npx skills add ...
npx skills add firecrawl/openclaw --skill coding-agent
npx skills add firecrawl/openclaw --skill coding-agent
Delegate coding tasks to Codex, Claude Code, or Pi agents via background process. Use when: (1) building/creating new features or apps, (2) reviewing PRs (spawn in temp dir), (3) refactoring large codebases, (4) iterative coding that needs file exploration. NOT for: simple one-liner fixes (just edit), reading code (use read tool), thread-bound ACP harness requests in chat (for example spawn/run Codex or Claude Code in a Discord thread; use sessions_spawn with runtime:"acp"), or any work in ~/clawd workspace (never spawn agents here). Requires a bash tool that supports pty:true.
Use bash (with optional background mode) for all coding agent work. Simple and effective.
Coding agents (Codex, Claude Code, Pi) are interactive terminal applications that need a pseudo-terminal (PTY) to work correctly. Without PTY, you'll get broken output, missing colors, or the agent may hang.
Always use pty:true when running coding agents:
| Parameter | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
command | string | The shell command to run |
pty | boolean | Use for coding agents! Allocates a pseudo-terminal for interactive CLIs |
workdir | string | Working directory (agent sees only this folder's context) |
background | boolean | Run in background, returns sessionId for monitoring |
timeout | number | Timeout in seconds (kills process on expiry) |
elevated | boolean | Run on host instead of sandbox (if allowed) |
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
list | List all running/recent sessions |
poll | Check if session is still running |
log | Get session output (with optional offset/limit) |
write | Send raw data to stdin |
submit | Send data + newline (like typing and pressing Enter) |
send-keys | Send key tokens or hex bytes |
paste | Paste text (with optional bracketed mode) |
kill | Terminate the session |
For quick prompts/chats, create a temp git repo and run:
Why git init? Codex refuses to run outside a trusted git directory. Creating a temp repo solves this for scratch work.
For longer tasks, use background mode with PTY:
Why workdir matters: Agent wakes up in a focused directory, doesn't wander off reading unrelated files (like your soul.md 😅).
Model: gpt-5.2-codex is the default (set in ~/.codex/config.toml)
| Flag | Effect |
|---|---|
exec "prompt" | One-shot execution, exits when done |
--full-auto | Sandboxed but auto-approves in workspace |
--yolo | NO sandbox, NO approvals (fastest, most dangerous) |
⚠️ CRITICAL: Never review PRs in OpenClaw's own project folder! Clone to temp folder or use git worktree.
Note: Pi now has Anthropic prompt caching enabled (PR #584, merged Jan 2026)!
For fixing multiple issues in parallel, use git worktrees:
When you spawn coding agents in the background, keep the user in the loop.
This prevents the user from seeing only "Agent failed before reply" and having no idea what happened.
For long-running background tasks, append a wake trigger to your prompt so OpenClaw gets notified immediately when the agent finishes (instead of waiting for the next heartbeat):
Example:
This triggers an immediate wake event — Skippy gets pinged in seconds, not 10 minutes.
pty:true, output breaks or agent hangs.mktemp -d && git init for scratch work.codex exec "prompt" runs and exits cleanly - perfect for one-shots.submit to send input + Enter, write for raw data without newline.# Start agent in target directory (with PTY!)
bash pty:true workdir:~/project background:true command:"codex exec --full-auto 'Build a snake game'"
# Returns sessionId for tracking
# Monitor progress
process action:log sessionId:XXX
# Check if done
process action:poll sessionId:XXX
# Send input (if agent asks a question)
process action:write sessionId:XXX data:"y"
# Submit with Enter (like typing "yes" and pressing Enter)
process action:submit sessionId:XXX data:"yes"
# Kill if needed
process action:kill sessionId:XXX# Quick one-shot (auto-approves) - remember PTY!
bash pty:true workdir:~/project command:"codex exec --full-auto 'Build a dark mode toggle'"
# Background for longer work
bash pty:true workdir:~/project background:true command:"codex --yolo 'Refactor the auth module'"# Clone to temp for safe review
REVIEW_DIR=$(mktemp -d)
git clone https://github.com/user/repo.git $REVIEW_DIR
cd $REVIEW_DIR && gh pr checkout 130
bash pty:true workdir:$REVIEW_DIR command:"codex review --base origin/main"
# Clean up after: trash $REVIEW_DIR
# Or use git worktree (keeps main intact)
git worktree add /tmp/pr-130-review pr-130-branch
bash pty:true workdir:/tmp/pr-130-review command:"codex review --base main"# Fetch all PR refs first
git fetch origin '+refs/pull/*/head:refs/remotes/origin/pr/*'
# Deploy the army - one Codex per PR (all with PTY!)
bash pty:true workdir:~/project background:true command:"codex exec 'Review PR #86. git diff origin/main...origin/pr/86'"
bash pty:true workdir:~/project background:true command:"codex exec 'Review PR #87. git diff origin/main...origin/pr/87'"
# Monitor all
process action:list
# Post results to GitHub
gh pr comment <PR#> --body "<review content>"# With PTY for proper terminal output
bash pty:true workdir:~/project command:"claude 'Your task'"
# Background
bash pty:true workdir:~/project background:true command:"claude 'Your task'"bash pty:true workdir:~/project command:"opencode run 'Your task'"# Install: npm install -g @mariozechner/pi-coding-agent
bash pty:true workdir:~/project command:"pi 'Your task'"
# Non-interactive mode (PTY still recommended)
bash pty:true command:"pi -p 'Summarize src/'"
# Different provider/model
bash pty:true command:"pi --provider openai --model gpt-4o-mini -p 'Your task'"# 1. Create worktrees for each issue
git worktree add -b fix/issue-78 /tmp/issue-78 main
git worktree add -b fix/issue-99 /tmp/issue-99 main
# 2. Launch Codex in each (background + PTY!)
bash pty:true workdir:/tmp/issue-78 background:true command:"pnpm install && codex --yolo 'Fix issue #78: <description>. Commit and push.'"
bash pty:true workdir:/tmp/issue-99 background:true command:"pnpm install && codex --yolo 'Fix issue #99 from the approved ticket summary. Implement only the in-scope edits and commit after review.'"
# 3. Monitor progress
process action:list
process action:log sessionId:XXX
# 4. Create PRs after fixes
cd /tmp/issue-78 && git push -u origin fix/issue-78
gh pr create --repo user/repo --head fix/issue-78 --title "fix: ..." --body "..."
# 5. Cleanup
git worktree remove /tmp/issue-78
git worktree remove /tmp/issue-99... your task here.
When completely finished, run this command to notify me:
openclaw system event --text "Done: [brief summary of what was built]" --mode nowbash pty:true workdir:~/project background:true command:"codex --yolo exec 'Build a REST API for todos.
When completely finished, run: openclaw system event --text \"Done: Built todos REST API with CRUD endpoints\" --mode now'"