OpenClaw extension routes requests through Claude Code CLI instead of API

OpenClaw Claude Runner Extension

An OpenClaw extension has been released that routes requests through the Claude Code CLI binary instead of using the Anthropic API. This approach avoids per-token API costs and potential TOS violations while providing the complete Claude Code feature set.

How It Works

The extension functions as a gateway plugin. When OpenClaw gateway receives a request, it hands it to this extension, which then spawns the Claude CLI as a subprocess. The extension executes the command claude -p "your prompt" --output-format stream-json, parses the NDJSON output, and translates it back to OpenAI-compatible Server-Sent Events (SSE). The gateway remains unaware it's not communicating with a standard API.

Features and Compatibility

• Provides full Claude Code experience including tool use, file editing, multi-step reasoning, MCP servers, and memory
• Works at the max plan flat rate instead of per-token API pricing
• Compatible with Claude models supported by Claude Code CLI: Opus 4.5, Sonnet 4.6, Sonnet 4, Haiku 4.5

Installation

Installation requires five commands:

git clone https://github.com/siimvene/openclaw-claude-runner.git
cd openclaw-claude-runner
bash install.sh
claude login
openclaw gateway restart

Architecture and Inspiration

The extension was inspired by the Jinn project, which implements similar functionality as a standalone service. The developer opted to create an OpenClaw extension instead, which integrates cleanly with the existing gateway without replacing any components.

This approach is particularly useful for developers who want to use Claude Code features through OpenClaw while avoiding API costs and maintaining compliance with usage terms.