Pairing Required / Disconnected 1008
Error: disconnected (1008): pairing required / pairing required openclaw
OpenClaw troubleshooting · Updated 2026
Error Message
Error: disconnected (1008): pairing required / pairing required openclaw
What Causes This
A device or user is trying to connect to the gateway without completing the pairing handshake. This affects both the Control UI (dashboard) and messaging channels when DM policy is set to pairing.
How to Fix It
Approve the pairing request:
# For Control UI / dashboard:
# Open the dashboard URL with the token parameter:
openclaw dashboard
# The tokenized URL includes ?token=... — use that
# For messaging channels (Telegram, WhatsApp, etc.):
openclaw pairing list <channel>
openclaw pairing approve <channel> <code>
# If you forgot the channel name:
openclaw pairing list
# (defaults to the sole available channel since v2026.2.21)
If this happens after an upgrade, device identity state may have been reset. Run openclaw devices list to see paired devices and re-pair if needed.