OpenClaw Troubleshooting Guide: Fix Gateway Timeout Error

If OpenClaw isn’t loading, not replying in chat, or you’re locked out with a “gateway timed out” message, don’t panic. This is usually a simple fix that takes a couple of minutes. I’ll walk you through checking logs, running the “doctor” repair, and restarting the stack so you can get back into your dashboard.

This works great on a Hostinger VPS, but the same steps apply on any VPS where you deployed OpenClaw with Docker. You’ll verify the fix by logging in with your gateway token and sending a quick test instruction to confirm everything’s alive.

OpenClaw Troubleshooting Guide: Fix Gateway Timeout Error

Understanding the Issue

When OpenClaw times out at login or stops responding in chat, it’s commonly a deployment state or config issue inside your Docker project. The “doctor” command resets the config to a clean, usable state and surfaces warnings, like missing optional services. A quick restart of your Docker project brings everything back online.

If you’re also running into generic HTTP failures elsewhere, see this quick note on a similar 500 error.

What you’ll see

• Login with your gateway token spins forever or errors “gateway timed out.”
• Chat messages return nothing or never complete.
• Logs show stalled services or warnings about integrations you didn’t enable.

Step 1: Access your VPS terminal

1. Open your VPS terminal via SSH or your provider’s web console.
2. If you’re on Hostinger, open VPS > your VPS > Docker manager > Projects.

Example SSH command:

ssh <your-user>@<your-vps-ip>

Step 2: Check logs for quick clues

1. In Hostinger’s Docker manager, open your Project and click Manage.
2. Open Logs and scan for errors or warnings around the time the timeout occurred.
3. If you have the Analyze feature, click Analyze to get a quick read on what’s failing.

Notes:

• It may show harmless warnings like “WhatsApp not set up” if you didn’t configure it.
• You might see that Telegram is linked while another integration is missing.
• If Analyze isn’t available on your platform, just use the raw logs.

If you encounter permission-related output elsewhere, compare it with this quick permission issue reference.

Step 3: Run the “doctor” repair for your project

1. Open a terminal for your project (Hostinger: Terminal inside the project).
2. Run the doctor command and make sure it references your correct project name.
3. Replace the placeholder with your deployment or project name before running.

Doctor command pattern (replace placeholders):

# Option A: Run doctor directly (if available on host)
DOCTOR_COMMAND --project PROJECT_NAME --fix

# Option B: Run doctor inside the app container
docker exec -it CONTAINER_NAME DOCTOR_COMMAND --project PROJECT_NAME --fix

What this does:

• Checks what’s wrong with files and config.
• Fixes the config for you and resets it to a good state.
• Surfaces warnings so you know what’s missing vs. what’s broken.

Step 4: Restart your Docker project

1. Use docker compose with your project prefix to restart the stack.
2. Only reference the beginning part of your project name if that’s how it’s defined.
3. Wait for containers to come up cleanly before testing the dashboard.

Restart commands (pick one):

# Standard restart
docker compose -p <PROJECT_PREFIX> restart

# Full recreate (useful if restart alone doesn’t help)
docker compose -p <PROJECT_PREFIX> up -d --force-recreate

Step 5: Verify the fix in the dashboard

1. Open your dashboard and log in with your gateway token.
2. Send a quick chat like: “Hello, are you alive?” to confirm response.
3. Then send: “Run through why our latest task failed and look through our config to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

If it still fails, repeat the doctor + restart steps. This usually clears the stuck state and you’ll see replies again.

Alternative Fixes and Edge Cases

• Use your provider’s Analyze tool or an AI log assistant to get step-by-step instructions tailored to the error you see.
• If you configured certain models (for example, Anthropic “4.5” or “Opus”) and the installer didn’t complete things correctly, the doctor run typically fixes it. If it doesn’t, remove that model from config temporarily, doctor again, and restart.
• In the worst case, delete the project and re-deploy clean if the initial install was corrupted. It’s rare, but it’s the fastest path when the config is far off.

If your agent stops mid-run with cryptic failures in other tools, this quick note on an agent error may help you reason about similar patterns.

Quick Reference: What to replace in commands

• PROJECT_NAME: Your exact deployment or project name as shown in your Docker/Hostinger project.
• PROJECT_PREFIX: The compose project prefix; often the beginning part of the project name used with -p.
• CONTAINER_NAME: The running container that hosts OpenClaw’s app service.
• DOCTOR_COMMAND: The doctor entry point provided by your OpenClaw setup.

Example mapping:

# Example only — replace with your real names
PROJECT_NAME    ->  claw-prod-01
PROJECT_PREFIX  ->  claw-prod
CONTAINER_NAME  ->  claw-prod-01-app-1
DOCTOR_COMMAND  ->  openclaw doctor

Final Thoughts

Once the doctor command fixes the config and you restart your compose project, the gateway timeout clears and chat replies normally. If it resurfaces, repeat the same process and check logs for anything new. When in doubt, analyze logs, adjust the model config, or redeploy clean for a fresh start.