[openclaw] :warning: Agent failed before reply: No API key found for provider "anthropic". | Friends of the Crustacean 🦞🤝 | Page 1

upbeat frigate Feb 15, 2026, 8:19 AM

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😩 I need help pleaseeee.

Goal : Trying to create an autoresponder for whatsapp messages but getting an error below.
Issue: [openclaw] ⚠️ Agent failed before reply: No API key found for provider "anthropic". Auth store: C:\Users\midni.openclaw\agents\main\agent\auth-profiles.json (agentDir: C:\Users\midni.openclaw\agents\main\agent). Configure auth for this agent (openclaw agents add <id>) or copy auth-profiles.json from the main agentDir.
Logs: openclaw logs --follow
From log file i got this details: 2026-02-15T13:24:00.052+05:30 Embedded agent failed before reply: No API key found for provider "anthropic". Auth store: C:\Users\midni.openclaw\agents\main\agent\auth-profiles.json (agentDir: C:\Users\midni.openclaw\agents\main\agent). Configure auth for this agent (openclaw agents add <id>) or copy auth-profiles.json from the main agentDir.

Fix taken: I have created API key under https://platform.claude.com/settings/keys
I had added the key under path > .openclaw\agents\main\agent

What iam doing wrong here?

royal falconBOT Feb 15, 2026, 8:19 AM

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simple hornetBOT Feb 15, 2026, 8:21 AM

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OpenClaw isn’t looking for a “key file in that folder” — it’s looking for either:

an env var ANTHROPIC_API_KEY (recommended), or
a properly-written auth profile inside C:\Users\midni\.openclaw\agents\main\agent\auth-profiles.json (usually created by the CLI, not by hand).

Easiest fix (Windows)

Create/edit this file (note: NOT inside agents\main\agent):

C:\Users\midni\.openclaw\.env

Put this in it (no quotes):

ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...

Restart the Gateway so it actually picks up the new env:

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openclaw gateway restart

(or stop/start whichever way you run it)

Verify:

openclaw models status

Alternative (CLI-managed auth profile)

Run:

openclaw models auth login --provider anthropic

(or openclaw onboard) and paste your API key when prompted — this will write the correct auth-profiles.json for you.

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If it still fails

Paste the output of:

openclaw --version
openclaw models status --agent main

(please redact any keys/tokens)

Docs that match your exact error:

https://docs.openclaw.ai/help/faq (see “No API key found for provider…”)
https://docs.openclaw.ai/gateway/authentication

upbeat frigate Feb 15, 2026, 8:27 AM

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While running openclaw models status i see this

seems something wrong there
Config : ~.openclaw\openclaw.json
Agent dir : ~.openclaw\agents\main\agent
Default : anthropic/claude-opus-4-6
Fallbacks (0) : -
Image model : -
Image fallbacks (0): -
Aliases (0) : -
Configured models (0): all

Auth overview
Auth store : ~.openclaw\agents\main\agent\auth-profiles.json
Shell env : off
Providers w/ OAuth/tokens (0): -

simple hornetBOT Feb 15, 2026, 8:28 AM

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Yep — that models status output is telling you OpenClaw currently sees zero Anthropic credentials for the main agent:

Providers w/ OAuth/tokens (0) = auth-profiles.json has no usable credentials
Shell env : off = the Gateway is not importing your PowerShell/CMD environment automatically (so setting env vars “in your terminal” often won’t reach the Gateway if it’s running as a service/background process)

Fix (recommended): put the key in the global OpenClaw `.env`

On Windows create/edit this exact file:

C:\Users\midni\.openclaw\.env (not inside agents\main\agent\)

Add one line:

ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...

Important Windows gotchas:

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make sure the file is literally named .env (not .env.txt)
no quotes, no extra spaces

Then restart the Gateway, and re-run:

openclaw models status

Alternative: let OpenClaw write `auth-profiles.json` for you

Run the interactive helper and choose Anthropic, then paste the API key:

openclaw models auth add

Quick check question

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How are you running the Gateway on Windows — as a background service/daemon, or just in a terminal window? (It matters for env vars.)

Also paste openclaw --version (and don’t paste any keys).

upbeat frigate Feb 15, 2026, 4:07 PM

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how to create .env file since its showing off

simple hornetBOT Feb 15, 2026, 4:09 PM

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Shell env: off does not mean you can’t use a .env file — it just means OpenClaw isn’t auto-importing variables from your login shell. A .env file is the easiest fix.

Create the file on Windows (recommended)

You want this exact path:

C:\Users\midni\.openclaw\.env

Option A: PowerShell (easy + reliable)

Open PowerShell and run:

notepad $env:USERPROFILE\.openclaw\.env

Notepad will ask to create it → click Yes.

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Then paste this line into the file (replace with your key):

ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...

Save, close.

Option B: Create it via command (PowerShell)

New-Item -Force -ItemType File $env:USERPROFILE\.openclaw\.env
Add-Content $env:USERPROFILE\.openclaw\.env "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-..."

IMPORTANT: make sure it’s not “.env.txt”

In File Explorer, enable:
View → Show → File name extensions

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The filename must be exactly .env (no .txt).

Then restart the Gateway + verify

Restart whatever is running OpenClaw (or run):

openclaw gateway restart

Then check:

openclaw models status

If you tell me how you started the gateway (terminal window vs installed service), I can tell you the exact restart step for your setup.

upbeat frigate Feb 15, 2026, 4:15 PM

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midni@MidnightGhost MINGW64 ~/.openclaw
$ openclaw models status
Config : ~.openclaw\openclaw.json
Agent dir : ~.openclaw\agents\main\agent
Default : anthropic/claude-opus-4-6
Fallbacks (0) : -
Image model : -
Image fallbacks (0): -
Aliases (0) : -
Configured models (0): all

Auth overview
Auth store : ~.openclaw\agents\main\agent\auth-profiles.json
Shell env : off
Providers w/ OAuth/tokens (0): -

anthropic effective=env:s A | env=s A | source=env: ANTHROPIC_API_KEY

OAuth/token status

none

What i see

simple hornetBOT Feb 15, 2026, 4:18 PM

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That output actually means the CLI can see an Anthropic key now:

- anthropic ... source=env: ANTHROPIC_API_KEY ✅ = ANTHROPIC_API_KEY is present for the openclaw models status command you just ran
Providers w/ OAuth/tokens (0) is fine if you’re using an env var (it just means auth-profiles.json doesn’t contain stored tokens)

What usually still causes the agent to say “No API key found…” is: the Gateway process didn’t reload the env var yet (or it’s running in a different environment).

Do this next

Make sure the key is in the global env file (recommended):

File: C:\Users\midni\.openclaw\.env
Line inside:

ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...

Restart the Gateway (this is the important part):

#

openclaw gateway restart

(or if you started the gateway in a terminal window: stop it with Ctrl+C and start it again)

Then re-test by sending a WhatsApp message again.

If it still fails, tell me how you start the gateway

Do you run openclaw gateway start in a terminal?
Or did you install it as a Windows service/background daemon?

That determines the exact restart/env behavior.

upbeat frigate Feb 15, 2026, 4:21 PM

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how to check .env file using command?

simple hornetBOT Feb 15, 2026, 4:21 PM

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On Windows you can print/check your OpenClaw .env like this:

PowerShell

type $env:USERPROFILE\.openclaw\.env

Or (same thing):

Get-Content $env:USERPROFILE\.openclaw\.env

Git Bash / MINGW64 (what you’re using)

cat ~/.openclaw/.env

#[openclaw] :warning: Agent failed before reply: No API key found for provider "anthropic".