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Archal has two auth layers: one for the Archal API (sessions, twins, billing) and optionally one for your execution engine (running the agent).

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Archal API auth

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Browser login

archal login
Opens a browser, you approve, and credentials get saved to ~/.archal/credentials.json. Done.

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API key

Create one from the dashboard: 
export ARCHAL_TOKEN=archal_...
This is what you want for CI and automation.

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Engine auth (API mode only)

If your engine endpoint needs a token (e.g. an OpenClaw gateway), pass it separately: 
export ARCHAL_ENGINE_TOKEN="<your-engine-token>"
OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN still works as a fallback. Local mode doesn’t need engine auth. Your harness handles its own credentials.

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Check everything

archal doctor
Validates auth, direct model-key availability for bundled/local harnesses, config, Node version, and the rest of the stack.