> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ticket-rs.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# OpenClaw

> Set up tk with OpenClaw for AI-powered issue tracking

Use tk with [OpenClaw](https://openclaw.ai/) to manage issues from any messaging platform — WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, and more.

***

## What is OpenClaw?

[OpenClaw](https://openclaw.ai/) (formerly Clawdbot/Moltbot) is an open-source autonomous AI agent created by Peter Steinberger. Unlike IDE-based coding tools, OpenClaw is a **messaging-first personal assistant** that connects to 12+ channels (WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, Signal, iMessage, and more). It runs locally as a daemon and can execute shell commands, browse the web, manage files, and — with the right skill — track your issues.

OpenClaw uses a **Skills** system for extensibility. Skills are markdown files (`SKILL.md`) that teach the agent how to use tools for specific tasks.

***

## Skill Setup

Create a tk skill to give OpenClaw context about your issue tracker.

### Local Skill (Per-Project)

Create `skills/ticket/SKILL.md` in your project root:

````markdown theme={null}
---
name: ticket_rs
description: Dependency-aware issue tracking with tk (ticket-rs). Issues stored as Markdown in .tickets/.
metadata:
  openclaw:
    requires:
      bins: [tk]
---

# Issue Tracking with tk

This project uses **tk (ticket-rs)** for dependency-aware issue tracking.
Issues are stored as Markdown files in `.tickets/`.

## Quick Commands

- `tk triage` - AI-powered recommendations and project health
- `tk ready` - Find issues with no blockers
- `tk next` - Single top recommendation
- `tk create "Title" -t task -p 2` - Create issue
- `tk show <id>` - View issue details
- `tk close <id>` - Complete work
- `tk dep add <blocked> <blocker>` - Add dependency
- `tk dep tree <id>` - Visualize dependencies

## Issue Format

Issues are Markdown files with YAML frontmatter:

```markdown
---
status: open
type: feature
priority: 1
deps: [tk-abc123]
labels: [backend]
---
# Issue Title

Description here.
```

## Status Values

- `open` - Ready to be worked on
- `in_progress` - Currently being worked on
- `blocked` - Waiting on dependencies
- `closed` - Completed

## Priority Levels

- P0 (0) - Critical
- P1 (1) - High
- P2 (2) - Medium (default)
- P3 (3) - Low
- P4 (4) - Lowest

## Workflow

1. Start session: `tk triage` for AI recommendations
2. Find work: `tk ready` for unblocked issues
3. Claim work: `tk claim <id>` before starting
4. Complete work: `tk resolve <id>` to close and see unblocked issues
````

### Global Skill (All Projects)

Place the same `SKILL.md` in `~/.openclaw/skills/ticket/` to make it available across all your projects.

<Tip>
  OpenClaw skills load in priority order: workspace skills override user-level skills, which override bundled skills.
</Tip>

***

## Heartbeat Integration

OpenClaw's heartbeat scheduler can run `tk triage` on a cron schedule to proactively surface recommendations. Add to your `~/.openclaw/openclaw.json`:

```json5 theme={null}
{
  "skills": {
    "ticket_rs": {
      "enabled": true,
      "settings": {
        "heartbeat": "0 9 * * 1-5"  // Weekday mornings at 9am
      }
    }
  }
}
```

This lets OpenClaw send you a morning triage summary over your preferred messaging channel.

***

## MCP Integration

If your OpenClaw instance supports MCP servers, you can connect the [`ticket-mcp`](https://pypi.org/project/ticket-mcp/) server for structured tool access:

```json5 theme={null}
// In ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
{
  "skills": {
    "ticket_mcp": {
      "enabled": true,
      "mcp": {
        "command": "uvx",
        "args": ["ticket-mcp"]
      }
    }
  }
}
```

<Accordion title="Requirements">
  **uv** installed via: `curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh`

  **Python** version 3.10 or higher (installed automatically by uv)
</Accordion>

***

## Workflow Tips

### Morning Triage

Message OpenClaw: *"Run tk triage and tell me what I should work on today"*

OpenClaw will execute `tk triage` and send back AI-powered recommendations with reasoning.

### Creating Issues

Message OpenClaw: *"Create a high-priority bug for the payment timeout issue"*

OpenClaw will run:

```bash theme={null}
tk create "Fix payment timeout" -t bug -p 1
```

### Closing Work

Message OpenClaw: *"Resolve tk-abc123, the fix is deployed"*

OpenClaw will run `tk resolve tk-abc123` and report any newly unblocked issues.

### Project Health

Message OpenClaw: *"How healthy is the project? Run tk insights"*

OpenClaw will analyze PageRank scores, dependency bottlenecks, and critical path.

***

## Multi-Channel Workflows

OpenClaw's unique strength is messaging-first interaction across platforms:

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Slack Channel Updates">
    Configure OpenClaw in a team Slack channel to respond to `tk triage` requests, letting your whole team get issue recommendations without leaving Slack.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Mobile Issue Management">
    Message OpenClaw from WhatsApp or Telegram to create and manage issues on the go — no terminal or IDE required.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Scheduled Reports">
    Use OpenClaw's heartbeat scheduler to push daily `tk standup` summaries to your preferred channel every morning.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Voice Commands">
    On macOS/iOS/Android with voice mode enabled, speak commands like "Create a task for updating the API docs, priority two" and OpenClaw translates to the right tk command.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

## Security Considerations

OpenClaw requires broad system permissions. When using it with tk:

* **Workspace restriction**: Ensure `$WORKSPACE_ROOT` is set to limit file operations to your project directory
* **Tool policies**: Only enable `shell` and `write` tools if needed for issue management
* **Approval workflows**: Enable approval prompts for destructive commands like `tk delete`

<Info>
  Review [OpenClaw's security documentation](https://docs.openclaw.ai/gateway/security) for sandbox configuration and tool policy details.
</Info>

***

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="OpenClaw doesn't recognize tk commands">
    Verify `tk` is in your PATH by running `which tk` in a terminal. Ensure the skill file is in the correct location (`skills/ticket/SKILL.md` or `~/.openclaw/skills/ticket/SKILL.md`).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Skill not loading">
    Check that the `SKILL.md` frontmatter is valid YAML. Run `openclaw skills list` to verify the skill is detected. Workspace skills take priority over global skills.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="MCP server not connecting">
    Ensure `uvx` is in your PATH. Check OpenClaw gateway logs with `openclaw logs` for connection errors. Restart the gateway with `openclaw restart`.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Slow responses from tk">
    Enable caching with `tk cache info` to verify the analytics cache is active. Cached responses return in under 10ms.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="CLI Reference" icon="terminal" href="/cli-reference/commands">
    Complete tk command documentation
  </Card>

  <Card title="MCP Server" icon="plug" href="/integrations/mcp">
    Deep dive into MCP server capabilities
  </Card>

  <Card title="Graph Analytics" icon="chart-network" href="/concepts/graph-analytics">
    Learn about PageRank and dependency analysis
  </Card>

  <Card title="OpenClaw Docs" icon="book" href="https://docs.openclaw.ai/">
    Official OpenClaw documentation
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

***

## Sources

* [OpenClaw Documentation](https://docs.openclaw.ai/)
* [OpenClaw GitHub Repository](https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw)
* [OpenClaw Skills Guide](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/skills)
* [OpenClaw Configuration Reference](https://docs.openclaw.ai/gateway/configuration)
* [MCP Documentation](https://modelcontextprotocol.io)