The dench OpenClaw Profile: What It Sets Up

When you run npx denchclaw, it creates an OpenClaw profile called 'dench'. Here's exactly what that profile configures and why each piece matters.

Mark Rachapoom

March 16, 2026·6 min read

The dench OpenClaw Profile: What It Sets Up

OpenClaw is the AI agent framework that DenchClaw runs on top of. When you install DenchClaw with npx denchclaw, it creates a profile called dench inside OpenClaw's configuration. That profile is what turns a generic OpenClaw installation into DenchClaw.

This post breaks down exactly what the dench profile sets up, what each piece does, and how you can customize it.

What Is an OpenClaw Profile?#

OpenClaw supports multiple profiles — separate configuration contexts that can run simultaneously. A profile defines:

Which port the gateway runs on
Which AI model to use
Which channels are connected (Telegram, Discord, etc.)
Which tools are available
Where the workspace data lives
Which skills are loaded
How the agent identifies itself

The dench profile is DenchClaw's opinionated configuration of OpenClaw. It's what makes the product feel like a CRM rather than a raw agent framework.

Profile Location#

The profile lives at:

~/.openclaw/profiles/dench/

Inside this directory:

dench/
  config.yaml           ← main profile configuration
  channels/
    telegram.yaml       ← Telegram bot settings (if configured)
    discord.yaml        ← Discord bot settings (if configured)
    whatsapp.yaml       ← WhatsApp settings (if configured)
  agent/
    system-prompt.md    ← the agent's system prompt (DenchClaw's behavior)
  tools/
    exec.yaml           ← shell execution permissions
    browser.yaml        ← browser tool settings

The Main Config#

Here's what config.yaml looks like (simplified):

profile: dench
version: "1.0"
 
gateway:
  port: 19001
  ui_port: 3100
  workspace: ~/.openclaw-dench/workspace
 
agent:
  model: claude-sonnet-4-6
  system_prompt: agent/system-prompt.md
  thinking: adaptive
  max_tokens: 8096
 
workspace:
  root: ~/.openclaw-dench/workspace
  database: workspace.duckdb
  skills_path: skills/
  apps_path: apps/
  docs_path: docs/
  memory_path: memory/
 
channels:
  webchat:
    enabled: true
    path: /chat
  telegram:
    enabled: false  # enable after running npx denchclaw setup
  discord:
    enabled: false
 
skills:
  autoload:
    - crm
    - app-builder
    - gstack
    - browser
  available:
    - github
    - gog
    - himalaya
    - imsg
    - wacli
    - apple-notes
    - apple-reminders
    - things-mac
    - obsidian
    - weather
 
browser:
  chrome_profile_source: ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Default
  workspace_profile: ~/.openclaw-dench/browser-profile
  headless: false
 
tools:
  exec:
    elevated: true
    allowed_commands:
      - node
      - npm
      - npx
      - git
      - gh
      - curl
      - python3
      - duckdb
      - openclaw

What Each Section Does#

Gateway Settings#

gateway:
  port: 19001
  ui_port: 3100
  workspace: ~/.openclaw-dench/workspace

port: 19001 — the OpenClaw API gateway runs here
ui_port: 3100 — the DenchClaw web interface is served here
workspace — where all DenchClaw data lives

The separation of API port (19001) from UI port (3100) means you can interact programmatically with the agent via localhost:19001 while the browser UI lives at localhost:3100.

Agent Configuration#

agent:
  model: claude-sonnet-4-6
  system_prompt: agent/system-prompt.md
  thinking: adaptive

The system_prompt is the most important piece. This markdown file defines DenchClaw's entire personality, capabilities, behavior rules, and tool usage patterns. It's what turns a generic Claude model into a specialized CRM agent.

The system prompt for the dench profile includes:

Role definition (DenchClaw, a strategic AI orchestrator)
Workspace context (where files live, what the database looks like)
Tool usage guidelines
Memory maintenance instructions
Safety boundaries

Workspace Structure#

workspace:
  root: ~/.openclaw-dench/workspace
  database: workspace.duckdb
  skills_path: skills/
  apps_path: apps/
  docs_path: docs/
  memory_path: memory/

This tells the agent where everything lives. When the agent reads files, writes memory, or loads skills, it uses these paths as the root references.

Skills Configuration#

skills:
  autoload:
    - crm
    - app-builder
    - gstack
    - browser

autoload skills are injected into the agent's context on every session. These are skills the agent always has available without being explicitly asked to load them.

Other skills are available but loaded on demand when the user asks for something that triggers them (email, calendar, GitHub, etc.).

Browser Profile Copy#

browser:
  chrome_profile_source: ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Default
  workspace_profile: ~/.openclaw-dench/browser-profile

During first install, DenchClaw copies your Chrome profile into ~/.openclaw-dench/browser-profile. This is what allows the browser agent to open LinkedIn, Gmail, HubSpot, or any site and already be logged in.

The copy is one-time — it doesn't sync after that. If you want to refresh the browser session, you can run:

openclaw profile refresh-browser --profile dench

The Workspace Directory#

While the profile configures the agent, the workspace is where all the actual data lives:

~/.openclaw-dench/workspace/
  workspace.duckdb         ← all CRM data
  SOUL.md                  ← agent personality
  USER.md                  ← information about you
  MEMORY.md                ← agent's long-term memory
  AGENTS.md                ← agent behavior rules
  memory/
    2026-03-26.md          ← daily session logs
  skills/
    crm/SKILL.md           ← CRM skill
    app-builder/SKILL.md   ← App Builder skill
    gstack/SKILL.md        ← gstack workflow skill
    browser/SKILL.md       ← browser automation skill
  apps/
    pipeline-dashboard.dench.app/   ← custom apps
  objects/
    people/
      .object.yaml         ← people schema config
    companies/
      .object.yaml         ← company schema config
    deals/
      .object.yaml         ← deals schema config
  docs/                    ← entry documents
  marketing/               ← workspace docs
  session-handoffs/        ← cross-session context

Customizing the Profile#

You can customize the dench profile directly:

Change the AI model#

agent:
  model: claude-opus-4-5  # use a more powerful model

Enable more channels#

# Interactive setup
openclaw channel add telegram --profile dench
 
# Or edit the YAML directly
# channels/telegram.yaml
bot_token: "your-bot-token"
allowed_users: ["your-telegram-id"]

Add to autoload skills#

skills:
  autoload:
    - crm
    - app-builder
    - gstack
    - browser
    - gog          # add Google Workspace
    - github       # add GitHub

Adjust tool permissions#

tools:
  exec:
    elevated: true
    allowed_commands:
      - "*"   # allow all commands (use with care)

Multiple Profiles Side by Side#

If you already run OpenClaw with another profile (e.g., a personal assistant profile), DenchClaw's dench profile runs alongside it on its own port. They don't conflict.

# List running profiles
openclaw gateway status --all
 
# Start a specific profile
openclaw gateway start --profile dench
openclaw gateway start --profile personal