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How to Connect Kimi K2.5 to OpenClaw/ClawdBot?

Ever wondered what it takes to combine a cutting-edge open-source model with a powerful autonomous agent? Integrating Kimi K2.5 with OpenClaw (formerly ClawdBot/MoltBot) lets you create a self-driven AI agent that can reason, code, and automate tasks based on natural language with minimal configuration. Support for Kimi K2.5 in OpenClaw means you can use a leading agent-friendly model in an open-source assistant platform without subscription lock-in.

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AI assistants are ubiquitous, but most rely on proprietary APIs that cost money and restrict access. OpenClaw fills this gap by offering an open-source agent platform that runs locally or in the cloud. However, connecting a model like Kimi K2.5 (a powerful multimodal, agent-swarm capable model developed by Moonshot AI) requires detailed configuration. Getting this setup right means your agent can do complex tasks like coding, reasoning, and multi-step workflows all while staying free and open.

openclaw/clawbot

What Are OpenClaw and Kimi K2.5?

OpenClaw (ClawdBot / MoltBot)

OpenClaw is an open-source autonomous AI assistant platform originally known as ClawdBot or MoltBot. It lets you run AI agents that can respond to commands, manage tasks, integrate with messaging platforms like Telegram, and handle tool calls on your machine. It is developed in TypeScript/Swift under an MIT license and supports local and cloud deployment.

Why this matters: OpenClaw provides the agent framework — the core runtime and tooling that lets AI models connect to real-world tasks instead of just reasoning in isolation.

The Kimi K2.5 Model

Kimi K2.5 is a state-of-the-art open-source multimodal model from Moonshot AI, trained on trillions of multimodal tokens with a massive context window (256K tokens) that supports coding, reasoning, and visual tasks. Its agent swarm architecture enables multiple parallel tool calls, making it suitable for workflows that involve long reasoning and complex tool execution.

Core features of Kimi K2.5 include:

  • Massive context window for long workflows
  • Multimodal reasoning (text and images)
  • Designed for agent-centric use cases
  • Open-weight model with multiple access methods (API/providers)

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Installing OpenClaw

You'll first need to clone and prepare OpenClaw.

Step 1: Clone OpenClaw

In your terminal, run:

git clone https://github.com/clawdbot/moltbot.git openclaw
cd openclaw
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This fetches the OpenClaw repository to your local system. Keep this directory for configuration and future updates.

Step 2: Install Dependencies

Run:

npm install
# Or with pnpm
pnpm install
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This installs all required dependencies (Node.js/Bun, CLI tools, configuration files) needed to run OpenClaw locally.

Step 3: Set Up Environment Variables

Create a .env file in the project root. Inside it, you'll define your API keys for providers like Moonshot or Fireworks/OpenRouter:

cp .env.example .env
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Edit .env to add your Kimi API key:

# .env
KIMI_API_KEY=sk-k2-5-your-api-key-here
KIMI_MODEL=kimi-k2.5-preview
KIMI_BASE_URL=https://api.kimi.ai/v1
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Create your kimi k2.5 api-key at Moonshot.ai:

creating a kimi k2.5 api key

You can also add keys for OpenRouter or other providers if you wish to use a different backend. Ensure that your key strings are not surrounded by quotes when used in real production.

{
  "model": {
    "primary": "openrouter/moonshotai/kimi-k2.5"
  },
  "models": {
    "openrouter/moonshotai/kimi-k2.5": {}
  },
  "api": {
    "openrouter": {
      "key": "your_openrouter_api_key_here"
    }
  }
}
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Security tip: Never commit .env to version control. Add it to .gitignore immediately:

echo ".env" >> .gitignore
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set up openclaw with kimi k2.5

💡Pro Tip: Test your API key in Apidog before editing configuration files. This prevents downtime from authentication errors.

Configuring OpenClaw for Kimi K2.5

Now that OpenClaw is installed, you need to configure it to use Kimi K2.5 as the primary model.

Updating the OpenClaw Configuration

There are two common configuration file locations:

  • Local project config: openclaw.json
  • Global config: ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json

Open and modify one of those to include the following JSON snippet:

{
  "authProviders": {
    "moonshot": {
      "provider": "openrouter",
      "apiKey": "${env.KIMI_API_KEY}",
      "model": "moonshot/kimi-k2.5-preview"
    }
  },
  "chatEngines": {
    "default": {
      "provider": "moonshot",
      "maxTokens": 2048,
      "temperature": 0.7
    }
  }
}
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Replace ${env.KIMI_API_KEY} with your actual API key if not using environment variable substitution. OpenClaw uses the openrouter/<provider>/<model> format to identify models.

Using Environment Variables for Configuration

You can also create a .env to store the moonshot.ai/kimi k2.5 configuration as follows:

# In .env
OPENCLAW_PROVIDER=moonshot
OPENCLAW_MODEL=moonshot/kimi-k2.5-preview
OPENCLAW_API_KEY=sk-k2-5-your-api-key-here
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OpenClaw will read these at startup if no openclaw.json exists.

Alternative: Using Fireworks AI (Another Provider)

As another provider, you can use Fireworks.ai to configure the Kimi K2.5 backend:

# Set Fireworks API key
export FIREWORKS_API_KEY=your-fireworks-key-here

# Configure OpenClaw
echo '{
  "authProviders": {
    "fireworks": {
      "provider": "fireworks",
      "apiKey": "${env.FIREWORKS_API_KEY}",
      "model": "accounts/fireworks/models/kimi-k2.5-preview"
    }
  },
  "chatEngines": {
    "default": {
      "provider": "fireworks"
    }
  }
}' > openclaw.json
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Replace YOUR_FIREWORKS_API_KEY with your Fireworks API key. This script configures your OpenClaw JSON to use Fireworks as a provider with Kimi K2.5.

Running OpenClaw

After configuration, you need to start OpenClaw's gateway to make the AI agent accessible.

Run the Gateway

In your project directory:

npm run start:gateway
# Or if using the CLI
openclaw gateway start
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This starts the OpenClaw server and listens for incoming agent events and commands. Use the CLI or integrate with messaging platforms (e.g., Telegram) for interactions. Ensure you updated to the latest version (like v2026.1.30) which explicitly added support for the Kimi K2.5 model and useful CLI features like shell completion.

Alternative: Run the Interactive Shell

For local testing:

npm run start:cli
# Or
openclaw shell
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This drops you into an interactive prompt where you can chat with Kimi directly.

Validation

Once running, test connectivity by entering the OpenClaw shell. Enter simple commands like chat or agent prompts to confirm the model responds.

Example:

$ openclaw shell
> /chat "What is the weather in Tokyo?"
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If Kimi K2.5 responds, your integration is working.

Test Model Configuration

Verify Kimi is the active provider:

openclaw config list
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Should show:

Active Provider: moonshot
Model: moonshot/kimi-k2.5-preview
Base URL: https://api.kimi.ai/v1
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Test API Connectivity

Run a direct test:

openclaw test-model kimi "Explain quantum computing in simple terms"
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This bypasses the chat engine and tests the raw model connection.

running openclaw

Using Kimi K2.5 within OpenClaw

With everything running, you can now use Kimi K2.5 to power your AI agent's reasoning and workflows:

Simple Tips

  • Start interactive sessions through openclaw chat
  • Run tasks over your messaging integrations after pairing with Telegram or others
  • Keep your API keys secure in environment variables
  • Monitor usage with openclaw usage --provider moonshot

Integration with Telegram

Configure Telegram bot integration:

# Set Telegram bot token
export TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=your-telegram-token-here

# Update openclaw.json
echo '{
  "integrations": {
    "telegram": {
      "enabled": true,
      "botToken": "${env.TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN}"
    }
  }
}' >> openclaw.json

# Restart gateway
npm run start:gateway
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Now you can chat with Kimi K2.5 through Telegram.

Using Kimi for Code Generation 

# In OpenClaw shell
> /agent "Create a Python script that fetches weather data and sends it to Slack"
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Kimi will use its agent capabilities to write the code, suggest dependencies, and outline deployment steps.

Rate Limits and Cost Management

While OpenClaw now offers free access to models like Kimi K2.5 and Kimi Coding with a single login, pay attention to provider limits (free vs paid).

Monitor your usage:

openclaw usage --provider moonshot --daily
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Set spending alerts:

export MOONSHOT_SPENDING_LIMIT=10  # $10 USD
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Advanced Configuration

Custom System Prompts

Override Kimi's default behavior:

{
  "chatEngines": {
    "codeAssistant": {
      "provider": "moonshot",
      "systemPrompt": "You are an expert code reviewer focused on security vulnerabilities. Be direct and critical."
    }
  }
}
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Use the custom engine:

openclaw chat --engine codeAssistant "Review this function for SQL injection risks"
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Model Parameters

Fine-tune generation parameters:

{
  "chatEngines": {
    "creative": {
      "provider": "moonshot",
      "temperature": 0.9,
      "topP": 0.95,
      "maxTokens": 4096
    }
  }
}
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Multiple Providers

Configure fallback providers:

{
  "chatEngines": {
    "primary": {
      "provider": "moonshot",
      "fallbackProviders": ["openai", "anthropic"]
    }
  }
}
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If Kimi is unavailable, OpenClaw will automatically switch to the fallback provider.

Troubleshooting

"Provider not found" error

Cause: openclaw.json not loaded or syntax error

Fix: Validate JSON syntax:

node -e "console.log(JSON.parse(require('fs').readFileSync('openclaw.json', 'utf8')))"
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"Authentication failed" error

Cause: Invalid API key or expired token

Fix: Verify key:

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $KIMI_API_KEY" https://api.kimi.ai/v1/models
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"Model not available" error

Cause: Wrong model identifier

Fix: List available models:

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $KIMI_API_KEY" https://api.kimi.ai/v1/models | jq '.data[].id'
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Connection timeout

Cause: Network issues or firewall blocking

Fix: Test connectivity:

telnet api.kimi.ai 443
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Conclusion

Connecting Kimi K2.5 to OpenClaw (ClawdBot/MoltBot) transforms the agent platform into a powerful, open-source AI system capable of reasoning, coding, and multimodal tasks. By cloning the repo, configuring providers and API keys, and starting the gateway, you unlock a fully operational AI assistant that leverages a leading open-weight model without proprietary lock-in.

Whether you want to automate workflows, integrate with chat platforms, or build next-generation agents, this integration gives you the flexibility and capability you need.

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