Why is my OpenClaw token usage showing zero?

Token usage may show zero after an upgrade due to configuration changes. Common causes include: the stats tracking feature being disabled in openclaw.json, provider configuration issues, subscription-based authentication (which doesn't use token-based billing), or API keys not being properly validated. Check your configuration file to ensure token tracking is enabled.

Does subscription-based auth (Claude Pro, ChatGPT Plus) show token usage?

No. Subscription-based authentication uses a different billing model than API keys. When using Claude Pro or ChatGPT Plus credentials, OpenClaw can't track token usage because the provider doesn't expose it through subscription endpoints. This is expected behavior — subscription auth is a flat-rate service, not token-metered.

How do I enable token tracking in OpenClaw?

In your openclaw.json configuration file, ensure the stats tracking feature is enabled. Look for configuration options related to token counting, usage tracking, or stats. The exact setting name depends on your OpenClaw version. After updating configuration, restart the OpenClaw backend service to apply changes.

Why did token tracking break after upgrading OpenClaw?

OpenClaw upgrades may change configuration file structure or introduce new settings. If your configuration file isn't updated to match the new version format, token tracking may be disabled or misconfigured. Always review the upgrade documentation and update your configuration file accordingly after any major version change.

How do I know if my API key is working correctly?

Test your API key directly with the provider's API using curl or a tool like Postman. If the key works directly but not in OpenClaw, the issue is likely in OpenClaw's configuration or connection to the provider. Check provider-specific settings in openclaw.json, including base URL, model names, and authentication headers.

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OpenClaw Token Usage Stuck at Zero After Upgrade

You upgraded OpenClaw and now your token usage dashboard shows nothing. Before you worry about missing data, check these common causes. In most cases, token tracking can be restored with a configuration adjustment.

Quick answer

After an OpenClaw upgrade, token usage stuck at zero usually means the configuration file needs updating. Check that token tracking is enabled in openclaw.json, verify your provider settings match the new version format, and confirm you're using API key auth (not subscription-based). Restart the backend after any configuration changes.

Common symptoms

When token tracking isn't working after an upgrade, you'll notice:

Dashboard shows zero tokens used across all models
Recent activity appears empty or incomplete
Bot responds normally but usage data doesn't accumulate
Cost calculations show $0.00 despite active conversations

The bot itself may work perfectly fine — this is specifically a tracking/configuration issue, not a core functionality problem.

Check 1: Verify token tracking is enabled

OpenClaw configuration includes a setting for token usage tracking. After an upgrade, this may have changed name, moved location, or been reset to default.

Locating the tracking setting

Open your openclaw.json configuration file
Look for sections related to stats, usage, or tracking
Verify that token counting or usage tracking is set to true or enabled
If the setting is missing entirely, add it according to the latest OpenClaw documentation

Configuration structure can change between OpenClaw versions. Always reference the configuration schema for your specific version after upgrading.

Check 2: Review provider configuration

LLM provider settings may have changed in the upgrade. If the provider configuration is incorrect, OpenClaw may fail to log token usage even if requests succeed.

Provider settings to verify

Base URL: Ensure the API endpoint matches your provider's current requirements
Model names: Model identifiers may have changed (e.g., claude-3-opus vs claude-3-5-sonnet)
Authentication headers: Verify the auth header format matches provider expectations
Response parsing: Newer OpenClaw versions may require updated token extraction logic

Check the OpenClaw upgrade notes for any provider-specific configuration changes. Some upgrades introduce new required fields or change how provider responses are parsed.

Check 3: Verify API key authentication

Token tracking only works with API key authentication. If you switched to subscription-based auth (Claude Pro, ChatGPT Plus), token usage won't be tracked — and this is expected behavior.

Understanding auth types

Auth type	Token tracking?	Reason
API key	Yes	Provider returns token counts in API response
Claude Pro	No	Flat-rate subscription, no token metadata exposed
ChatGPT Plus	No	Flat-rate subscription, no token metadata exposed

If you're using subscription-based auth intentionally, the lack of token tracking is normal. The trade-off is predictable flat-rate billing versus metered usage.

Check 4: Restart the OpenClaw backend

Configuration changes don't take effect until the backend restarts. After updating openclaw.json, you must restart the service.

Restart methods by deployment

Docker: docker-compose restart or docker restart openclaw-backend
systemd: sudo systemctl restart openclaw
PM2: pm2 restart openclaw
Manual: Stop the process with Ctrl+C, then restart with python main.py

After restarting, test with a few messages and verify that token usage begins appearing in the dashboard.

Check 5: Validate API key permissions

If your API key lacks required permissions, the provider may succeed in processing requests but not return usage metadata.

Testing your API key

Go to your provider's developer console (Anthropic Console, OpenAI Platform, etc.)
Check key permissions: should include read access and usage reporting
Verify the key is active and not rate-limited
Test the key with a simple API call using curl or the provider's test tool
Confirm the response includes token counts in the metadata

If the provider's direct API returns usage metadata but OpenClaw doesn't track it, the issue is in OpenClaw's configuration or response parsing.

Check 6: Review upgrade documentation

Major OpenClaw releases include upgrade notes that list breaking changes and required configuration updates.

What to look for in upgrade notes

Configuration changes: New required fields, renamed settings, deprecated options
Provider updates: Changed API endpoints, new response formats
Token tracking changes: Modified counting logic, new stats storage format
Migration steps: Required database schema changes or data migration scripts

Skipping configuration migration is the most common cause of token tracking failure after upgrades. Always review the release notes before upgrading.

Managed hosting: automatic handling

With managed OpenClaw hosting, configuration updates and migrations are handled automatically. Token tracking works out of the box with no manual configuration needed.