StepFun Plugin Integration for OpenClaw

What You'll Learn

This tutorial walks you through integrating StepFun's language models into OpenClaw using the official ClawHub plugin. You'll configure authentication, select your preferred API tier, and deploy models for production use—all without modifying OpenClaw's core codebase.

• Install and activate the StepFun plugin for OpenClaw
• Configure regional settings (China Domestic or Overseas)
• Choose between Standard API and Step Plan authentication methods
• Set default models and validate deployment
• Troubleshoot common configuration and authentication issues

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have the following in place:

• OpenClaw version 3.28 or later — Version 3.24 contains critical bugs that prevent plugin model discovery. Run openclaw --version to check your current version.
• Node.js and npm — OpenClaw is installed globally via npm; verify with npm -g list openclaw
• StepFun API credentials — Obtain either a Standard API Key or Step Plan API Key from your StepFun account dashboard
• CLI access — You'll need terminal/command prompt access with permission to run OpenClaw commands
• Gateway service running — Verify with openclaw gateway status
• Internet connectivity — Required for ClawHub plugin repository access and API calls to StepFun

Why This Matters

OpenClaw's plugin architecture decouples model providers from the core framework, allowing StepFun to maintain independent version cycles, authentication schemes, and model catalogs without waiting for OpenClaw releases. This pattern scales better than monolithic integrations and gives you faster access to new StepFun models like Step 3.5 Flash.

Step 1: Upgrade OpenClaw to the Latest Version

The plugin system for model discovery was introduced in OpenClaw 3.24 but contained bugs that prevented proper model loading. Version 3.28 fixed these issues and introduced stability improvements for plugin authentication.

Run the upgrade command:

npm i -g openclaw@latest

Verify the upgrade succeeded:

openclaw --version

You should see version 3.28 or higher. If you're still on 3.24–3.27, the plugin will appear installed but models won't appear in the selection menu later.

Step 2: Install the StepFun Plugin from ClawHub

ClawHub is OpenClaw's official plugin registry. The StepFun plugin (version 0.1.0) is published there as a maintained, first-party integration.

Install the plugin with one command:

openclaw plugins install clawhub:stepfun-openclaw-plugin@0.1.0

You'll see output confirming the download and extraction. After installation completes, restart the Gateway service to load the plugin:

openclaw gateway restart

Verify installation by listing installed plugins:

openclaw plugins list

You should see stepfun-openclaw-plugin in the output with status active.

Step 3: Obtain Your StepFun API Credentials

Before configuring OpenClaw, gather your authentication details from StepFun. You'll need to choose between two methods: Standard API or Step Plan.

For Standard API Users

Navigate to your StepFun dashboard and generate a Standard API Key. This key provides access to publicly available Step models with pay-as-you-go pricing. Copy the key to your clipboard—you'll paste it during configuration.

For Step Plan Users

If you've purchased a Step Plan subscription, obtain your Step Plan API Key from the same dashboard. This unlocks priority support, higher rate limits, and dedicated infrastructure.

Note your target region as well: China (CN) or Overseas (other regions). This determines which API endpoint OpenClaw will route requests to.

Step 4: Configure StepFun Using the Interactive Wizard (Recommended)

For first-time users, the interactive onboarding wizard is the safest approach. It validates credentials immediately and walks you through regional/tier selection.

Start the wizard:

openclaw onboard

You'll see a series of prompts:

1. Select authentication type — Choose from the StepFun options presented (e.g., stepfun-standard-api-key-cn for China Standard API)
2. Paste your API Key — The wizard securely stores it in OpenClaw's credential vault, encrypted at rest
3. Choose default model — Select from available models for your tier (e.g., step-3.5-flash)

After the wizard completes, it displays your configuration summary. Verify the region and API tier match your credentials.

Set the Default Model

Explicitly set the default model after onboarding. This ensures OpenClaw routes requests to StepFun by default:

For Standard API (China):

openclaw models set stepfun/step-3.5-flash

For Step Plan (China):

openclaw models set stepfun-plan/step-3.5-flash

Verify the selection:

openclaw models current

Restart the Gateway

Restart the Gateway service to load all configurations:

openclaw gateway restart

Wait for the service to report Gateway is running before proceeding to testing.

Step 5: Configure StepFun via CLI (Advanced Users)

If you prefer scripting or CI/CD automation, use direct CLI commands to bypass the wizard.

Example: Standard API, China Region

openclaw onboard --auth-choice stepfun-standard-api-key-cn --stepfun-api-key YOUR_API_KEY_HERE
openclaw models set stepfun/step-3.5-flash
openclaw gateway restart

Example: Step Plan, China Region

openclaw onboard --auth-choice stepfun-plan-api-key-cn --stepfun-api-key YOUR_API_KEY_HERE
openclaw models set stepfun-plan/step-3.5-flash
openclaw gateway restart

Example: Overseas Region (Standard API)

If your StepFun account targets regions outside China:

openclaw onboard --auth-choice stepfun-standard-api-key --stepfun-api-key YOUR_API_KEY_HERE
openclaw models set stepfun/step-3.5-flash
openclaw gateway restart

Replace YOUR_API_KEY_HERE with your actual API key. The command stores it securely and does not log it to terminal history.

Step 6: Validate the Integration

After configuration and Gateway restart, verify that StepFun models are discoverable and functional.

List Available Models

openclaw models list | grep stepfun

You should see output like:

stepfun/step-3.5-flash
stepfun/step-1-flash
stepfun-plan/step-3.5-flash

The presence of these models confirms the plugin successfully loaded and discovered available options from StepFun's API.

Test a Simple Request

Send a test message to validate end-to-end connectivity:

openclaw prompt "Say hello" --model stepfun/step-3.5-flash

If successful, you'll receive a response from StepFun's model. If this fails, check the troubleshooting section below.

Check Gateway Logs

View real-time logs to confirm the Gateway is routing requests correctly:

openclaw gateway logs --tail 20

Look for entries mentioning "stepfun" or the model name. Absence of errors indicates successful integration.

How Does the Plugin Architecture Work?

OpenClaw's plugin system uses a registry pattern: when the Gateway starts, it scans installed plugins for model provider definitions. Each plugin exports a manifest listing supported models, authentication schemes, and endpoint configurations. The StepFun plugin registers itself as a provider and populates the model list dynamically based on your API tier and region settings.

This design means StepFun can add new models (like Step 3.5 Flash series) without requiring an OpenClaw version bump or code review cycle. You simply update the plugin with openclaw plugins update and new models appear automatically.

Troubleshooting

Plugin Installed but Models Don't Appear

Symptom: openclaw models list shows no StepFun models despite successful installation.

Root cause: OpenClaw version below 3.28 has a bug in the plugin model discovery mechanism.

Solution: Upgrade OpenClaw immediately with npm i -g openclaw@latest, then restart the Gateway. This is the most common issue users encounter.

"Invalid API Key" Error During Onboarding

Symptom: The wizard or CLI returns Error: Invalid authentication token after entering your API key.

Root cause: API key was copied incorrectly, expired, or belongs to the wrong account/region.

Solution:

1. Verify the key in your StepFun dashboard—confirm it hasn't been revoked or rotated
2. Ensure you're pasting the entire key with no leading/trailing whitespace
3. Confirm the key matches your selected region (China vs. Overseas)
4. If using Step Plan, ensure the key is for Step Plan, not Standard API
5. Re-run the onboard command and re-enter the key carefully

Gateway Fails to Start After Configuration

Symptom: openclaw gateway restart times out or returns an error.

Root cause: Plugin syntax error, corrupted credential storage, or port conflict.

Solution:

1. Check Gateway logs: openclaw gateway logs --tail 50
2. Verify no other service is using port 3000 (or your configured port): lsof -i :3000
3. Clear the plugin cache and reinstall: openclaw plugins reinstall clawhub:stepfun-openclaw-plugin@0.1.0
4. If the issue persists, reset OpenClaw configuration: openclaw config reset and reconfigure from scratch

Model Requests Timeout or Return 503 Errors

Symptom: openclaw prompt "test" --model stepfun/step-3.5-flash hangs or returns Service Unavailable.

Root cause: StepFun API is experiencing degradation, rate limits are exceeded, or your account has insufficient credits.

Solution:

1. Check your StepFun account dashboard for remaining credits or rate limit status
2. Verify your API key has not been rate-limited (check StepFun's status page)
3. Test with a simpler prompt to isolate the issue
4. If the issue is account-specific, contact StepFun support with your account ID

Wrong Region Configured

Symptom: Requests fail with 401 Unauthorized or Region mismatch error.

Root cause: Your API key's region doesn't match the onboarded region in OpenClaw.

Solution: Reconfigure with the correct region. Run openclaw onboard again and select the matching region (CN for China, others for Overseas).

Best Practices

Use Version Pinning for Production

The tutorial shows @0.1.0 pinning, which is correct for production stability. Avoid installing plugins without version specifiers in production environments, as @latest may introduce breaking changes. Only use @latest in development or testing environments.

Rotate API Keys Regularly

Treat StepFun API keys like passwords. Rotate them every 90 days and revoke old keys immediately. OpenClaw stores keys encrypted in the credential vault, but periodic rotation limits exposure window if a key is compromised.

Monitor API Costs and Usage

Set up billing alerts in your StepFun account dashboard. The Step Plan has predictable costs, but Standard API's pay-as-you-go model can escalate unexpectedly with high-volume applications. Track your monthly usage in the StepFun dashboard and correlate with OpenClaw's request logs.

Test Before Production Deployment

Run several test prompts with different model sizes and input lengths to validate latency, error rates, and cost. Use the --model flag to explicitly route test traffic to StepFun rather than relying on the default. This isolates StepFun issues from other model provider problems.

Keep the Plugin Updated

Check for plugin updates monthly with openclaw plugins list --updates. New versions often include support for newly released StepFun models. Update with openclaw plugins update clawhub:stepfun-openclaw-plugin.

Document Your Configuration

For teams, document which API tier (Standard vs. Step Plan) and region (China vs. Overseas) you're using. Store this in your project's README alongside any regional differences in model availability or latency expectations.

Next Steps

After successful integration, explore these advanced topics:

• Model selection strategies: Test each StepFun model (Step 1, Step 3.5 Flash, etc.) on your workload to find the optimal balance of speed, cost, and quality
• Rate limiting and quotas: Configure OpenClaw's built-in rate limiter to stay within StepFun's API limits
• Fallback models: Set up a secondary model provider (e.g., OpenAI, Claude) as a fallback if StepFun experiences downtime
• Monitoring and observability: Integrate OpenClaw logs with your logging stack (ELK, Datadog, etc.) to track StepFun API performance
• Cost optimization: openclaw-model-cost-optimization covers strategies for reducing LLM spend across multiple providers
• Custom authentication: Build a custom authentication plugin if your organization requires SSO, API key rotation, or audit logging beyond OpenClaw's defaults

Summary

You've successfully integrated StepFun into OpenClaw using the official ClawHub plugin. The process requires only three commands: upgrade OpenClaw to 3.28+, install the plugin, and run the onboarding wizard or CLI setup. StepFun models are now discoverable and routable through OpenClaw's standard model selection interface.

The plugin architecture decouples StepFun's development cycle from OpenClaw's, enabling faster feature releases and independent credential management. New StepFun models appear automatically as the plugin updates without requiring OpenClaw upgrades.

Key validation steps—listing models, sending test prompts, and checking Gateway logs—confirm end-to-end connectivity. Common issues (old OpenClaw versions, invalid API keys, region mismatches) are easily resolved by following the troubleshooting section.

With StepFun configured, you're ready to route production traffic through OpenClaw to StepFun's models. Monitor API costs, rotate credentials regularly, and keep the plugin updated to maintain reliability and security over time.