---
summary: "Gateway-owned node pairing (Option B) for iOS and other remote nodes"
read_when:
  - Implementing node pairing approvals without macOS UI
  - Adding CLI flows for approving remote nodes
  - Extending gateway protocol with node management
---
# Gateway-owned pairing (Option B)

In Gateway-owned pairing, the **Gateway** is the source of truth for which nodes
are allowed to join. UIs (macOS app, future clients) are just frontends that
approve or reject pending requests.

**Important:** WS nodes use **device pairing** (role `node`) during `connect`.
`node.pair.*` is a separate pairing store and does **not** gate the WS handshake.
Only clients that explicitly call `node.pair.*` use this flow.

## Concepts

- **Pending request**: a node asked to join; requires approval.
- **Paired node**: approved node with an issued auth token.
- **Transport**: the Gateway WS endpoint forwards requests but does not decide
  membership. (Legacy TCP bridge support is deprecated/removed.)

## How pairing works

1. A node connects to the Gateway WS and requests pairing.
2. The Gateway stores a **pending request** and emits `node.pair.requested`.
3. You approve or reject the request (CLI or UI).
4. On approval, the Gateway issues a **new token** (tokens are rotated on re‑pair).
5. The node reconnects using the token and is now “paired”.

Pending requests expire automatically after **5 minutes**.

## CLI workflow (headless friendly)

```bash
openclaw nodes pending
openclaw nodes approve <requestId>
openclaw nodes reject <requestId>
openclaw nodes status
openclaw nodes rename --node <id|name|ip> --name "Living Room iPad"
```

`nodes status` shows paired/connected nodes and their capabilities.

## API surface (gateway protocol)

Events:
- `node.pair.requested` — emitted when a new pending request is created.
- `node.pair.resolved` — emitted when a request is approved/rejected/expired.

Methods:
- `node.pair.request` — create or reuse a pending request.
- `node.pair.list` — list pending + paired nodes.
- `node.pair.approve` — approve a pending request (issues token).
- `node.pair.reject` — reject a pending request.
- `node.pair.verify` — verify `{ nodeId, token }`.

Notes:
- `node.pair.request` is idempotent per node: repeated calls return the same
  pending request.
- Approval **always** generates a fresh token; no token is ever returned from
  `node.pair.request`.
- Requests may include `silent: true` as a hint for auto-approval flows.

## Auto-approval

Auto-approval allows trusted nodes to connect without manual intervention. There are two mechanisms:

### macOS app (SSH verification)

The macOS app can optionally attempt a **silent approval** when:
- the request is marked `silent`, and
- the app can verify an SSH connection to the gateway host using the same user.

If silent approval fails, it falls back to the normal "Approve/Reject" prompt.

### Configuration-based auto-approval

For automated deployments (Kubernetes, CI runners, etc.), you can configure the gateway to auto-approve nodes based on role, IP address, and token validation.

```json5
{
  gateway: {
    nodes: {
      autoApprove: {
        enabled: true,
        roles: ["node"],           // Only auto-approve "node" role
        ipAllowlist: ["10.0.0.0/8"], // Only from private network
        requireToken: true,        // Must have valid gateway token
        auditLog: true             // Log all auto-approvals
      }
    }
  }
}
```

**Security layers (all must pass):**
1. `enabled: true` - Feature must be explicitly enabled
2. Role must be in `roles` array
3. Client IP must match `ipAllowlist` (or be localhost if empty)
4. Valid gateway token required (when `requireToken: true`)

Localhost connections (127.0.0.1, ::1) are always auto-approved for backward compatibility.

See [gateway.nodes.autoApprove](/gateway/configuration#gatewaynodes-node-management) for the full configuration reference.

## Storage (local, private)

Pairing state is stored under the Gateway state directory (default `~/.openclaw`):

- `~/.openclaw/nodes/paired.json`
- `~/.openclaw/nodes/pending.json`

If you override `OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR`, the `nodes/` folder moves with it.

Security notes:
- Tokens are secrets; treat `paired.json` as sensitive.
- Rotating a token requires re-approval (or deleting the node entry).

## Transport behavior

- The transport is **stateless**; it does not store membership.
- If the Gateway is offline or pairing is disabled, nodes cannot pair.
- If the Gateway is in remote mode, pairing still happens against the remote Gateway’s store.