OpenClaw

"tool read/write/exec does not exist"

This means the exec, read, or write tools aren't registered. Since OpenClaw's January 2026 security update they are disabled by default under a restrictive tool policy, and they can also drop out after a restart or version regression. Add "profile": "coding" to your tools config to opt them back in, then restart the gateway so the tools re-register.

Likely cause

Since OpenClaw's January 2026 security update, the exec / read / write tools are disabled by default under a restrictive tool policy. They can also drop out after a gateway restart or version regression, surfacing as 'tool does not exist' / 'Tool not found'.

The fix

  1. 1 Add "profile": "coding" to your tools config block to opt the filesystem / exec tools back in.
  2. 2 Restart the gateway so the tools re-register.
  3. 3 If tools vanish a few minutes after restart, it is a known gateway registration bug - restart again or pin a known-good version.
openclaw gateway restart

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Frequently asked questions

Why did these tools work before and suddenly stop?

OpenClaw's January 2026 security update disabled exec, read, and write by default under a restrictive tool policy. You now have to explicitly opt back in with a coding profile.

The tools disappear a few minutes after I restart. Is that normal?

No, that's a known gateway registration bug where tools drop out shortly after startup. Restart again, or pin a known-good OpenClaw version until it's fixed.

Is this the same as the agent hallucinating that it used a tool?

No. Here the tool genuinely isn't registered and you get an explicit error. Hallucinated tool use is when the agent claims it acted without ever calling the tool, which is a separate problem.

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