Remote OpenClaw Blog
How to Migrate OpenClaw from Qwen Portal Auth to Model Studio [2026]
4 min read ·
OpenClaw 3.28 removes the deprecated Qwen portal OAuth flow. If you were still relying on portal.qwen.ai auth, the migration is not optional anymore. The supported path now is Model Studio API-key auth.
Why Did Qwen Auth Change?
Because the older portal auth path was deprecated, and OpenClaw is aligning with the provider path that Qwen is actually standardizing around. In practical terms, that means fewer weird auth edge cases and a cleaner long-term setup story.
The cost is that anyone coasting on the old integration has to migrate now instead of later.
What Command Does OpenClaw Recommend?
The 3.28 release note gives the migration direction directly:
openclaw onboard --auth-choice modelstudio-api-keyThat is the clearest sign that Model Studio is now the supported setup path.
How Should You Migrate Safely?
I would migrate in this order:
Cost Optimizer
Cost Optimizer is the easiest first purchase when you want lower model spend without rebuilding your workflow stack.
- back up your existing provider config,
- run the onboarding flow for Model Studio API-key auth,
- remove or replace stale portal-auth references instead of leaving both around,
- test a Qwen-backed request before you call the migration complete.
The key goal is to avoid a half-migrated state where both the old and new auth assumptions still exist in different corners of the config.
What Does OpenClaw Doctor Change Here?
3.28 also changes config behavior more broadly by dropping automatic migrations older than two months. That means very old legacy keys can fail validation instead of being silently rewritten on load or by openclaw doctor.
For this Qwen migration, that matters because the safest approach is active cleanup, not passive hope. Treat the migration as a chance to normalize your config, not just swap one credential for another.
What Should You Test After the Migration?
After the change, test three things:
- a simple Qwen request,
- whatever workflow you care about most with Qwen in the loop,
- doctor or health checks so you catch stale config before it surprises you later.
If the request works but your config still carries dead legacy references, you have only solved half the problem.