# How to connect OpenClaw to LinkedIn, step by step

Source: https://finchreach.com/guides/openclaw
Third-party facts checked on 2026-10-28.

Create an API key at finchreach.com/api-keys, connect LinkedIn at finchreach.com/accounts, then add `https://mcp.finchreach.com/mcp` to OpenClaw with the header `Authorization: Bearer lk_…`. Test with a read, and approve the first draft under Approvals.

## What you need

- A Finchreach account (sign in at [finchreach.com](https://finchreach.com/sign-in)) and the LinkedIn account you want OpenClaw to work on.
- OpenClaw.
- About five minutes.

## Step 1: Create a Finchreach API key

1. Sign in at finchreach.com and open [API keys](https://finchreach.com/api-keys).
2. Create a key and name it after the tool, for example “OpenClaw”.
3. Copy it right away: it starts with `lk_` and is shown only once.

## Step 2: Connect your LinkedIn account

1. Open [Accounts](https://finchreach.com/accounts) and click to connect LinkedIn.
2. Follow the steps until the account shows as connected.

Approval mode is on by default: nothing the assistant drafts reaches LinkedIn until you approve it.

## Step 3: Add Finchreach to OpenClaw

1. Upgrade to OpenClaw 2026.5.12 or later (earlier versions could leak headers on cross-origin redirects, CVE-2026-53840).
2. Open Settings → MCP (config editor) and add the entry below, or run `openclaw mcp set finchreach '<json>'`. `openclaw mcp add --url …` has no header flag.
3. Set `FINCHREACH_API_KEY=lk_YOUR_KEY`, then run `openclaw mcp doctor finchreach --probe`.

OpenClaw MCP config:
```json
{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "finchreach": {
        "url": "https://mcp.finchreach.com/mcp",
        "transport": "streamable-http",
        "headers": {
          "Authorization": "Bearer ${FINCHREACH_API_KEY}"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}
```

Headers are supported. They are ignored if `auth: "oauth"` is set, so leave `auth` out.

## Step 4: Test the connection

In OpenClaw, start with a read. It runs right away and proves the key and the account work:

> Ask your assistant: “List my connected LinkedIn accounts, then summarize my five latest notifications.”

You should see calls to `linkedin_list_accounts` and `linkedin_get_notifications`. Then try a write, which goes to your approval queue instead of LinkedIn:

> Ask your assistant: “Draft a short LinkedIn post saying I’m trying a new AI assistant workflow. Submit it for my approval.”

## Step 5: Approve or reject it in Finchreach

1. Open [Approvals](https://finchreach.com/approvals). The draft is there with its exact text and the account it would go out from.
2. Approve it to publish, or reject it (reject the test post if you don’t want it live).
3. OpenClaw can check the result with `linkedin_get_action`: pending, approved, rejected, executed, failed or expired.

## Troubleshooting

- Set `transport` explicitly to `streamable-http`.
- `mcp doctor` warns about literal secrets in the config; use `${FINCHREACH_API_KEY}`.
- 401 or “unauthorized”: the key is wrong, revoked or missing its prefix. Finchreach accepts `Authorization: Bearer lk_…` or `X-API-Key: lk_…`; check for a missing `Bearer `, quotes or a trailing space.
- A tool is missing: the key’s permissions don’t include it. Create a key with the permissions you need under [API keys](https://finchreach.com/api-keys).
- “No LinkedIn account”: connect one under [Accounts](https://finchreach.com/accounts), or reconnect it if its session expired.
- A post or message “didn’t go out”: it is probably still waiting under [Approvals](https://finchreach.com/approvals). Writes run only after you approve them.

Still stuck? Compare your setup with [OpenClaw’s documentation](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/mcp), checked on 2026-10-28; client screens change often.

## What to ask OpenClaw next

> Ask your assistant: “When I ask from WhatsApp, check my LinkedIn messages from clients and draft replies.”

> Ask your assistant: “Draft a LinkedIn post from what I worked on this week.”

> Ask your assistant: “Find the people I’ve emailed this week on LinkedIn and draft an invitation with a note to each.”

More ideas on the [OpenClaw integration page](https://finchreach.com/integrations/openclaw).

## Questions

### I lost my API key. Can I see it again?

No, a key is shown only once. Create a new one under [API keys](https://finchreach.com/api-keys), put it in your config, and revoke the old one.

### Does OpenClaw see my LinkedIn password?

No. OpenClaw only gets your Finchreach API key. Your LinkedIn connection stays in Finchreach, and you can revoke the key at any time without touching LinkedIn.

### Can I use the same key in several tools?

Yes, but one key per tool (for example one named “OpenClaw”) lets you revoke one without breaking the others.

### How do I disconnect OpenClaw?

Revoke its key under [API keys](https://finchreach.com/api-keys); OpenClaw gets a 401 from then on. Then remove the server from its config.

## Sources

- [OpenClaw docs](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/mcp)
- [docs.openclaw.ai](https://docs.openclaw.ai/cli/mcp/transports)

## Related

- [What OpenClaw can do on LinkedIn](https://finchreach.com/integrations/openclaw)
- [A morning LinkedIn digest in your chat app with OpenClaw](https://finchreach.com/blog/openclaw-linkedin-daily-digest)
- [Quickstart and tools](https://finchreach.com/docs)
- [All setup guides](https://finchreach.com/guides)