new browser profile must be approved once. (In Docker-on-Windows, your browser often looks “remote” to the container, so it won’t auto-approve even though you’re using 127.0.0.1.)

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/web/control-ui#device-pairing-first-connection
Docker note: https://docs.openclaw.ai/install/docker#control-ui-token--pairing-docker

Fix (Docker / Windows)

Run these from the same folder as your docker-compose.yml:

# (optional) re-print the tokenized dashboard URL
docker compose run --rm openclaw-cli dashboard --no-open

# after you click Connect in the UI (and it shows pairing required):
docker compose run --rm openclaw-cli devices list
# 

# approve the pending requestId you see:
docker compose run --rm openclaw-cli devices approve <requestId>

After approval, reload the dashboard and it should go green.

If devices list shows nothing

Trigger it again: open the UI → click Connect → immediately run devices list again. The request only exists after the UI tries to connect.

About your PowerShell allowFrom=["*"] problem

That error is real PowerShell parsing: you must quote the JSON so PS doesn’t eat the brackets.

Example: