> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs2.openclaw.ai/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Presence OpenClaw "presence" is a lightweight, best-effort view of: * the **Gateway** itself, and * **clients connected to the Gateway** (mac app, WebChat, CLI, etc.) Presence is used primarily to render the macOS app's **Instances** tab and to provide quick operator visibility. ## Presence fields (what shows up) Presence entries are structured objects with fields like: * `instanceId` (optional but strongly recommended): stable client identity (usually `connect.client.instanceId`) * `host`: human-friendly host name * `ip`: best-effort IP address * `version`: client version string * `deviceFamily` / `modelIdentifier`: hardware hints * `mode`: `ui`, `webchat`, `cli`, `backend`, `node`, `probe`, `test` * `lastInputSeconds`: seconds since last user input, if known * `reason`: free-form client-supplied string; the Gateway itself only emits `self`, `connect`, and `disconnect` * `deviceId`, `roles`, `scopes`: device identity and role/scope hints from the connect handshake * `ts`: last update timestamp (ms since epoch) ## Producers (where presence comes from) Presence entries are produced by multiple sources and **merged**. ### 1) Gateway self entry The Gateway always seeds a "self" entry at startup so UIs show the gateway host even before any clients connect. ### 2) WebSocket connect Every WS client begins with a `connect` request. On successful handshake the Gateway upserts a presence entry for that connection. #### Why one-off CLI commands do not show up The CLI often connects for short, one-off commands. To avoid spamming the Instances list, `client.mode === "cli"` is **not** turned into a presence entry. ### 3) `system-event` beacons Clients can send richer periodic beacons via the `system-event` method. The mac app uses this to report host name, IP, and `lastInputSeconds`. ### 4) Node connects (role: node) When a node connects over the Gateway WebSocket with `role: node`, the Gateway upserts a presence entry for that node (same flow as other WS clients). ## Merge + dedupe rules (why `instanceId` matters) Presence entries are stored in a single in-memory map, keyed case-insensitively by the first available of, in order: a paired device id, `connect.client.instanceId`, or the per-connection id as a last resort. CLI clients are excluded from tracking entirely (see above), so their connection id never becomes a key. For every other client, the connection id fallback means a client that reconnects without a stable `instanceId` shows up as a **duplicate** row. ## TTL and bounded size Presence is intentionally ephemeral: * **TTL:** entries older than 5 minutes are pruned * **Max entries:** 200 (oldest dropped first) This keeps the list fresh and avoids unbounded memory growth. ## Remote/tunnel caveat (loopback IPs) When a client connects over an SSH tunnel / local port forward, the Gateway may see the remote address as `127.0.0.1`. To avoid recording that tunnel address as the client's IP, connect handling omits `ip` entirely for detected-local (loopback) clients rather than writing the loopback address into the entry. ## Consumers ### macOS Instances tab The macOS app renders the output of `system-presence` and applies a small status indicator (Active/Idle/Stale) based on the age of the last update. ## Debugging tips * To see the raw list, call `system-presence` against the Gateway. * If you see duplicates: * confirm clients send a stable `client.instanceId` in the handshake * confirm periodic beacons use the same `instanceId` * check whether the connection-derived entry is missing `instanceId` (duplicates are expected) ## Related When typing indicators are sent and how to tune them. Outbound streaming, chunking, and per-channel formatting. Gateway components and the WebSocket protocol that drives presence updates. The wire protocol for `connect`, `system-event`, and `system-presence`.