OpenClaw Nextcloud Skill: Self-Hosted Storage Integration

Key Takeaways

The Nextcloud skill connects OpenClaw to your self-hosted Nextcloud instance via WebDAV and REST API.

Requires Nextcloud 20+ and an app password (recommended over account password).

Supports file upload, download, folder creation, move, copy, delete, and share link creation.

Ideal for privacy-conscious deployments where data must not leave your own infrastructure.

Works with any Nextcloud-compatible storage backend including S3, local disk, and NFS.

Privacy-first teams build everything in-house. If you're already running Nextcloud for file storage, connecting it to OpenClaw keeps your agent's data within your own infrastructure — no Google Drive, no OneDrive, no third-party cloud. Here's the setup.

Why Nextcloud + OpenClaw

Nextcloud is the default self-hosted alternative to cloud storage services. For OpenClaw users running on-premise or in a private cloud, it's the natural file storage layer for agent outputs, uploaded documents, and shared reports.

Key use cases for the integration:

Agent output storage — save generated reports, summaries, and files directly to Nextcloud
Document input — read files from Nextcloud to feed into OpenClaw workflows
Automated organization — move and rename files based on agent-determined categories
Secure sharing — generate expiring share links for files without exposing your storage directly

💡

Use app passwords, never account passwords

App passwords in Nextcloud can be revoked individually without changing your main login. If an OpenClaw config leaks, you revoke just that app password. If you use your account password and it leaks, your entire Nextcloud account is compromised.

Nextcloud API Setup

In Nextcloud, go to Settings → Security → App passwords. Create a new app password named "OpenClaw Agent". Copy it — it's only shown once.

Find your Nextcloud WebDAV URL. It follows the pattern: https://your-nextcloud.example.com/remote.php/dav/files/USERNAME/

# Nextcloud credentials for OpenClaw
NEXTCLOUD_URL=https://your-nextcloud.example.com
NEXTCLOUD_USERNAME=your_username
NEXTCLOUD_APP_PASSWORD=your_app_password

⚠

Test SSL certificate validity first

Self-signed certificates cause TLS verification failures in the Nextcloud skill. Either use a proper certificate (Let's Encrypt works well with Nextcloud) or set ssl_verify: false in the skill config for internal-only deployments. Never disable SSL verification for public-facing instances.

OpenClaw Configuration

skills:
  nextcloud:
    enabled: true
    url: ${NEXTCLOUD_URL}
    username: ${NEXTCLOUD_USERNAME}
    app_password: ${NEXTCLOUD_APP_PASSWORD}
    base_path: "/OpenClaw/"  # default folder for agent operations
    ssl_verify: true
    timeout: 30

File Workflow Examples

Saving agent-generated reports to Nextcloud:

skills:
  save_report:
    trigger: event(report.generated)
    actions:
      - skill: nextcloud
        action: upload_file
        path: "/OpenClaw/Reports/{{date}}-report.md"
        content: "{{event.report_content}}"
        overwrite: false

Reading a document from Nextcloud and summarising it:

skills:
  summarize_doc:
    trigger: event(manual)
    actions:
      - skill: nextcloud
        action: download_file
        path: "/Documents/meeting-notes.txt"
      - skill: summarize
        input: "{{nextcloud.file_content}}"
        style: standard

Creating an organized folder structure for a new project:

skills:
  setup_project:
    trigger: event(project.created)
    actions:
      - skill: nextcloud
        action: create_folder
        path: "/Projects/{{event.project_name}}/"
      - skill: nextcloud
        action: create_folder
        path: "/Projects/{{event.project_name}}/Docs/"
      - skill: nextcloud
        action: create_folder
        path: "/Projects/{{event.project_name}}/Reports/"

Common Mistakes

Using the wrong WebDAV path format causes 404 errors. The full WebDAV URL must include /remote.php/dav/files/USERNAME/ — the skill handles this internally if you provide the base Nextcloud URL correctly.

Forgetting the trailing slash on folder paths — Nextcloud's WebDAV requires trailing slashes on directory paths. Missing them causes intermittent errors.
Large file timeouts — the default 30-second timeout fails on large file uploads over slow connections. Increase the timeout value for large file workflows.
Not checking available storage — Nextcloud has storage quotas. An agent that generates large files can hit the quota silently. Add a storage check action before bulk upload workflows.
Overwriting files unintentionally — set overwrite: false if you want to preserve existing files. The default behavior varies by version.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the OpenClaw Nextcloud skill work with any Nextcloud version?
Requires Nextcloud 20 or later. Both the WebDAV API and Nextcloud REST API used by the skill are available in all supported versions.

Can OpenClaw upload files to Nextcloud?
Yes. The skill supports file upload, download, folder creation, move, copy, and delete operations via WebDAV.

Does the Nextcloud skill require an app password?
App passwords are strongly recommended. Generate one in Nextcloud Settings > Security > App passwords. They can be revoked without changing your main account password.

Can OpenClaw share files via Nextcloud?
Yes. The skill creates share links with configurable permissions and expiry dates using the Nextcloud Share API.

Does the Nextcloud skill work with Nextcloud Talk?
Not directly. For Talk integration, use the OpenClaw webhook skill to post messages via the Talk API separately.

Can I use OnlyOffice or Collabora via the Nextcloud skill?
No. The Nextcloud skill handles file storage only. Use a separate compose skill for document generation and store the output via Nextcloud.

R. Nakamura

Self-Hosted Systems Engineer · aiagentsguides.com

R. Nakamura specializes in self-hosted infrastructure and privacy-first deployments. He covers Nextcloud and self-hosted integrations at aiagentsguides.com.