Coolify Skill for OpenClaw

OpenClaw Coolify Skill Overview

The Coolify skill connects OpenClaw to your Coolify instance via its REST API. Once installed, your OpenClaw agent can deploy applications, manage databases, configure environment variables, and monitor services — all through plain English commands.

Coolify is an open-source, self-hostable alternative to Vercel, Heroku, and Netlify. It lets you deploy static sites, full-stack applications, databases, and 280+ one-click services on your own servers. With the OpenClaw Coolify skill, you get the convenience of managed platforms while keeping full control over your infrastructure and data.

Typical workflow:

1. Ask OpenClaw to deploy your latest changes to the staging server.
2. The agent calls the Coolify API to trigger a deployment on your linked project.
3. Build status and logs are returned in a readable summary — no need to open the Coolify dashboard.

Prerequisites for Coolify Skill

Before installing the Coolify skill, make sure you have:

• OpenClaw installed and running (v1.0+)
• A Coolify instance running on your server — installation guide
• Coolify API token generated from your Coolify dashboard
• At least one application or service configured in Coolify
• clawhub CLI installed for skill management

Verify your setup:

# Check OpenClaw version
openclaw --version

# Verify Coolify is reachable (replace with your instance URL)
curl -s https://your-coolify-instance.com/api/v1/healthcheck

# Check clawhub CLI
clawhub --version

How to Install the Coolify Skill

Install the Coolify skill with a single command:

npx clawhub@latest install coolify

To verify the installation:

clawhub list

You should see coolify in the list of installed skills. The skill will prompt you for your Coolify API endpoint and token on first use.

Coolify Skill Configuration

The Coolify skill requires an API token and your instance URL. Generate a token from the Coolify dashboard under Settings → API Tokens.

Token Permissions

Coolify API tokens provide full access to your instance. Follow the principle of least privilege:

| Use Case | Recommendation | |----------|---------------| | Read-only monitoring | Create a token on a team member account with viewer role | | Full deployment | Use an admin token but review all actions before confirming | | Multi-server | Create separate tokens per server for isolation |

Environment Setup

# Set your Coolify instance URL
export COOLIFY_BASE_URL=https://your-coolify-instance.com

# Set your Coolify API token
export COOLIFY_TOKEN=your_api_token_here

Important: Never hardcode tokens in configuration files. Use environment variables or a secret manager such as 1Password or Bitwarden. Keep your Coolify instance updated to the latest version for security patches.

Verifying the Connection

After setting the environment variables, verify the connection:

# Test API access
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $COOLIFY_TOKEN" \
  "$COOLIFY_BASE_URL/api/v1/teams"

Coolify Skill Usage Examples

1. Deploy an Application

You: "Deploy the latest version of my web app on Coolify."

The agent identifies your application by name, triggers a deployment via the Coolify API, and streams the build status. You receive a summary with the deployment URL and build duration.

2. Manage Environment Variables

You: "Add DATABASE_URL to the staging environment of my API service."

The agent calls the Coolify API to create the environment variable on your specified application. You can also ask to list, update, or bulk-update variables across environments. The skill ensures sensitive values are masked in the output.

3. View Application Logs

You: "Show me the last 100 lines of logs from the payment service."

The agent fetches the container logs via the Coolify API and presents them in a readable format. It can also highlight errors and suggest fixes based on common patterns.

4. Restart a Service

You: "Restart the PostgreSQL database on my production server."

The agent sends a restart command to the specified service. OpenClaw prompts for confirmation before executing any restart or stop operations on production services.

5. Check Resource Usage

You: "How much CPU and memory is my staging server using?"

The agent queries the Coolify API for server metrics and presents a summary of CPU, memory, and disk usage. It can alert you if any resource is approaching its limit.

Security & Best Practices

The Coolify skill can perform write operations on your servers and applications. Follow these guidelines to stay safe:

• Use least privilege. Create dedicated API tokens with minimal permissions. Avoid using your main admin token for automated operations.
• Review before deploying to production. Always test deployments on staging first. OpenClaw prompts for confirmation before production deployments.
• Keep Coolify updated. Regularly update your Coolify instance to get the latest security patches — run the update from the Coolify dashboard or use the official update guide.
• Secure your instance. Place Coolify behind a firewall or VPN. Use strong passwords and enable two-factor authentication.
• Rotate API tokens. Regenerate tokens periodically and revoke unused ones from the dashboard.
• Back up regularly. Use Coolify's built-in S3 backup feature to protect your configuration and database data.

Troubleshooting Common Errors

"Connection refused" or "ECONNREFUSED"

The skill cannot reach your Coolify instance.

1. Verify COOLIFY_BASE_URL is correct and includes the protocol (https://).
2. Check that your Coolify instance is running: systemctl status coolify on your server.
3. Ensure your firewall allows traffic on the Coolify port (default: 8000).
4. If using a VPN or Tailscale, confirm the tunnel is active.

"Unauthorized" or "401 Error"

Your API token is invalid or expired.

1. Check your token at Coolify Dashboard → Settings → API Tokens.
2. Regenerate the token if it was revoked.
3. Verify the COOLIFY_TOKEN environment variable is set correctly.

# Verify token is set
echo $COOLIFY_TOKEN

# Test authentication
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $COOLIFY_TOKEN" \
  "$COOLIFY_BASE_URL/api/v1/teams"

"Application not found"

The skill cannot find the application you referenced.

1. List all applications: ask OpenClaw "List all my Coolify applications."
2. Check the application name or UUID matches what's in your Coolify dashboard.
3. Ensure your API token has access to the team that owns the application.