Openclaw Workspace Governance Installer

OpenClaw Workspace Governance Installer

Ship safer OpenClaw operations from day one. This installer gives you a repeatable governance path instead of ad-hoc prompt edits.

Why this is popular

1. Prevents "edit first, verify later" mistakes.
2. Gives one predictable setup/upgrade/audit flow.
3. Makes changes traceable for review and handover.
4. Works for both beginners and production workspaces.

60-second quick start

First-time install:

# 1) Install plugin (first time only)
openclaw plugins install @adamchanadam/openclaw-workspace-governance@latest

# 2) Enable plugin
openclaw plugins enable openclaw-workspace-governance

# 3) Verify skills
openclaw skills list --eligible

In OpenClaw chat:

/gov_help
/gov_setup quick
# if quick output says allowlist is not ready (for example plugins.allow needs alignment):
/gov_openclaw_json
/gov_setup quick
# manual fallback (step-by-step):
/gov_setup install
prompts/governance/OpenClaw_INIT_BOOTSTRAP_WORKSPACE_GOVERNANCE.md
# if this workspace was already active before first governance adoption:
/gov_migrate
/gov_audit

Already installed users (upgrade path):

# Do NOT run install again if plugin already exists
openclaw plugins update openclaw-workspace-governance
openclaw gateway restart

Then in OpenClaw chat:

/gov_setup quick
# if quick output says allowlist is not ready (for example plugins.allow needs alignment):
/gov_openclaw_json
/gov_setup quick
/gov_setup upgrade
/gov_migrate
/gov_audit
# manual fallback:
/gov_setup upgrade
/gov_migrate
/gov_audit

What you get

1. gov_help — see all commands and recommended entry points at a glance.
2. gov_setup quick|check|install|upgrade — deploy, upgrade, or verify governance in one step.
3. gov_migrate — align workspace behavior to the latest governance rules after install or upgrade.
4. gov_audit — verify 12 integrity checks and catch drift before declaring completion.
5. gov_uninstall quick|check|uninstall — clean removal with backup and restore evidence.
6. gov_openclaw_json — safely edit platform config (openclaw.json) with backup, validation, and rollback. Includes pre-modification config reference verification: scans local workspace docs before changes, falls back to official web docs, and degrades gracefully when neither is available.
7. gov_brain_audit — review and harden Brain Docs quality with preview-first approval and rollback.
8. gov_boot_audit — scan for recurring issues and generate upgrade proposals (read-only diagnostic).
9. gov_apply <NN> — apply a single BOOT upgrade proposal with explicit human approval (Experimental, controlled UAT only).

Feature maturity (important)

1. GA flow for production rollout: gov_setup -> gov_migrate -> gov_audit, plus gov_uninstall, gov_openclaw_json, gov_brain_audit, gov_boot_audit.
2. Experimental flow: gov_apply <NN> (BOOT controlled apply) is included in deterministic runtime regression baseline, but remains controlled-UAT scope.
3. If you use gov_apply <NN>, keep it in controlled UAT and always close with /gov_migrate then /gov_audit.
4. All /gov_* command outputs use branded format: 🐾 header, emoji status indicators (✅/⚠️/❌), structured bullets, and 👉 next-step guidance.

When to use which command (quick map)

1. Need command list fast: gov_help
2. Daily default path: gov_setup quick (one-click chain)
3. Readiness decision first (manual path): gov_setup check
4. First deployment path (manual): gov_setup install
5. Existing deployment update (manual): gov_setup upgrade
6. Policy alignment after deploy/update: gov_migrate
7. Final verification before claiming done: gov_audit
8. Cleanup workspace governance artifacts safely: gov_uninstall quick
9. Edit OpenClaw platform config safely: gov_openclaw_json
10. Review/harden Brain Docs safely: gov_brain_audit -> gov_brain_audit APPROVE: ... -> gov_brain_audit ROLLBACK (if needed)
11. Scan for recurring issues and get upgrade proposals: gov_boot_audit
12. Apply approved BOOT menu item only (Experimental): gov_apply <NN>

First-run status map

After /gov_setup quick:

1. if output says allowlist is not ready -> run /gov_openclaw_json, then rerun /gov_setup quick
2. if output is PASS -> lifecycle is aligned
3. if output is FAIL/BLOCKED -> follow returned next-step commands
4. manual fallback remains available: check -> install/upgrade -> migrate -> audit

Important update rule

If openclaw plugins install ... returns plugin already exists, use:

1. openclaw plugins update openclaw-workspace-governance
2. openclaw gateway restart
3. /gov_setup check (if needed, align allowlist via /gov_openclaw_json)
4. /gov_setup quick (or manual /gov_setup upgrade -> /gov_migrate -> /gov_audit)
5. If /gov_setup check says READY, that does not cancel an explicitly requested /gov_setup upgrade during update flow.

Version check (operator-side):

1. Installed: openclaw plugins info openclaw-workspace-governance
2. Latest: npm view @adamchanadam/openclaw-workspace-governance version

Runtime gate behavior (important)

1. Read-only diagnostics/testing commands are allowed and should not be blocked.
2. Normal writes (skills/, projects/, code): always advisory — write proceeds with a logged warning, never hard-blocked.
3. High-risk writes (Brain Docs, openclaw.json, _control/*, governance prompts): advisory on 1st-2nd attempt, hard block on 3rd+ without evidence.
4. If blocked by runtime gate, this usually means governance guard worked (not a system crash). Include your plan and list of files read, then retry.
5. If blocked 3+ times: use /gov_brain_audit force-accept to clear all gates (with audit trail).
6. All gov_* responses use branded output: 🐾 header, emoji status prefix (✅ PASS/READY, ⚠️ WARNING, ❌ BLOCKED/FAIL), structured • bullets, 👉 next-step, and ───── dividers.
7. Tool-exposure root-fix is enabled by default: governance plugin tools require explicit /gov_* intent (or /skill gov_*) in the current turn window.

If slash routing is unstable

Use fallback commands:

/skill gov_setup check
/skill gov_setup install
/skill gov_setup upgrade
/skill gov_migrate
/skill gov_audit
/skill gov_uninstall quick
/skill gov_openclaw_json
/skill gov_brain_audit
/skill gov_brain_audit APPROVE: APPLY_ALL_SAFE
/skill gov_brain_audit ROLLBACK
/skill gov_boot_audit
# Experimental only:
/skill gov_apply 01

Or natural language:

Please use gov_setup in check mode (read-only) and return workspace root, status, and next action.

Who this is for

1. New OpenClaw users who want a guided install path.
2. Teams operating long-running workspaces.
3. Users who need auditable, low-drift maintenance.

Learn more (GitHub docs)

1. Main docs: https://github.com/Adamchanadam/OpenClaw-WORKSPACE-GOVERNANCE
2. English README: https://github.com/Adamchanadam/OpenClaw-WORKSPACE-GOVERNANCE/blob/main/README.md
3. 繁體中文版: https://github.com/Adamchanadam/OpenClaw-WORKSPACE-GOVERNANCE/blob/main/README.zh-HK.md
4. Governance handbook (EN): https://github.com/Adamchanadam/OpenClaw-WORKSPACE-GOVERNANCE/blob/main/WORKSPACE_GOVERNANCE_README.en.md
5. Governance handbook (繁中): https://github.com/Adamchanadam/OpenClaw-WORKSPACE-GOVERNANCE/blob/main/WORKSPACE_GOVERNANCE_README.md
6. Positioning (EN): https://github.com/Adamchanadam/OpenClaw-WORKSPACE-GOVERNANCE/blob/main/VALUE_POSITIONING_AND_FACTORY_GAP.en.md
7. Positioning (繁中): https://github.com/Adamchanadam/OpenClaw-WORKSPACE-GOVERNANCE/blob/main/VALUE_POSITIONING_AND_FACTORY_GAP.md