Bitwarden CLI

Manage passwords and secrets via the Bitwarden CLI.

References

• references/get-started.md (install + login + unlock flow)
• references/cli-examples.md (real bw examples)

Workflow

1. Check CLI present: bw --version.
2. Check login status: bw status (returns JSON with status field).
3. If not logged in: bw login (stores API key, prompts for master password).
4. REQUIRED: create a fresh tmux session for all bw commands.
5. Unlock vault inside tmux: bw unlock (outputs session key).
6. Export session key: export BW_SESSION="<key>".
7. Verify access: bw sync then bw list items --search test.

REQUIRED tmux session

The Bitwarden CLI requires the BW_SESSION environment variable for authenticated commands. To persist the session across commands, always run bw inside a dedicated tmux session.

Example (see tmux skill for socket conventions):

SOCKET_DIR="${CLAWDBOT_TMUX_SOCKET_DIR:-${TMPDIR:-/tmp}/openclaw-tmux-sockets}"
mkdir -p "$SOCKET_DIR"
SOCKET="$SOCKET_DIR/openclaw-bw.sock"
SESSION="bw-auth-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)"

tmux -S "$SOCKET" new -d -s "$SESSION" -n shell

# Unlock and capture session key
tmux -S "$SOCKET" send-keys -t "$SESSION":0.0 -- 'export BW_SESSION=$(bw unlock --raw)' Enter
tmux -S "$SOCKET" send-keys -t "$SESSION":0.0 -- 'bw sync' Enter
tmux -S "$SOCKET" send-keys -t "$SESSION":0.0 -- 'bw list items --search github' Enter

# Capture output
tmux -S "$SOCKET" capture-pane -p -J -t "$SESSION":0.0 -S -200

# Cleanup when done
tmux -S "$SOCKET" kill-session -t "$SESSION"

Common Commands

Command	Description
bw status	Check login/lock status (JSON)
bw login	Login with email/password or API key
bw unlock	Unlock vault, returns session key
bw lock	Lock vault
bw sync	Sync vault with server
bw list items	List all items
bw list items --search <query>	Search items
bw get item <id-or-name>	Get specific item (JSON)
bw get password <id-or-name>	Get just the password
bw get username <id-or-name>	Get just the username
bw get totp <id-or-name>	Get TOTP code
bw generate -ulns --length 32	Generate password

Guardrails

• Never paste secrets into logs, chat, or code.
• Always use tmux to maintain BW_SESSION across commands.
• Prefer bw get password over parsing full item JSON when only password needed.
• If command returns "Vault is locked", re-run bw unlock inside tmux.
• Do not run authenticated bw commands outside tmux; the session won't persist.
• Lock vault when done: bw lock.

Testing with Vaultwarden

This skill includes a Docker Compose setup for local testing with Vaultwarden (self-hosted Bitwarden-compatible server).

Quick Start

# Install mkcert and generate local certs (one-time)
brew install mkcert
mkcert -install
cd /path/to/openclaw-bitwarden
mkdir -p certs && cd certs
mkcert localhost 127.0.0.1 ::1
cd ..

# Start Vaultwarden + Caddy
docker compose up -d

# Configure bw CLI to use local server
bw config server https://localhost:8443

# Create a test account via web UI at https://localhost:8443
# Or run the setup script:
./scripts/setup-test-account.sh

# Test the skill workflow
./scripts/test-skill-workflow.sh

Test Credentials

• Server URL: https://localhost:8443
• Admin Panel: https://localhost:8443/admin (token: test-admin-token-12345)
• Suggested test account: [email protected] / TestPassword123!

Node.js CA Trust

The bw CLI requires the mkcert CA to be trusted. Export before running bw commands:

export NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS="$(mkcert -CAROOT)/rootCA.pem"

Or add to your shell profile for persistence.

Cleanup

docker compose down -v  # Remove container and data